The following articles were included in our Exchange Messaging Outlook (EMO) newsletter published on December 8, 2022.
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Today's Highlights
- Category order on messages
- Outlook for Mac: On My Computer Folders
- Outlook.com: New Ribbon Interface
- Windows Task Bar Tip
- Teams Free for Communities
Category order on messages
A user assigns multiple categories to messages and was annoyed by the haphazard look, with the categories in different order.
When you assign categories to items Outlook adds the most recent category at the front of the list, not in alphabetical order. If you want the categories in a specific order, you need to add them in that order or deselect then reselect the categories in the desired order.
While it would be possible to use a VBA macro to sort the categories, I don't have a macro that does this. VBA doesn't have a Sort option for arrays, making it more complicated to write. Maybe someday when I don't have anything else to do, I'll do this.
Maybe I should add it to my to-do list: it might be kind of nice (and useful) to have the category colors in a neat order in Contacts, especially when using List or Phone view and not have to resort to adding and removing categories.
Outlook for Mac: On My Computer Folders
The new Outlook for Mac is finally getting On My Computer folders! It's in the beta version right now, so should be in the general release early next year.
If you are using On My Computer folders in the legacy version, use the File > Import My Computer data command to bring it over to new Outlook.
Also new in the Mac version, the ability to create email account groups. If you have a several email accounts in Outlook, you can create a group for personal accounts and a group for work accounts. Or a group for your most used accounts and a group for accounts you rarely use.
I have mixed feeling about this new feature. While its nice to get the clutter out the universal inbox folder, it will take some time to get used to it.
Outlook.com: New Ribbon Interface
Microsoft is finally rolling out the new ribbon interface to Outlook.com users. Microsoft 365 business accounts have had the new ribbons for several months.
Yes, it takes some getting used to and no, you can't switch back to the old interface.
Microsoft made the change for continuity with the other Outlook interfaces, because the new Outlook app for Windows that is in beta uses much of the same code as Outlook on the web. Microsoft wanted it to look like Outlook.
Windows Task Bar Tip
Did you know you can quickly open or switch to apps that are pinned to the taskbar?
Similar to Outlook's Quick Access Toolbar and the new vertical Navigation pane, the icons on Window's Taskbar have a shortcut key assigned, based on their order on the Taskbar.
Press Windows key + a number to open the app. As with Outlook, you are limited to no more than 10 app shortcuts – for the numbers 1 through 0.
In Outlook, you can use Ctrl+ a number to switch to the apps on the vertical navigation bar, running top to bottom. For the Quick Access Toolbar, the shortcut is Alt+ a number.
Teams Free for Communities
In another renaming of Teams, Teams for Personal life is now Teams (Free). I could be wrong, but I think that's what it was called before they changed it to Teams for Personal life.
Introducing Microsoft Teams (free) - Microsoft Support
They've added a new feature to it – Communities. This allows you to create a team for a group – sports teams, neighborhoods, school groups, etc.
Sounds a lot like a Facebook group, doesn't it? Except, at this time, it is for mobile devices only. You can't join a community from the desktop app or browser.
Create a community in Microsoft Teams (free) - Microsoft Support
New & Updated Support Articles
Can't move searched items to other folders beyond the sync slider limit - Microsoft Support
Error occurs when you send or receive an email message in Outlook - Microsoft Support
Lists various error messages that you may receive when you send or receive email messages in Outlook. Describes possible causes and resolutions.