The KAUST Information Technology Department blog
10 September, 2026
Outlook changes regularly, and some of its most useful improvements arrive quietly.
Whether you spend your day managing meetings, working through a crowded inbox, or repeatedly sending the same information, there may be a few features worth adding to your routine.
A quick note about availability
The information below reflects Microsoft Outlook feature availability as of September 10, 2026. Outlook is updated regularly, and Microsoft may add, change, move, or retire features over time. Features can also roll out gradually, so two people using the same version of Outlook may not always receive a new feature on the same day.
Select a feature below to jump straight to it.
| Feature | New Outlook Windows | Outlook on the web | Outlook for Mac | Outlook mobile | Classic Outlook Windows |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Follow a meeting | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - |
| Meeting Recap | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - |
| Quick Parts | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ |
| Go to Folder | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ |
| Quick Steps | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ |
| External email rules | ✓* | ✓* | ✓* | - | - |
Sometimes a meeting matters, but you simply cannot attend it.
In new Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web, Follow gives you another option besides Accept, Tentative, or Decline.
A KAUST example
You have a project meeting at 10:00 AM, but an important department meeting has been scheduled at exactly the same time. You need to attend the department meeting, but still want to know what happened in the project discussion. Select Follow for the project meeting instead of Tentative.
Your calendar shows that time as free, but you keep access to the meeting and chat. If the Teams meeting is recorded or transcribed, you can also return to that content afterwards.
One important detail: Follow responses currently appear as Tentative to people viewing the response in classic Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac, or Outlook mobile.
Follow becomes much more useful when paired with Meeting Recap.
For supported Teams meetings, Outlook can bring together links to the recording, transcript, files, and other available meeting content directly from the calendar event.
A KAUST example
You missed a working group meeting while attending a workshop. Instead of searching through Teams chats later, open the past meeting from your Outlook calendar. If a recap is available, the meeting content is linked there.
If you regularly type the same paragraph, instructions, or answer, Quick Parts lets you save that content and insert it again later.
A KAUST example
You regularly send colleagues the same instructions for joining a research collaboration site, preparing for a training session, or submitting information for a recurring process. Save the standard instructions once as a Quick Part and insert them whenever you need them.
It is particularly useful for content that is longer than a sentence but does not justify creating a complete email template.
Learn more from Microsoft SupportIf your Outlook folder list has become long enough to require its own navigation system, there is an easier way to get around it.
A KAUST example
You know you created a folder called 2026 Research Agreements, but you cannot remember where it sits among years of project folders. Use Go to Folder instead of expanding folder after folder until you find it.
In new Outlook for Windows, press Ctrl+Y to move to the Folder pane, then start typing the folder name to jump to it quickly.
Classic Outlook for Windows also uses Ctrl+Y to open its Go to Folder window, although the experience looks different.
View Outlook keyboard shortcuts on Microsoft SupportQuick Steps can combine several Outlook actions into one shortcut.
A KAUST example
Imagine you regularly receive project updates that you read, mark as complete, and move into the same project folder. Instead of doing those actions separately every time, you can create a Quick Step to handle them together.
Quick Steps can be particularly useful for repetitive mailbox tasks such as moving messages, categorizing them, marking them as read or unread, or combining several actions.
You may already notice an External label on email arriving from outside KAUST.
Microsoft is rolling out the ability to use that label as a condition in Outlook Inbox Rules in new Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the web, and Outlook for Mac.
A KAUST example
You work regularly with external research partners and want those messages to be easier to identify. You could create a rule that applies a category to external messages matching specific criteria.
Because Microsoft is still rolling this capability out, it may not appear in your Outlook rules yet.
Learn how Outlook Rules work on Microsoft SupportMake sure you are using the current Outlook experience.
Microsoft is ending support for legacy Outlook for Mac, which means the current Outlook experience is where Mac users should expect Microsoft's ongoing fixes, improvements, and newer features.
Read: Still Using Legacy Outlook on Your Mac? It's Time to Make the SwitchNo action is required.
Microsoft regularly updates Outlook and often releases features gradually. Availability can depend on the Outlook version you use, Microsoft's rollout schedule, and changes Microsoft makes to the service over time.
If something listed here is not available to you yet, keep Outlook up to date and check again later.
