Microsoft is going to transition users of Microsoft 365 Enterprise, Business Premium and Business mandatory to the new Outlook. For some users, the unsolicited transition will begin as early as January 2025.
Microsoft is going to force users toward the new Outlook starting January 2025. That mail client is supposed to succeed Microsoft’s classic Outlook, but is not loved by users. The new Outlook is a Web-based application that currently lacks functionality and stability. The new product is not an answer to a demand from users, but an attempt by Microsoft to simplify the application and its maintenance internally.
From opt-in to opt-out
The new Outlook has long been optionally available. Users can activate the new version via a slider, and switch back to the old version if desired. Starting in 2025, Microsoft is going to reverse that approach. Microsoft 365 Business Standard and premium customers will be pushed to the new Outlook by Microsoft itself. For Microsoft 365 Enterprise customers, the transition is scheduled for April 2026.
Fortunately, the move is not final: users can choose to switch back to classic Outlook on their own. Administrators within Microsoft 365 Enterprise can also stop the unsolicited migration via policies, and more via setting under Outlook Options and General.
Obligation and confusion
The mandatory transition will undoubtedly cause a lot of confusion. Certainly less technical users who are suddenly confronted with an alternative version of Outlook that lacks familiar features will not necessarily know what to do. Those working with shared mailboxes are out of luck. That functionality is actually not really supported in the new version.
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Microsoft mandates migration of new Outlook starting in January (but return is still possible)
Microsoft previously indicated that the classic Outlook will remain until at least 2029. However, it looks like Redmond wants to make it harder and harder for users to work effectively with the familiar program. Microsoft seems determined to ram the new version down the throats of users before they are ready. Instead of betting on functionality so that the new Outlook is better or at least as good as the old one, the software giant chooses to leverage its dominance and push through its will.