Features of Outlook on the Web

Outlook on the Web (formerly known as Outlook Web App or Outlook Web Access OWA) is a web‑based email client that is part of Office 365. It provides a similar look and functionality as the Outlook desktop application that comes with Microsoft Office. You can use Outlook on the Web to access your staff email from any computer or device (Apple or Android) that has an Internet connection, even if the device does not have Outlook installed on it.

You can access staff email, in one of two ways:

• Visit the Outlook on the Web log on page.
• Log on to HUB, and in the Launchpad widget, under Applications, click the Staff Email icon.
  

You can scroll through all of these topics, or click the following links to navigate directly to the area you need help with:

• Log on screen
• Compose inline
• Open in a separate window
• Format text
• Drafts folder
• Attachment reminder
• Drag‑and‑drop files
• Email options
• Themes
• Calendar

Log on screen

The log on screen includes the RRC Polytech logo so you can be confident that you are logging into your Red River College Polytechnic email account.

Enter your College user name (followed by @rrc.ca), enter your password, and then click Sign in.

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Compose inline

Composing inline allows you to quickly compose and reply to emails without opening a new window.

Click ✚ New mail (or click Reply if responding to an email), and you can start typing within the email window.

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Open in a separate window

If you prefer opening your email in a separate window, click the Open in a separate window button at the top right‑hand corner of the window.

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Format text

Basic formatting buttons appear below the Subject line of your message. You also can click the More drop‑down menu to view more formatting options.

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Drafts folders

The Drafts folder in Outlook on the Web is similar to previous versions of Outlook Web App and the Outlook desktop application. While you are typing a new email, the application is automatically saving a copy to your Drafts folder. If you open another email item or close out of your email session, your email will be stored for you in your Drafts folder.

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Attachment reminder

Outlook on the Web has an intuitive feature called Forgotten Attachment Detector. After you click Send, Outlook on the web interprets the text in your email and displays a warning message if you may have forgotten to include an intended attachment. You can click either Send if no attachment is required or Don’t Send to insert an attachment before sending.

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Drag‑and‑drop files

Outlook on the Web allows you to drag‑and‑drop single or multiple files into the compose window of your email message. This feature works using both the Compose inline and Open in a separate window formats.

Drag your attachments into the body of your message, when the → Move screen tip displays, release your mouse button, and your attachments will display within your email.

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Email options

1. Click an email to select it, the message displays with a blue highlight and two options display on the right‑hand side of the message: a red X for deleting the message and a flag for marking the message as important. (These options also display when you hover your cursor over an email.)
   
2. Right‑click the flag to view more options or clear the flag.
   
3. Right‑click any email to view more options, including mark as read/unread, move, ignore, categorize, and create a rule.
   
4. To open multiple emails, hold the Shift key, click all the emails that you would like to open, and when the options menu opens, choose from the available commands or select Cancel to deselect the emails.
   

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Themes

The Outlook on the Web default colour is blue, but you can set the look and feel according to your personal preferences. You can customize elements such as background colours, fonts, icons, etc.

1. To change the theme, click the Gear icon next to your user name in the top right‑hand corner, and then select Change theme.
   
2. On the Change theme window, select a theme tile, and then click OK to apply the change.
   

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Calendar

Outlook on the Web allows you to view multiple calendars, similar to the Outlook desktop application. Each calendar has its own colour to distinguish it from other calendar entries. The default colour for your personal calendar is blue, but you change it to the colour of your choice. If you share calendars or manage other people’s calendars, you can set custom colours for these calendars as well.

Calendar – Day view

Click the Calendar tab on the top right‑hand side of the page, and can choose between the following two Day view formats:

• Merged: Displays both calendars, one on top of the other, with their entries merged together.
  
• Split: Displays both calendars side by side.
  

Calendar – Other views

Click the Calendar tab on the top right‑hand side of the page, and on the top right‑hand side of the Calendar window, choose among the following view options:

• Choose from the following three merged views: Work Week, Week, and Month. (The following image shows the Week view, which displays calendar entries in an overlay format.)
  
• To view calendars separately, on the left‑hand pane, clear the check marks of the calendars that you do not want to view until you have selected only the calendars that you want to display.
  
• In Month view, select a date with a scheduled activity, and a summary view of that day’s events will display on the right‑hand pane (including the colours for each calendar).
  

Calendar – Entry details

In all calendar views, click on any calendar entry to view its details.

Calendar – Entry options

Right‑click on a calendar item to view additional options such as reply, accept, delete, etc. (Available options will vary depending on the type of calendar entry.)

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← Back to Outlook on the Web (formerly known as Outlook Web App or Outlook Web Access)