Outlook.com is out! Now ask the Outlook.com team your questions!

[tecknotot]

I wish Outlook.com had the capability to allow me to upload pictures for my contacts like Gmail OR somehow integrate Outlook 2013's contact pictures to upload to Outlook.com too.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

I too would like to congratulate you on the excellent work you've done with outlook.com. For the first time since 2004 I'm severely tempted to switch away from Gmail. I can't wait to see the finished product with Skype integration etc.

Are there going to be new versions of Mail, Messenger etc for those of us who plan to stick to Windows 7 as main operating system?

my big billion dollar question....

will there be a dark theme????

I wouldn't hold my breath.

[RonaldT]

I would like to recommend the following features:

1. Enable dragging and dropping attachments in and out of a message (when composing and reading mail) as in SkyDrive

2. Rules/Sweep:

• Add Mark as read to the Select the action the rule applies list and/or to the Sweep men
  
• Enable applying multiple actions (instead of only one) the rule applies (for example: Move to x, Flag and Mark as read)
  

3. Group messages by conversation is great, but show the full contents of emails, now you have to click on on the ?header? of each of them to see complete message

4. Enable the option to send mail for aggregated email accounts via that account?s smtp server instead of Outlook, because now email sent as if from another account will bear a "From x@outlook.com on behalf ofx@example.com" header and makes some spam filters skittish.

5. Add the option to be able to choose default account which will be used when replying to a message (e.g. reply from the same address the message was sent to)

6. Ability to insert picture(s) in an email body

7. Notification (visually and maybe by sound as well) when new mail arrives like Outlook desktop notification (sender and subject), even when no browser is currently running. Now you only see Outlook (#) -x@outlook.com or when pinned to taskbar and IE window is opened, the number of new messages

8. Add ability to save attachments received by email directly to SkyDrive

9. As Skydrive has now pdf viewing capability, pdf should be viewable from within Hotmail as well (like pictures Active View)

10. Replying to emails isn't as good as Gmail. Inline replies (below the message) are the way to go.

The only problem/bug I found hitherto is not being able to view/edit personal info.

I upgraded to Outlook.com Tuesday 31^st and renamed my account to @outlook.com. I did the following: Clicked on Name in top right corner --> Account settings (https://account.live.com/) --> Account summary --> Edit personal info (https://account.live.com/EditProf.aspx)

Then instead of a form to edit the settings, I get this message:

x@outlook.com We're unable to retrieve information for this section at this time. We're sorry for the inconvenience, please try again later.

[RonaldT]

Regarding the (Hotmail) calendar:

1. Show tasks (to-do list) below the mini-calendar on the left
   
2. Add synchronization of tasks (to-do lists) with mobile devices and Outlook (program)
   
3. Add week numbers to the mini-calendar on the top left side
   
4. Add search
   

Bug: Double click to enter appointment instead of the need to click on Add button (works already in IE, but not in Firefox)

Regarding the (Hotmail) android app:

Bugs:

• Ability to view contents of Sent and Deleted email folders from within this app (and other sub folders) is not possible since v7.8.2.7.46.2592. This bug is not solved in current version 7.8.2.8.46.6837
  
• When email is read and subsequently deleted, it is still marked as unread in Deleted folder in Hotmail on the web.
  

Suggestions:

1. Open directly to account (inbox) if only one account is setup, or at least make it an option. Now you need to tap on the account name to view inbox, that's of course an unnecessary step if only one account is set up
   
2. Flag support
   
3. Custom notifications for new mail from specific contacts / folders (especially useful using Rules / Sweep) and option to notify only for specific contacts / folders
   
4. Rename app to Outlook
   

[acseven]

Are sound alerts missing? At least from the Web Messenger component I can't figure out a way of enabling them.

[Lee G. Veteran]

I would also like to congratulate you on the excellent work you've put into Outlook.com.

I created an Outlook account before I realised you could rename your Hotmail account. Will there be any way to 'rename' a Hotmail account to an existing Outlook account?

[KingKayzee]

Can someone explain one thing for me... I have an Hotmail account I've used for years. I fancied a shiny new Outlook account, and I wish to now use that, but have all my emails that are send to my Hotmail, appear in my Outlook. It seems that you can make a non-Microsoft account forward emails to Outlook but not from an account that is from Microsoft! Why is this? After a bit of research it seems I could create an alias for a similar effect to happen (although does that mean I couldn't then log in with my Outlook?)

I've already created the Outlook account I want... so I guess I've mucked up there and I need to delete the account before I can create it as an alias? Because if I do it now, it says the Outlook account is already taken of course albeit my myself!)

[Gee.B]

One question for you :

- Are you really considering implementing Jabber/Gtalk ? i mean that woiuld be cool but i'm very surprised

[Zuexo]

My preferred language is English (US), but I would like to change date and time formats. Any chance you can add that?

[g0dzilla]

I'm loving the new look and functions but I just have one issue that I've noticed randomly in some browsers (mainly Firefox, Waterfox or IE9) - the 'Outlook' menu bar at the top does not render properly sometimes and cuts off the Search box and view/arrange buttons. See the "Outlook bar cutoff.jpg" file attached.

If I Refresh the page, it then displays correctly? If I log out and back in it displays correctly again, until I close and restart the browser...

See the "Outlook bar normal.jpg" file attached.

Team Outlook, are you aware of this issue or is there a fix?

[Aethec]

Is Outlook.com directly written in JavaScript or do you use a something-to-JS compiler (e.g. Script#, WebSharper, Dart, CoffeeScript, ...) ?

[Gee.B]

- please allow unlimited scrolling when the preview pane is setup on the right side.

i hate having to navigate pages. Or display each message of the centered column on one line... just like yahoo!

[(Account no longer active)]

- (Default) fonts are too big. Users can't change font sizes. Outlook.com should have the same customization options as Gmail does in regards to fonts/layout (ie. compact/cozy/etc.).

- Metro is too plain. Some more color/artwork please. Hotmail currently looks great - better than Gmail does.

- Fonts and colors (or the Metro theme in general) look slightly different across IE and Firefox (on Windows). Have not tried Chrome.

- IMAP support would be great.

I have been a Hotmail user for over 10 years. This is the first time that I am not looking forward to the "next big update". Users should have an option to stay with the current Hotmail design, or migrate to Outlook.com - not be forced across to a new platform. I am not a fan of the Metro design language. If I am forced across, I will consider an alternative webmail solution.

[grayscale]

- (Default) fonts are too big. Users can't change font sizes. Outlook.com should have the same customization options as Gmail does in regards to fonts/layout (ie. compact/cozy/etc.).

- Metro is too plain. Some more color/artwork please. Hotmail currently looks great - better than Gmail does.

- Fonts and colors (or the Metro theme in general) look slightly different across IE and Firefox (on Windows). Have not tried Chrome.

- IMAP support would be great.

I have been a Hotmail user for over 10 years. This is the first time that I am not looking forward to the "next big update". Users should have an option to stay with the current Hotmail design, or migrate to Outlook.com - not be forced across to a new platform. I am not a fan of the Metro design language. If I am forced across, I will consider an alternative webmail solution.

Cog -> Switch back to Hotmail

[ValaXx]

Hello Outlook team,

I'm/(Many are) not able to rename the Hotmail account to Outlook. It returns this error since the first day:

There's a temporary problem with the service. Please try again. If you continue to get this message, try again later.

Hello,

1) I created some aliases via the "More Mail Settings" link, which worked great. However, deleting some aliases and then trying to create new ones gave an error message "You've added the maximum number of email addresses right now (we have a limit to help keep your account information safe). Please try again later."

Even though I deleted some of my aliases, I am still getting this message. If you could shed some light on this, it would be tremendously appreciated.

You're not able to create more aliases within 1 year.

[TOMillr]

Two points which prevent me from switch from of Google Apps:

1. no "catch-all address" when using a custom domain with AdminCenter and Outlook.com

2. Can't sync mail, contacts and calendar with the desktop applications on MacOS. We need either IMAP or full Exchange support for this.

[Phasma]

• The favicon on the bookmarkbar in Chrome changes between 3 different icons (I think for the different URL's the browser has to follow during login), can this be fixed?
  
• Why doesn't the mail.live.com certificate use Extended Validation?
  
• On the People page I can't seem to merge (manually, and it doesn't merge automatically) Messenger accounts with some other accounts. For example I have 1 person that is being displayed as source "Hotmail" and another with source "Messenger", both using the same address, but they don't merge. Funny detail; in the People App on Win 8 both "persons" are displayed as source "Microsoft". Another situation is where someone is using a certain live account for messanger, usually without details like Name filled out in it's properties, and other accounts (with different addresses) on Hotmail/Facebook/etc. How can I tell the People page that this is in fact the same person?
  

To everyone asking about merging/renaming accounts, check this: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windowslive/forum/mail-signin/i-created-a-new-outlookcom-email-address-instead/cd917beb-e9aa-4d83-8732-fcffad0a3695 May not be perfect, and possibly has some risk, but I used it personally, and everything went fine.

[Tom]

I sometimes encounter an error when using it. Sometimes it requires a few refreshes until I'm able to have a option to type in the body of the message. It often freezes as just white space.

[(Account no longer active)]

Cog -> Switch back to Hotmail

I know about that, and have switched back to Hotmail.

The question I have is: will this option still be there after the official launch in a few months time? Or will all Hotmail users automatically be migrated to Outlook.com?

[Forver]

My question is how can you remove an email address from the frequent contact list drop down menu which appears when you compose a new message.

Thanks

[xeleraph]

I've tried enabling the messaging history feature in Outlook.com, but quickly realized that it was more trouble than it was worth. I've since disabled the feature and deleted all my saved chats, but the "Messaging History" folder still remains and is apparently undeletable. How do I get rid of it?

[wrack]

Is Outlook.com directly written in JavaScript or do you use a something-to-JS compiler (e.g. Script#, WebSharper, Dart, CoffeeScript, ...) ?

I suspect it is done using MVC.

[honolulu110]

Can you improve layout in settings screen?

Short scribble:

Concept

Original

[Calum Veteran]

This is a personal request and probably really trivial. :laugh: Please please get rid of the new emoticons, they are ugly as hell and look really bad (not really metro-ey too). I hope you bring back the emoticons from the "MSN Messenger" era but if not that, the ones currently in Windows Live Messenger or the now-old Hotmail once will be ok too.

Heh, surely the ones from the MSN Messenger era (and the current Windows Live Messenger and Hotmail ones) are even less "Metroy" :p

I actually disagree with your view that the new ones aren't "Metroy." I think these new ones are completely "Metro," and I love them :)

Outlook Team, please keep them.

[Gee.B]

You should get inspired, not by Gmail but rather by yahoo! :