Microsoft recently confirmed that three spiffy features are heading their way to the new Outlook app for Windows 10 and 11. Even though Microsoft has been extending support for classic Outlook, you may want to switch to new Outlook sooner than later, especially with its steady implementation of features like offline email attachments.
The first of the big three features is a warning box that’ll pop up when you try to reply to an older email in a thread that has newer replies. Replying to older messages can create confusion and broken threads, so this warning will help conversations stay on track and not break apart. “With this change, users can now be more confident that they are responding to the right message in an email conversation,” Microsoft writes. It will start rolling out to new Outlook users in August.
The second upcoming feature is the ability to use templates for automatic replies. You’ll be able to set up certain email conditions upon which an auto-reply triggers, and those auto-replies can be set to use various templates that you create. “It’s a simple way to send consistent replies without typing the same thing over and over,” says Microsoft. This will start rolling out to new Outlook users in September.
The third feature to come is the ability to categorize your emails using drag-and-drop into folders. If you add a category to your Favorites, you’ll be able to drag emails into it to automatically apply that category to the dragged-in email. “It’s a faster, more visual way to keep your inbox sorted the way you like,” according to Microsoft. This feature will also start rolling out to new Outlook users in September.
All of these features are mentioned in the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, with these particular features spotted by Windows Latest.
