If you’re like most people, you use Outlook to manage your email, calendar, and contacts. But did you know that Outlook also has a new tasks feature? This handy tool lets you easily manage your to-dos and deadlines. In this article, we’ll show you how to use the tasks feature in Outlook on Windows. To get started, open Outlook and click the Tasks button on the Home tab. This will open the tasks list. To add a new task, click the + button on the right side of the tasks list and enter your task information. For example, you can enter the name of your task, when it should be completed, and who is responsible for completing it. You can also add notes about your task in the Notes field. For example, if you need to remind yourself what needs to be done before your deadline arrives, you can do that here. When you’re finished adding information to your task, click OK to finish it up. You can then assign a due date and time for your task by clicking the Assign Date/Time button next to its name. Once your task is complete (or if its due date has passed), click Finish on its toolbar icon to mark it as complete. You can also delete a completed task by clicking its trashcan icon on the toolbar or by selecting it and pressing Delete on your keyboard (Windows 10 users might need to press Ctrl+D). The tasks list will now reflect any changes that have been made to it since last viewing (for example, if someone else added or deleted a task from within your group). If everything looks good and everything is in order (no unfinished tasks!), press OK to close out of the tasks list window and return back to Outlook’s main interface. Congratulations! You’ve just used Outlook’s brand-new tasks feature! ..
Microsoft is working on a completely new Outlook app for Windows, but it will be a while before it’s done. In the meantime, one feature from the new app has been backported: To Do integration.
Microsoft is now rolling out To Do in Outlook for Windows to everyone on the Current Channel — no switching to the Office Insiders program required. It’s part of the same Outlook version 2207 update that includes the new left navigation bar, replacing the bottom tabs that have been in Outlook for over 19 years.
To Do is already available as a separate desktop and mobile application, and on the web at to-do.live.com, but now it’s fully integrated into the Windows Outlook client. Clicking on the new To Do button in the navigation bar shows all your tasks, with the same organization options as the dedicated To Do app. Flagged emails appear as a category inside To Do, so messages you need to answer or follow up on will show up alongside your other tasks.
The new Outlook for Windows that Microsoft is still testing also has a dedicated To Do button. That might mean more design and functionality updates will arrive in the current version, so by the time Microsoft is ready to make the switch, the transition might not be jarring for most people.
Even though To Do integration is helpful, especially for anyone already using the To Do app across their devices, it’s not a replacement for Outlook Tasks. Microsoft says in a support document, “To Do doesn’t currently support the start and end dates, task status, task completion percentage, multiple priority levels, task work hours, task colors, or categories that are available in Outlook Tasks.” At least for the moment, older Outlook tasks will live alongside the To Do page.
There’s no word on when, or if, To Do integration will arrive in Outlook for Mac. There is a standalone To Do app for macOS, though.
Source: Microsoft Blog, Microsoft Support
