Set Up Outlook for Email and Calendar

Get started with Microsoft Outlook — send and receive email, organize your inbox with folders, and manage your calendar in one place.

5 min read · 6 steps · Checked April 2026

1. Step 1. Create a free Outlook.com account

   Open your browser and go to outlook.com. Click Create free account and follow the steps to choose a new email address ending in @outlook.com. You will create a password and verify your identity with a phone number or backup email. Once your account is created, you are taken directly to your inbox. This same account also gives you access to Word Online, Excel Online, and OneDrive.

   Quick Tip

   If you already have a Hotmail, Live, or MSN email address, those are already Microsoft accounts — go to outlook.com and sign in with them directly.

2. Step 2. Compose and reply to emails

   Click the New Mail button (usually a large blue button or a pencil icon) to write a new email. In the To field, type the recipient's email address. Add a Subject line, then click in the large message area and type your message. Click Send when ready. To reply to an email in your inbox, click on it to open it, then click the Reply button that appears below the message.

3. Step 3. Organize your inbox with folders

   In the left panel, you will see default folders like Inbox, Sent Items, Drafts, and Deleted Items. To create a new folder for organizing your emails — say, a folder for medical correspondence or family emails — right-click on Inbox in the left panel and choose Create new subfolder. Type a name and press Enter. To move an email into a folder, right-click on it and choose Move, then select the folder.

   Quick Tip

   You can also right-click any email and choose Rules to set up an automatic rule — for example, "Move all emails from this sender to a folder" — so future emails sort themselves.

4. Step 4. Add an appointment to your Calendar

   Click the Calendar icon in the left sidebar (it looks like a small grid). You will see a monthly or weekly view of your schedule. Click on any date to add an event. Type the event name, set the start and end time, and optionally add a location or notes in the description field. Click Save. The event will appear on your calendar and Outlook will remind you before it starts.

5. Step 5. Set up Outlook on your iPhone or Android phone

   Search for "Microsoft Outlook" in the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android) and install the free app. Open it and sign in with your Microsoft account email and password. The app will sync your inbox and calendar automatically. You can also add other email accounts — Gmail, Yahoo, etc. — by going to Settings inside the app and choosing Add Account.

6. Step 6. Use Focused Inbox to manage your emails

   Outlook automatically sorts incoming emails into two tabs: Focused (important messages from real people) and Other (newsletters, promotions, automated emails). Click on the Other tab to check those messages periodically. If Outlook puts an email in the wrong tab, right-click it and choose Move to Focused or Move to Other — Outlook will remember your preference for that sender going forward.

   Quick Tip

   Focused Inbox is turned on by default. If you prefer to see all your emails in one list, go to View in the top toolbar and turn off Focused Inbox.