Looking for help from language models with your emails? Outlook can help you get started with replies, complete your sentences and has many suggestions about spelling, grammar, word choice, inclusive language etc. Find out here how to use AI writing assistance in Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the Web and Outlook for iOS and Android.
First, Circling Shall Bring Us Closer
In the solar system, Mars and Venus are Earth’s closest neighbors—sometimes.
Most of the time, the two are way off across the sun from where we are orbiting. Mercury, with its rapid ellipses firmly glued to the star, is closer to Earth on average than both our (other) neighbors.
So, that’s what averages get you—sometimes.
Large language models encompass vast amounts of data about each letter, word and phrase’s neighbors both distant and firmly close-by. Let’s put those models to use writing emails in Outlook:
How to Use AI Writing Assistance in Outlook
Insert Suggested Replies
Time needed: 2 minutes
To start replies with suggested text in Outlook:
- Click the suggested reply as it appears below the original message.
Attachments suggestions: If the context suggests you will want to reply with a file attachment, click Attach a file and choose from the selection as one of the suggested replies in Outlook on the web.
- Continue writing the reply and finally send it.
This works in: Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the Web.
Use AI Text Completions in Outlook
To have Outlook complete text using AI as you write it:
- Press Tab as suggested text appears as a continuation of what you have written so far.
Touch interface: With a touch interface, swipe right over the suggestion as it appears in the text; swiping over the keyboard will not work.
Alternative: You can also press the right arrow key ➡.
This works in: Outlook for Windows, Outlook for iOS, Outlook for Android and Outlook on the Web.
Get AI Writing Assistance from Microsoft Editor in Outlook
You can have Microsoft Editor find spelling mistakes and grammatical inaccuracies as well as make suggestions about clarity, word choice and more.
Outlook for Windows
In Outlook for Windows, you can choose what Microsoft Editor will cover in settings:
- Select File in Outlook for Windows.
- Choose Options.
- Go to the Mail category.
- Click Spelling and Autocorrect….
- Choose Grammar and Refinements for Writing style:.
- Now click Settings… under Choose the checks Editor will perform for Grammar and Refinements.
Options unavailable: If you cannot change Editor settings in Options, start a new message, commit an egregious writing mistake, click it and choose Editor settings from the three dots-menu. - Choose from the extensive list of options.
Outlook on the Web
To pick what suggestions Microsoft Editor will make in Outlook on the Web:
- Start a new email message in Outlook on the Web (or the new Outlook).
- Click the three dots menu button in the toolbar.
- Select Editor | Editor Settings from the menu that has appeared.
- Choose what checks you want Microsoft Editor to perform.
How to Use AI Writing Assistance in Outlook: FAQ
Can I edit the suggested replies?
Yes.
Clicking a suggested reply in Outlook creates a new reply with the text from the suggested reply. You can fully edit that reply including the suggested part (to change or delete it).
Where is my data processed with Outlook AI writing assistance? Where is it going?
In most cases, data will leave your computer or device for AI suggestions and assistance. Specifically,
- Suggested replies are gathered from language models run on the Exchange server and built including users’ email messages; this can be on-premises with your company, for instance, or on Microsoft servers around the world.
- Microsoft Editor sends text for analysis and correction processing to Microsoft servers; the text is sent over a secure connection, not connected to a particular account or user and not kept on language checking servers according to Microsoft.
Can I disable suggested replies or data being sent to Microsoft Editor?
Yes, for the most part you can disable AI writing assistance in Outlook.
(How to se AI writing assistance in Outlook tested with Outlook for Windows for Microsoft 365 Version 2312, Outlook on the Web and Outlook for iOS 4.232; updated January 2024)