Outlook and Excel for Mac Beta gain new features, including IMAP support for Outlook

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What you need to know

  • Microsoft Outlook and Excel for Mac Beta have new updates available.
  • The Outlook update brings IMAP support.
  • In Excel, you can now set icons for buttons that are assigned to macros.

Here's everything that's new in Excel:

  • For the Quick Access Toolbar, you can now choose an icon for buttons that are assigned to macros. Go to Excel > Preferences > Ribbon & Toolbar, then go to the Quick Access Toolbar tab, add a macro, and press the gear icon to rename it. You'll see a gallery of icons to choose from.
  • The formula Watch Window has recently been added to Excel for Mac. If you use "Tell Me," it wasn't showing up when you searched for it, and now it will show if you type "watch."

The ability to choose icons for buttons assigned as macros is a nice touch that should make Excel look a bit cleaner. Outlook, however, has a more meaningful update. Here's everything that's new:

  • IMAP Support – Your IMAP accounts are now supported in the new Outlook! Add your IMAP accounts via Accounts preferences, or for those with IMAP accounts already added in current Outlook, you will be prompted to migrate your account into the new Outlook. Note: support will roll out gradually in Beta Channel over the next few weeks
  • Search – You can now customize your search the way you want and get to what you are looking for faster. Use the search scope selector to pick which folder or mailbox to search from, include or exclude top results and deleted items, to refine your search results
  • Calendar – The new Outlook now supports calendar widgets on macOS Big Sur. The widgets also come in different sizes, so you can pick the one that works best for you

IMAP support makes Outlook a much more versatile client. IMAP is a popular email protocol, and Outlook's lack of IMAP support makes the app impossible to switch to for some people. Hopefully, we'll see IMAP support roll out to general availability soon.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.

Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.