Outlook (new) for Windows now has more calendar features with some to match the ones already in the existing Outlook. Set working hours and location, flexible event start/end times and keeping declined events.
Microsoft boasts about ‘new’ features in their developing new-fangled Outlook but some are really ‘catch up’ features not true innovations.
It gives us an excuse to go over some useful parts of Outlook Calendar, in this case mostly for people in organizations. Some of these features are in both Outlook’s for Windows.
Change start and end times of meetings
This feature is welcomed by many and confusing to others. It’s designed to help when you have many events/meetings that are close together.
Events you create can be shortened by either changing the end time or starting the event later than set. For example, a 9am-10am meeting can appear as 9:05am start or a 9:55am end.
Set this up at Settings | Calendar | Events and invitations (Outlook (new)) or File | Options | Calendar | Calendar options.
There are different adjustment setting for events more or less than one hour.
When you setup an event, the durations will change to show ‘About …’ timings or you can choose the exact start/end time.
That’s the part which confuses some people because they don’t understand why the familiar times start/end are mixed with all these strange extras.
This feature only available for Microsoft hosted mailboxes including Outlook.com
Set work hours and location
Outlook lets you setup not just your working hours but also if you’re in the office or working remotely. Handy for anyone trying to arrange a meeting (in-person or virtual) because those settings can appear in shared calendars.
As you can see, above, it’s possible to set multiple work sessions during one day, click the + button to add another work time for that day.
Working days also show up on your calendar with icons at the top of the day, tick the box “Show work location on my calendar”.
In ‘classic’ Outlook you can only set one work start/end time for selected days of the week.
This feature only for Microsoft 365 hosted mailboxes, not Outlook.com
Show Declined Events
A long-standing annoyance in Outlook was the way it treated declined events. They effectively disappeared from view, making it hard to view or change your mind.
In Outlook (new) you can choose to keep declined events appearing on your calendar at Settings | Calendar | Events and invitations | Save declined events
New Outlook does NOT block Exchange Server mailboxes
How the change to new Outlook for Windows will work
