Outlook extension lets you check your email without leaving Microsoft Edge

Edge Dev Hero 2020 Newfeature
Edge Dev Hero 2020 Newfeature (Image credit: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central)

Updated June 23, 2021: This article has been updated to reflect that the Microsoft Outlook extension will come to Chrome in the future.

What you need to know

  • An extension for Microsoft Outlook is now available for Microsoft Edge.
  • The extension allows you to open, browse, and create new emails without having to leave the browser.
  • The Microsoft Outlook extension will eventually be available on Chrome but is not available at this time.

A new extension is available in preview for Microsoft Outlook. The extension allows you to quickly navigate through your emails without having to leave Microsoft Edge. Right now, it's only available through the Edge Add-on Store. The Microsoft 365 roadmap (opens in new tab) states that it will also be available on Chrome in the future.

You can already open the mail app or Outlook.com while browsing the web, of course, but it's always nice to have another option. Being able to quickly check your email or grab a link someone sent breaks your workflow less than opening another app or website.

At least for now, you can't interact with a webpage while the extension is popped open. If you click anything on a website, the extension closes. Hopefully, Microsoft adds the ability to drag and drop items between the web and the open extension in the future.

The extension also works with your Outlook calendar, the People tab, and Microsoft To Do. Similarly to when browsing through emails, being able to quickly glance at your calendar or a list of tasks is a bit smoother than jumping between different apps.

The extension appears to have been in preview for roughly a week but was recently spotted by Neowin.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at sean.endicott@futurenet.com (opens in new tab).

6 Comments
  • Well technically you're not leaving your browser if you open a new tab with outlook web on it.
  • Ya, it's a bit hard to explain. I know that jumping between tabs isn't that much of a hassle, but clicking an icon and seeing your emails is pretty nice tbh.
  • I agree, I used to have a similar extension on Chrome with Google Calendar, so it's nice to see Microsoft doing the same.
  • Pretty cool. I like being able to stay on a web page without having to change tabs to the email page. One could always open 2 browser windows, but managing a second one just for emails is a bit extra clicks here and there.
  • Much though I like trying this out, how can we measure how much memory each extension uses up. Is this worth the use of resources?
  • It's basically the Outlook app in your browser, I like it! Although it takes a bit to load whenever you click on it sometimes.