Microsoft will begin automatically installing the new Outlook email app on Windows 10 devices. It’s already pre-installed on most Windows 11 PCs and deployed on some existing Windows 11 systems.
The new Outlook app will be included as an optional download for Windows 10 starting January 28th, but will be forced into inclusion with the February 11th security update. The new Outlook will work alongside the old one without changing any current settings or configurations. Microsoft has stated that it is currently not possible to stop the installation of the new Outlook app on Windows 10 devices. You can also download the new Outlook from the Microsoft Store today for any computer running Windows 10 version 17763.0 or higher.
If you don’t want to save the new Outlook, you can delete it once it’s available. You can find the new Outlook app in the Applications section of the Start menu. Microsoft shared instructions on how to remove the app in your post explaining the situation. It’s interesting that this is a forced installation, but most likely because the old Mail and Calendar clients are falling apart and ideally there should be some kind of built-in solution.
The new Outlook for Windows was first shown to the public in May 2022. The version for personal accounts became available in September 2023thanks to the September 26 Windows Fall Update and the Microsoft Store in Windows 11. Businesses gained access in August 2024, and Microsoft will finally begin automatically installing the new Outlook, rather than allowing users to choose whether to install it.
It’s definitely a little annoying that the new Outlook is coming out before it can completely replace the functionality of the old built-in Mail and Calendar apps. Although there are instructions to help users uninstall new Outlook, it is an extra step that not everyone is aware of. It’s also unclear whether changing certain settings can effectively prevent you from reinstalling a new Outlook in the future.
Source: Microsoft, PipComputer