In this article, you can find frequently asked questions about the new Microsoft Outlook update. If you have additional questions that this article doesn’t include, please submit a ticket to our support team.
What is the new Microsoft Outlook?
In May 2022, Microsoft introduced the preview mode for the new Outlook for Windows. As of August 2024, the new Microsoft Outlook for Windows became generally available for commercial customers. This feature allowed users to opt in to use the new Microsoft Outlook.
Microsoft has stated that the next phase will be to opt out of using the new Outlook, making the new Outlook the default. There are no confirmed dates for this next phase, but Microsoft has stated that the classic Outlook experience will be available until its supported timeline, which is currently until 2029.
For more information on the new Outlook, see Microsoft's Getting started with the new Outlook for Windows article.
Does this affect my Microsoft Outlook add-ins?
The new Outlook will not support tadd-ins built with Microsoft's COM architecture, and many software vendors, including Protect, are building new Outlook add-ins using Microsoft's new Office.js architecture.
What does this mean for my Add-In for Outlook?
Protect will continue to develop and support our COM add-in for Microsoft Outlook while Microsoft still supports it, and we have not announced end-of-support or end-of-life.
Protect also offers a new OWA add-in for customers who want to upgrade to the early release of the new Microsoft Outlook or non-Windows users who need the Protect add-in. Below is a comparison between the Microsoft Outlook add-in (COM) and the Web add-in for the new Microsoft Outlook, OWA, or Mac.
| Feature | Microsoft Outlook Add-in (COM) | Microsoft Outlook Add-in (Web) |
|---|---|---|
| Available for | All users (Free/licensed) | Licensed customers |
| Supported Outlook | Microsoft Outlook for Windows 2016/2019/Pro Plus/Office 365 | Office 365 for Windows, Outlook Web Access, Outlook for Mac |
| Protect Gateway Encryption | Yes | Yes |
| Protect Local Encryption | Yes | No |
| Protect Large File Transfer | Yes | Yes, but not supported for Classic Outlook |
| Prevent | Yes | Yes |
| Prevent DLP | Yes | Yes |
For information on how to obtain the latest version of both add-ins, visit our downloads page.
If you upgrade to the new Microsoft Outlook, COM-based add-ins will not be available. This upgrade includes the COM add-in. For information on how to prevent users from manually upgrading Microsoft Outlook, see the Disable Upgrade to New Outlook for Windows article.
If I'm a free user of Protect, what does this upgrade mean for me?
If you are currently a free Protect email encryption user and use the COM add-in to send and open secure emails, upgrading to the new Microsoft Outlook means that you will need to use our Secure Message Portal to open and access secure emails.