Welcome to Outlook.com

Note: Sign in to Outlook.com by using any Microsoft account, including email accounts ending in @outlook.com, @live.com, @hotmail.com, and @msn.com, or by using an Office 365 work or student accounts. Need help accessing your account? See I'm having trouble signing in to my Outlook.com account.

Use Outlook.com to access email, contacts, calendars, and tasks from anywhere. All you need is Internet access.

What you'll see in Mail

When you sign in to Outlook.com, you'll go straight to your Inbox.

Block	Description	Action(s)
1	Message	Create a new message by choosing .
2	Folders list	The list includes the folders in your mailbox. It may include other folders, such as Favorites and Archive folders. Tips:  Choose Expand to show the Folders list, or choose Collapse to hide it. Right-click an existing folder and choose Create new subfolder. See Working with message folders in Outlook on the web in business to learn more about available folders.
3	Search box	In the Search Mail and People box, type who (name of a person) or what (a subject) you want to search for, and then choose .
4	Message list	Messages in the current folder are listed. And there might be a visual alert that a message is unread, has an attachment, or is flagged. At the top of the message list, you can set how you want to view the list. Choose the down arrow, and then choose an option under Filter, Sort by, or View as. Each message also has a mini toolbar . You can Delete a selected message, Mark as unread, Flag the message, or pin it to Keep this message at the top of your folder.
5	Reading pane	The message or conversation that you chose appears in the reading pane. Use the command bar above the reading pane to perform common actions such as deleting, archiving, sweeping, or moving emails. And you can choose More to access additional actions—for example, an option to assign a message to a category or to Print a message. If you want to learn about printing, see Printing emails and calendars in Outlook.com.

What you'll see in Calendar

Keep track of appointments, meetings, or any other event from anywhere—as long as you have Internet access. Add, edit, or delete events by using daily, weekly, or monthly views. For more information about working with calendars in Outlook.com, go to Using the Calendar in Outlook on the Web.

Block	Description	Action(s)
1	Search Calendar	Begin typing the name of a person or an event to locate a meeting or appointment containing a particular contact or event title, and then choose .
2	New event	Create a new event by choosing the down arrow, and then choose Calendar event. Then fill in information about the event in the Details form.
3	My calendars	Under My Calendar, Calendar is the default selection and displays the calendar in Month view. You can move forward or backward through calendar months. In Month view, the current date is always highlighted—darkly shaded. But if you select another date in that view, it also is highlighted and lightly shaded. And you can add a calendar under My Calendar. Right-click My calendar > New calendar and create a new calendar to use, for example, for a specific project or to track personal appointments. If you decide you don't want the calendar you created, choose the calendar, right-click, and choose Delete > Yes. Or on the command bar, choose the Add calendar down arrow, and then choose a Birthday calendar, a Holiday calendar, or another calendar option. After you add a Birthday calendar, for example, its display can be turned on and turned off. Just choose My calendars, right-click, and choose your option.
4	Other calendars	You can view more than one calendar at a time. Add other people's calendars and select which to display. You also can create new calendars or new calendar groups.
5	View options	Choose your calendar view: Day, Work week, Week, Month, or Today.
6	Calendar pane	Select a specific day in the calendar, and any appointment or event scheduled for that day is listed in this area. You also can double-click a day or time slot and create a new appointment or event.

Share or print a calendar

In Outlook.com, you can share a calendar or print a calendar. Start by choosing the action you want on the command bar.

To share a calendar

1. Choose Share, type the name of the person who you want to share the calendar with in the Share with box, and then choose Share.

2. Do one of the following:

   • If the person is matched automatically as someone in your contact list, their email address appears and you can choose it.

   • If the person whose name you typed isn't in your contact list, type their email address, and then choose Share

3. When you're done identifying all the persons you want to share the calendar with, choose Done.

Each person you choose to share your calendar with will receive your email invitation. The recipient has the option to choose the Add this calendar to view subject, location, availability, and notes link to get access to the calendar you want to share.

To print a calendar

1. Choose Print.

   Note: Whatever calendar view you have onscreen is previewed.

2. Do one of the following:

   • If the calendar previewed is what you want to print, choose Print.

   • If you want a different calendar, in the View drop-down box, choose a new calendar view, and then choose Print.

Options—such as format—available in the Print dialog box might vary based on the chosen calendar view.

What you'll see in People

Store and manage all of your contacts in one place. Create new contacts or search for and edit existing ones. To learn more about managing contacts in Outlook.com, go to Use contacts in Outlook on the web.

Block	Description	Action(s)
1	Search People	Begin typing the name of a person you're searching for, and then choose . If the person whose name you typed automatically is matched as someone who already is in your contact list, their email address appears and you can choose it.
2	Create, edit, or delete contacts	Use the command bar to access and carry out specific actions. To create a new contact, on the command bar choose New > Contact. In the Add contact form, provide details about your new contact. To restore deleted contacts, to clean up duplicate contacts, to connect to social network contacts, to import contacts from other email services, or to export contacts, choose the Manage down arrow. To edit or delete a contact, choose a contact in the list, and then choose Edit or Delete, respectively.
3	My contacts	Displays folders you can use to manage your contacts. You can create new contact folders and rename or move existing ones. To add a folder, right-click My Contacts > New folder. To rename, move, or delete folders, right-click the folder and select Rename, Delete, or Move to.
4	Contacts list	Displays contacts in the selected folder under My Contacts. How contacts are displayed depends on your choices. By default, Display is set to All, Display order to First last, and Sort order to First name. Choose the down arrow next to the current selection to change the options. There also are More options available. Choose a contact to view details in the contact details pane.
5	Contact card	Displays information about the contact chosen in the contacts list. Details include any information you might have added about the contact, including phone numbers, address, and any company association. You can connect to a social network with Outlook.com. If you do create a connection, you might be able to link to the contact lists from the social service you're linked to.

What you'll see in Tasks

Keep track of things you need to get done, or view and track flagged messages in email that are associated with an action item. To learn more about managing tasks in Outlook.com, go to Using Tasks in Outlook on the web.

Block	Description	Action(s)
1	Manage your tasks	You can use the command buttons to help you carry out actions to manage your tasks. You can create a new task or delete an existing one, assign a task to a category, attach a charm (an icon) to a task, or mark a task as complete. Choose to create a new task and then in the task form, fill in details as needed.
2	My tasks	The first time you expand the default My tasks folder, you'll find two built-in folders: Flagged items and tasks Lists tasks that you've created and flagged. Any email message that you flagged in your Inbox also is listed. Notes:  You can Reply to—among other actions—to flagged email in your Flagged items and tasks list. Select the email and either choose an action on the command bar or choose the down arrow next to Reply all and make a selection from the list of options. Tasks Lists the tasks you create by choosing You can create new folders. Right-click My tasks > Create new folder, and then name the new folder. The new folder will appear below the Task folder. Any folder you create you can rename or delete. Right-click the folder to do either.
3	Tasks list	Tasks that you've created are listed. You can use a filter—All, Active, Overdue, or Completed—to decide how tasks are presented in the Tasks list. Choose the down arrow next to the current Filter—All, Active, Overdue, or Complete. If you like, select a different Filter, and then choose Sort by and Order options. If your task is nearing the date you set for completion, you'll see a small clock symbol next to the task. And if you don't tackle a task by the date you set, you'll find the task labeled as Overdue.
4	Task detail	In Tasks, choose a task you created and view details about it. In the details pane, choose and change any detail you want about the task. Make sure you Save the changes you make. If you choose the down arrow next to Edit, you can Delete the task, Categorize it, add a Charm, or simply Open in a separate window.

More information

• Using Email in Outlook on the web

• Using the Calendar in Outlook on the Web

• Using contacts in Outlook on the web

• Using Tasks in Outlook on the web