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Keep atop your emails, tasks and appointments with Microsoft's basic principles of time management
- Reduce the number of places you read messages
- Use rules to filter or move non-critical messages out of your inbox
- Reduce the number of places where you manually file messages
- Use a single calendar and to-do list
- Process messages by the four 'D's
- Delete it (manually, or with rules)
- Do it (respond or file for reference)
- Delegate it (forward)
- Defer it (flag and categorize for later review in your task list)
- Work in batches (use categories to group similar items)
- Review your email, calendar + tasks regularly
Learn More
See Microsoft Best practices for Outlook.
1. A cleaner, faster, more modern experience
The New Outlook and Outlook on the web share a simplified, modern interface that’s easier to navigate and faster to load, improving day‑to‑day productivity.
2. Consistent across all your devices
Microsoft’s “One Outlook” vision gives you the same look, features, and behaviors on desktop, web, and mobile—making switching between devices seamless.
3. Better integration with Microsoft 365 apps
The new versions integrate deeply with Teams, OneDrive, To Do, and Copilot, making it easier to manage files, tasks, and collaboration from one place.
4. Stronger search, security, and performance
You get faster search, better filtering, improved phishing protection, and a more stable, cloud‑optimized experience.
5. Designed for mobility and flexibility
The web and mobile versions are optimized for on‑the‑go use—quick loading, great notifications, built-in calendar views, and instant access to your tasks and meetings across devices
This stops Outlook from automatically adding a notification to every new appointment or meeting you create or accept.
Outlook Classic/Legacy (Windows or Mac)
- Open Outlook
- Go to File → Options (Windows Classic) or Outlook → Settings → Other (Mac Legacy)
- Select Calendar
- Under Calendar options, uncheck:
- ✔ Default reminders
- Click OK
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New Outlook (Windows or Outlook on the Web)
- Click the Settings (gear icon)
- Go to Calendar → Events and invitations
- Find Default reminder
- Set it to None
- Save if prompted
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Explanation
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| Inbox |
Your landing zone for new mail—keep it clear by triaging quickly and moving items to the right place.
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| Junk |
Automatically filters spam so it doesn’t distract you or clutter your main inbox.
Send things here that are purely unrelated to your job and/or seem potentially malicious. |
| Quarantine |
Things shouldn't go here but they do. The higher up you are in the organization, the greater the risk things will go here. |
| Promotional Material |
A place to route newsletters, marketing mail, and low‑priority updates so they don’t interrupt your day.
Use rules to trim down your inbox. Set retention Delete after 1 year. |
| Reference Material (Optional) |
Stores important info you may need later (policies, project docs, approvals), without clogging your active work folders.
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Manager (Optional)
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A dedicated folder for anything from your manager—keeps high‑priority communication easy to find.
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