Still using Classic Outlook? Microsoft highlights 15 reasons to switch to New Outlook

As many of you may know, Microsoft has been trying to get customers to ditch Classic Outlook in favor of New Outlook for quite some time now. To that end, it has added numerous capabilities to the latter, including PST features, and it is working on several more, such as a unified inbox. However, customer response has been a bit lukewarm so far, with many considering the New Outlook to be "hot garbage". Now, Microsoft has highlighted 15 features that users can leverage in New Outlook in yet another attempt to get customers to migrate.

Although not all of the 15 capabilities are exclusive to New Outlook, in fact, most of them are available in Classic Outlook as well. But Microsoft hopes that this combination of familiar and fresh features will be able to attract existing users as well as new ones.

For ease of readability, we have summarized the 15 features below:

1. Pin an email: This makes it easier to track important emails
2. Snooze an email: You can temporarily snooze an email thread for a specific time frame until it becomes relevant again. This can be very useful in scenarios where you don't feel like actively following a thread or simply want to follow up on a later date
3. Add multiple categories at the same time: You can assign multiple categories to an email through a single, simplified interface
4. Sweep: As the name implies, you can define automated move processes on your inbox to declutter it, rather than cleaning it up manually
5. Schedule send: Does exactly what it says on the tin, and can be useful when accommodating recipients in different timezones
6. Simplified folder sharing: The sharing process has been simplified so permissions are automatically applied on parent folders
7. Follow a meeting: This is an RSVP option that lets people know that you won't be able to join the meeting but would still like to access a recap
8. Save calendar views: You can save different views for the calendar based on different workflows
9. Improved meeting tracking: Organizers have more controls in viewing meeting responses, such as the ability to sort and download them. Typically useful when there is a large audience
10. Meeting recap: The Outlook Calendar surfaces a meeting recap with recordings, transcripts, and shared files
11. Filtered views: Allows you to declutter your Calendar so that it's easier to scan and schedule
12. Change a recurring event: Users can modify future events of a series of meetings while preserving the configuration of previous ones
13. Rename your email account: This labeling makes it easier to identify multiple accounts in Outlook
14. Modern themes: Exactly what the name says, plus Dark Mode
15. Keyboard shortcuts: This facilitates flexible user behavior as customers can choose between Outlook for Windows shortcuts, Outlook for the web, or turn them off completely

There you have it. It's a decent list, but it remains to be seen if it will move the needle in a meaningful way for users who are attached to Classic Outlook. Again, a lot of the aforementioned features are already available in Outlook Classic, but for some, native functionality is not present, and people typically resort to workarounds. Microsoft will be hoping that it's primarily those capabilities that get people to finally switch.