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Microsoft Attempts to Ease the Transition to the New Outlook with the Classic Outlook Style
I’ve been writing about the new Outlook client ever since the first builds of “Monarch” emerged in mid-2022. Since then, the client has made at times stuttering progress toward its goal of replacing the Outlook Win32 client (aka Outlook classic) before Microsoft ends support for Outlook classic in 2029.
Attempting to replace a client that’s been in constant use by hundreds of millions of people since 1997 is not just a matter of technology. It also involves retraining muscle memory, breaking habits, and learning the strengths and weaknesses of the new client. Add in some administrative complications such as a different add-in model, and the transition is suddenly more complicated than perhaps originally anticipated, especially when creating a client that must serve different constituencies. Microsoft 365 is only one source of users for the new Outlook.
I neither dislike nor like the new Outlook. I don’t have the strong feelings such as those expressed by luminaries like Paul Thurrott and Richard Campbell, both of whom cheerfully remove the new Outlook from PCs. Being a creature of habit, I continue to use Outlook classic because that’s what I have done since 1997 with an occasional foray into the new Outlook to see whether the client has become more than a prettier version of OWA.
Introducing the classic Outlook Style
All of which brings me to message center notification MC1458476 (21 August 2026), announcing the availability of classic Outlook themes for the new Outlook and OWA. Microsoft says that the theme “adjusts the experience to more closely resemble classic Outlook for Windows. When enabled, the setting applies coordinated changes across the Outlook experience, including visual styling, layout, typography, icons, and selected interactions.”
Enabling the classic style is simple. Go to settings, select Appearance, and enable the classic Outlook style (Figure 1).
The appearance settings page displays a banner stating that “Some settings aren’t available in classic Outlook style.” Microsoft hasn’t explained which settings are affected or why they become unavailable when the classic style is enabled. My assumption is that the restriction applies to appearance customizations that conflict with the classic styling, but MC1458476 doesn’t provide any details, and no documentation is available covering the point either.
Using The Classic Outlook Style
I like what Microsoft has done because the classic Outlook style makes the web-based clients look like classic Outlook (Figure 2). (the email shown is sent by the latest iteration of my weekly incomplete Planner task digest script).
Microsoft says that no functionality is lost by selecting the classic Outlook style. In other words, the style is simply a skin applied to the client to change its appearance.
The new style turned up in my targeted release tenant last week. According to Microsoft, all targeted release tenants should have the new style by late September 2026. Deployment into general availability begins immediately afterwards with the goal of achieving worldwide coverage by late October 2026.
Some Users Might Get the classic Outlook Style Automatically
MC1458476 contains the intriguing note that “Some users transitioning from classic Outlook to the new Outlook may have the setting enabled by default to provide a more familiar experience during the transition.” Microsoft doesn’t say if it will enable the style or provide a setting to allow administrators to mandate that the classic Outlook style is in place when people move to the new client.
MC1458476 also notes that users can switch the style on or off as they wish, which raises the question of whether administrators will eventually be able to configure the preferred Outlook style for users and, if so, whether they will also be able to prevent users from changing that preference.
Another Step Along the Path
In some cases, the style might be enough to remove user protests about being forced to move to the new client because it’s so close to what people see in the Win32 client. I have been switching between the old and new clients for the last week and sometimes forget which client I’m using. The options presented in the File menu are very different and that’s one way to check, the check box in the top left-hand corner indicating that the new Outlook is in use is another.
I think Microsoft is wise to have introduced the classic Outlook style. Removing friction from what’s been a long running transition is goodness. It will be interesting to see whether users view the classic style as a helpful bridge to the new Outlook or simply a cosmetic change that does little to address their concerns about moving away from Outlook classic.
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