Every app or software has its cheat codes and tweaks – if you’re not using the tweaks and tips, that’s because you don’t know about them. For Microsoft Outlook mail, there are quite many tips that could help you activate the full potential of this world-class email platform. Also, you can back up Outlook emails and recover them anytime.
Outlook 365 has some extensive features that are pretty hidden; features like adding signatures to your emails, setting up auto-replies, task management tools, and more. Also, you need an Outlook recovery solution to keep handy in case of data loss – so you can recover your important emails quickly.
Outlook 365 Overview
Outlook 365 is one of the apps included in the Microsoft 365 suite, which is a handy family of apps for businesses of all sizes in various industries. The Outlook app, particularly, is a digital mail app for sending and receiving emails; it also doubles as a calendar and information management app, which makes it a much handy tool for most people.
Microsoft Outlook data is very much important to most individuals and companies, so they try to save backup copies of these data – these backed-up data can be recovered in any case of data loss or mistaken deletion of important emails. To get the most out of the Microsoft Outlook app, you should know some certain tricks and tips.
Outlook 365 Backup Tips and Tricks You Didn’t Know About
1. Keyboard Shortcuts
Using keyboard shortcuts will make you navigate the Outlook interface pretty fast and respond to emails. There are a number of keyboard shortcuts for Outlook, and hereunder are some of the commonest ones you need to know:
| Shortcuts | Function |
|---|---|
| CTRL + 1 | Open Outlook mail |
| CTRL + 2 | Switch to the calendar function |
| CTRL + 3 | Switch to the contacts function |
| CTRL + 4 | Switch to the tasks function |
| CTRL + SHIFT + A | Create a new appointment |
| CTRL + SHIFT + C | Create a new contact. |
| CTRL + SHIFT + M | Start a new message |
| ALT + S | Send a message |
| CTRL + R | Reply to a message |
2. Set Up Auto-Replies
You can set up automatic responses that trigger when you’re away and won’t be able to respond to the emails you receive. The auto-reply can be set up in a way that it tells the sender when you may be available to drop a professional reply.
- Click on the File tab and get into the Info page
- Go to Automatic Replies -> Send automatic replies -> Compose message
- Choose when the automatic replies are triggered (probably your office closing hours).
- Save the settings
Or, if you’re on Outlook.com, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings and click on View all Outlook settings
- Under Mail, go to Automatic replies -> Turn on automatic replies -> Compose the message -> Save your edits.
3. Add Signatures
Signatures make your email unique and more beautiful. Interestingly, you can also add an image to your signature to make it more personal – maybe a scanned version of your actual signature.
- Click on the File tab and get into the Options page
- Go to Mail -> Signatures -> E-mail Signature -> New
- Set up the signature and select OK to save.
- To add an image, select the signature you just created and choose to edit it, then click on “Insert Picture” to import the image file.
4. Add Mentions
You can mention other Outlook users in a mail – this comes in handy when trying to pass an email to more than two co-workers but forgot to add them to the “To” column. Adding the “@” in between your message will pop up the names of your Outlook contacts so you can mention them directly. When you “@” a contact, the contact’s email is automatically added to the “To” column, and their name is highlighted in the message body where you mention them.
5. Send eMails to Undisclosed Recipients
If you need to send an email to many recipients but need some of them to be “undisclosed,” Outlook allows you to do that. Yes, this is similar to adding email recipients to the BCC column, but first, you need to create a new contact list for the Undisclosed Recipients. Here’s how to go about this:
- On the Outlook Home tab, select Address Book in the Find group.
- Go to Select File -> New Entry -> New Contact -> OK.
- In the Full Name column, type Undisclosed Recipients as the name
- In the email box, enter the contact’s email and save the contact.
- Now, create a new email message and enter Undisclosed Recipients in the “To” field – choose the particular undisclosed recipient contact.
6. Change Outlook Font Size
How to get around this setting differs based on your Outlook version. This implies to say that if you’re using older versions (2003 to 2007), you have to go to the “Tools” tab, while newer version users can access the settings from the “File” tab. Here’s how to go about the settings:
- On the Outlook app home screen, go to File -> Options -> Mail
- In the Mail options page, select Stationery and Fonts -> Font.
- Now, make the changes you want; there are different font settings to customize.
Note: If you’re using Outlook 2007 and 2003, go to “Tools” and not “File.” Other settings/procedures are the same.
7. Synchronize Google, Outlook, and iPhone Calendars
Now, you can have all your calendars in one place and never miss an appointment or meeting anymore. This method actually works with a third-party app called Sync2 app; this app lets you bring all your calendars to Outlook.
- Download the Sync2 app and go to Google Services -> Microsoft Calendar -> log in to your Google account, and allow the permissions.
What More? How To Recover Outlook Emails
Deleted Outlook emails are saved for 30 days before they are permanently deleted. But, if you lost access to your Outlook account – may be due to a hack – you can recover the account yourself or contact Microsoft to help you with the recovery. However, if you had earlier added a third-party Outlook backup and recovery tool, it’d quite easier to still access your important emails.