Microsoft Outlook: Missing Features in New Outlook

Overview

Microsoft has released a new Outlook desktop client. The new client is missing some features that were available in the previous client. Features that are known to have been removed are listed below. 

Missing Features

Word Editor

  • Does not use Word as an email message editor, so these features are gone when composing email:
    • Styles, smart tables, thesaurus, find & replace, paragraph formatting, advanced character formatting, page color, effects, themes, smart art, word art, OLE objects, etc.
    • Set bullet type/style in a bulleted list
    • Quick Parts
    • Right-click
  • Email composer does not support:
    • Message expiration
    • Hanging indents or tab customization
    • Reply to an alternate email address
    • Digitally signing or encrypting emails
    • Auto-pick time for creating meetings
    • High importance & low importance tags for calendar events
    • Dictation
  • Find/replace within the message when composing an email (Ctrl+F)
  • Mail merge using Word and Excel may not work
  • Message Templates
  • Cannot put a border or shading around inserted images
  • Can only select from a subset of Windows fonts
  • Auto-correct shortcuts are gone
  • Cannot set up multiple languages for spell-checking within a message
  • Rich text format for composing email

Message Handling

  • Choose columns to show in the message list
  • Separation of categories from the subject in the message list
  • Shared categories cannot have color
  • Rearranging folders in a folder tree
  • Cannot set a folder to show item count
  • Sort/Filter options greatly reduced
  • Rules have limited functionality 
  • Can see but not access/use better rules from old Outlook
  • Recall email
  • Resend email
  • "Share to Teams"
  • "Send to OneNote"
  • Cannot right-click and “Add to favorites” for shared mailboxes
  • Can't delete attachments from emails and still keep the email
  • Can't save an attachment where you want, it goes to your downloads
  • Right-click on the message -> Find Related
  • Sort messages by category
  • Cannot drag-n-drop emails into other Office apps
  • Quick Steps cannot create a new email
  • Unable to sort by name, then type in the name to go to that grouping
  • Cannot "view source" of HTML emails
  • Custom follow-up reminders for email
  • Can't "share as attachment" from the other Office apps
  • MAPI is gone. No more "Print PDF to email", or other apps using email workflow.
  • Does not migrate quick steps from old Outlook even though they are stored on the server.
  • Reply with IM (opens Teams chat with sender)
  • Can't view the headers of attached emails
  • Advanced Search (Ctrl+Shift+F)
  • Search Folders

Calendar 

  • Does not use Word as a description editor for calendar event entries, so these features are gone when creating an event:
    • Styles, smart tables, thesaurus, find & replace, paragraph formatting, advanced character formatting, page color, effects, themes, smart art, word art, OLE objects, etc.
    • Set bullet type/style in a bulleted list
    • Quick Parts
    • Right-click
  • Cannot import Holidays into Calendar (.hol files)
  • No way to open the address book within "Create calendar event"
  • "Next 7 Days" Calendar view
  • Tasks view
  • “To Do” opens in a browser instead of within Outlook

Layout

  • Ribbon cannot be hidden
  • Preview 1, 2, or 3 lines of the message body in the message list
  • Search ribbon
  • Status bar
  • Item count, server connectivity status, zoom level, etc.
  • Quick Access Toolbar and Previous/Next email buttons when viewing a message
  • Public folders must be manually added to favorites to see them
  • View Settings is a lot more limited 
  • Outlook Today (although it may be replaced with "My Day" or “Board”)
  • Notes view
  • Folders view
  • Folder pane cannot be "minimized" to show folders sideways
  • Gray theme missing, only white and dark available
  • Cannot change icons of quick steps
  • To-Do bar (although it may be replaced with "My Day" or “Board”)
  • No print options in Mail view. Must open each message and print one at a time.
  • No print options in the Contacts view
  • Cannot minimize to system tray
  • "Clean up" mailbox
  • Send/Receive/Sync Now

Other 

  • Outlook forms
  • PST file support
  • Copy email attachments
  • OneDrive link does not honor policies and is hidden
  • No contacts from shared mailboxes
  • Creating email signatures via script
  • Work offline
  • Accessibility is a lot more limited 
  • Read Aloud (text-to-speech) is only available within Immersive Reader instead of right-clicking
  • Translate
  • Using Outlook without mouse/touch is not possible
  • Voting options (replaced with browser-based MS forms)
  • Alt-R and Alt-W hotkeys
  • Cannot open .EML or .ICS files
  • COM and VTSO add-ins
  • Does not work with on-prem Exchange Server
  • A lot of missing Enterprise controls, such as using Group Policy to prevent users from adding their personal accounts.
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