Suggested Replies secrets in Outlook for Windows

Suggested Replies are coming to Outlook 365 for Windows. As usual, there are details that Microsoft has ‘forgotten’ to mention but we at Office Watch aren’t so forgetful!

In the Outlook reading / preview pane, possible replies can be displayed.

Or

Microsoft’s cloud systems have scanned the message and offered suggested replies.

As we’ve seen in the past, some of the suggestions can be a little strange, Check out Outlook’s “Smart” Replies to literary and movie classics

Click on one of the options to start a reply with the selected phrase.  You can then edit the reply as usual before sending.

Show Suggested Replies

If you don’t like Suggested Replies, go to File | Options | Mail | Replies and forwards then deselect ‘Show suggested replies’.

There’s a similar option in the browser based version of Outlook and Outlook.com.  Go to Settings | Mail | Compose and Reply then scroll down to Suggested Replies.

You’re not alone in disliking Suggested Replies.  Plenty of people find them trite and incomplete as well an unnecessary privacy intrusion.

Currently Suggested Replies are only for Insiders testing but they’ll eventually appear in public releases of Outlook 365 for Windows.

Gotcha – do you have the right mail account?

Suggested Replies need more than the latest Outlook 365 for Windows or online.

What Microsoft ‘forgets’ to mention is that they are only available for Microsoft hosted mailboxes – Exchange Server Online or Outlook.com .  It doesn’t matter if you have Suggested Replies turned on, they won’t appear unless it’s a Microsoft approved mailbox.

Gmail and ISP based mailboxes don’t get the same feature.

Check out Outlook’s “Smart” Replies to literary and movie classics
Fast replies and common text in Outlook emails