Microsoft has announced the integration of AI-powered themes into Outlook, a step forward in personalizing the email experience for users with a Copilot Pro subscription. The new feature is available across major platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and web clients.
AI Themes: Customization Reimagined
Outlook’s newly launched Themes by Copilot allow users to enhance their inbox aesthetics with customized imagery. These themes can adapt dynamically based on user preferences, featuring curated scenes from over 100 global locations or visuals inspired by local weather. Users have the flexibility to choose how frequently their theme refreshes, with options ranging from a few hours to once a month.
The themes are accessible through Outlook’s Appearance Settings and come with various visual styles, such as realistic or cartoon effects.
Microsoft stated, “If you’ve enabled location permissions in Outlook, the My Location theme will bring you imagery uniquely inspired by your locale, dynamically updating for you as you head out the door on a trip or vacation,” highlighting the tailored nature of this offering.
The new personalization features are part of the Copilot Pro plan, priced at $20 per month, which also includes other productivity-enhancing tools across Microsoft’s suite of apps like Teams and Word.
Expanding Copilot’s Role in Outlook
Earlier this year, Microsoft extended its AI assistant, Copilot, to the classic Outlook app for Windows, a move that brought tools such as “Summarize,” “Draft,” and “Coaching” into the well-known client. The “Summarize” function helps users quickly scan long email threads, while the “Draft” feature can create entire emails based on brief prompts.
Copilot’s “Coaching” function offers real-time tips for email composition. These features, first presented at the Ignite 2023 conference, were part of Microsoft’s strategy to streamline email management and are available in specific builds for Current Channel users.
Outlook Now Uses Modern Authentication
Microsoft also continues its push for stronger security. By September 2024, Outlook users had to switch from Basic Authentication to Modern Authentication. Unlike the older model, which uses simple username and password transmissions, Modern Authentication relies on token-based protocols, such as OAuth 2.0, that bolster protection through multi-factor authentication (MFA). These updated measures are designed to mitigate risks associated with credential-based breaches.
Transition from Legacy Apps
To align with its updated approach, Microsoft will phase out support for standalone Mail and Calendar apps by the end of 2024.
In March 2024, Microsoft announced the preview of a unified Outlook application designed to consolidate the desktop, web, and mobile experiences under a shared codebase, labeled as “One Outlook”. This move is meant to ensure consistent updates and features across all platforms. Although in preview, users can switch between the classic and new versions, easing the transition process. Microsoft noted that support for the classic app would continue until at least 2029 for perpetual license holders.
Users are being advised to switch to the Outlook app for Windows, which includes enhanced functionalities and built-in security improvements. The unified app is tailored for a seamless experience and integrates modern tools like Copilot, which adds features not present in legacy versions, such as advanced junk filtering and rich-text options.
Adding to its updates, in May 2024, Microsoft introduced an option for embedding Microsoft Stream videos directly in emails on Outlook for the web and the new Outlook for Windows. The feature simplifies sharing multimedia content by transforming video links into embedded media players within email bodies, allowing recipients to view videos without navigating away from their inbox. Microsoft Stream is a video-sharing service within Microsoft 365 that facilitates internal communication for enterprise users.
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