Do you miss certain key features of the Microsoft version of Outlook, but also can’t live without your Mac?
There’s a solution and it is Parallels Desktop. Run the Windows version of Microsoft Outlook (as opposed to the Mac version, which lacks full functionality) and enjoy the advanced features that power users love.
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"It works so well, it’s easy to go from MAC to windows. I need to work in Microsoft Office and Outlook and am not able to do it without Parallels Desktop."
"It’s amazing to be able to fully use Windows on my Mac! I am a legal counsel, so I mostly use the Window's Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams."
"My goodness! It has transformed how I use my Mac. First up, I am not happy with Microsoft's version of Outlook for Mac. Parallels Desktop allows me to get to the Windows version. Same thing with OneNote (which doesn't link to the Mac version of Outlook). Secondly, it allows me to have the elegance of a Mac coupled with the utility of Windows."
Missing your favorite tools and third-party plugins in the Mac version of Outlook? Or would you simply prefer the Windows Outlook interface and integration with Microsoft Access?
The Windows version of Outlook offers a wider range of keyboard shortcuts and navigation options optimized for use with Windows operating systems.
Outlook for Windows has better integration with Windows Search, allowing users to quickly find emails or contacts using the built-in Windows search functionality.
While both versions of Outlook support third-party plugins to extend functionality, the availability and compatibility varies due to differences in architecture, API support, or the popularity of the platform among developers.
The Mac version of Outlook has a streamlined interface that adheres to macOS design principles, while the Windows version has a more traditional ribbon interface consistent with other Microsoft Office applications.
| Features | Outlook on Mac | Outlook on Windows |
| Share availability (free/busy) information, calendar, or contacts with an external user | No | Yes |
| Manage Exchange Server distribution lists | No | Yes |
| Synchronizes contact groups with Exchange | No | Yes |
| Synchronized, collaborative To-Do lists | No | Yes |
| Exchange | Yes (via EWS & REST) | Yes (via MAPI) |
| EAS | No | Yes |
| Connect to Exchange over HTTP | No | Yes |
| Conversation view | Yes (Showing messages from other folders for a given conversation is not supported.) | Yes |
| Exports into .pst | No | Yes |
| Voting buttons | No | Yes |
| Message recall | No | Yes |
| Ignore and Clean Up actions | No | Yes |
| Preview attachments in mail messages (in cloud) | No | No |
| Online Archive | Yes | Yes |
| Archive | Yes (for Exchange 2016 and later) | Yes |
| Auto-archive for folders | No | Yes |
| Save as other (HTML/TXT) | No | Yes |
| Show/hide message header | No | Yes |
| Customize folder order | No | Yes |
| Sync filters | No | Yes |
| Send message defaults | No | Yes |
| Set folder retention policy | No | Yes |
| Online images | No | Yes |
| Add posts | No | Yes |
| Find related messages | No | Yes |
| Send mail as distribution list | No | Yes |
| Moderator approval or rejection of incoming messages to a distribution list | No | Yes |
Authorized by Microsoft
Optimized for Mac M-series
Download and install Parallels Desktop on your Mac.
Once installed, set up a new virtual machine and install Windows.*
*Windows license required
After installing Windows, you can run your favorite Windows apps and software, play PC games, and more right from your Mac.
Yes, you can use both the Windows version of Outlook and the Mac version of Outlook with Parallels Desktop.
Yes, you can use Outlook on Mac with Windows using Parallels Desktop provided you already have or purchase a Windows 11 license.
Yes, the new version of Microsoft Outlook offers more features and customizations than the legacy version of Outlook, such as a fully customizable toolbar, swipe gestures, hover actions, theming, display density, natural language search, text prediction, advanced dictation, and much more.
You can use Parallels Desktop to get the new Outlook on your Mac (and much more).
Discover how Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Outlook for Windows differ in our blog post on Mac Outlook vs. Windows Outlook.
Yes, you can change your default email to Outlook on a Mac with Parallels Desktop. Just open the virtual machine window (do not click Start) and then open Virtual Machine configuration and switch to Options tab > Applications. Set Web Pages and Email to your desired values.
For more complex configurations use the More Applications button.
The Windows version of Outlook supports many third-party plugins, including (but not limited to) the following:
Experience the full capability of Office 365 with Parallels Desktop.
Learn more about Office365What’s the difference between Microsoft Outlook on Mac vs. Windows?
Learn moreHow to share files using “Send with Windows Email App”
Learn moreHow to open Web links and emails in macOS or Windows
Learn moreEnjoy Microsoft Outlook on Mac, plus other key Windows applications without the need for a PC.
