New Outlook Favorite Groups and People: Use favorites beyond mail folders

In the new Outlook for Windows, the Favorites section is no longer limited to mail folders. You can now add contact groups and individual people directly to your favorites bar for faster access. This feature reduces the number of clicks needed to find a colleague's email or to message an entire team. The favorites bar sits at the top of the folder pane and stays visible as you switch between mail, calendar, and people modules. This article explains how to add groups and people to your favorites, how to organize them, and what limitations exist in the current version.

How Favorites Work in the New Outlook Compared to Classic Outlook

In classic Outlook, the Favorites section allowed you to pin only mail folders. You could not add contact groups or individual people to that list. The new Outlook for Windows reimagines this area as a general-purpose favorites bar. You can now pin mail folders, contact groups, and individual people side by side. When you click a favorite contact group, Outlook opens a new email message addressed to every member of that group. When you click a favorite person, Outlook opens a new email message to that specific contact. The favorites bar is persistent across all modules, so you see the same list whether you are in Mail, Calendar, or People. This feature requires the new Outlook for Windows app, version 1.2023 or later. It does not work in classic Outlook or Outlook for Mac.

Prerequisites for Using Favorites with Groups and People

Before you can add a group or person to favorites, you must have that item saved in your Outlook contacts or in your organization's Global Address List. Contact groups must already exist in your Contacts folder. You cannot create a new group directly from the favorites bar. You must create the group in the People module first, then add it to favorites. Individual people must be in your contact list or must have sent you an email so Outlook can resolve their address. If a person is not in your contacts and you try to add them from an email message, Outlook will first prompt you to save them as a contact before adding to favorites.

Steps to Add Contact Groups to Favorites in New Outlook

1. Open the People module
   Click the People icon on the left navigation bar. If you do not see the People icon, click the ellipsis (three dots) at the bottom of the navigation bar and select People.
2. Locate the contact group
   In the People module, click Contacts in the folder pane to display all your contact groups. Groups are marked with a group icon (two people silhouette).
3. Right-click the group and select Add to favorites
   Right-click the contact group name. In the context menu, click Add to favorites. The group immediately appears in the Favorites section at the top of the folder pane.
4. Verify the favorite appears
   Switch to the Mail module. The group name appears under Favorites. Click it to open a new email message addressed to all group members.

Alternative Method: Drag and Drop a Contact Group

1. Open the People module
   Navigate to People > Contacts as described above.
2. Drag the group name onto the Favorites bar
   Click and hold the contact group name. Drag it up to the Favorites section. Release the mouse button when you see a horizontal line appear in the Favorites area.
3. Confirm the group is pinned
   The group now appears in Favorites. You can reorder favorites by dragging them up or down within the Favorites section.

Steps to Add Individual People to Favorites

1. Open the People module
   Click People on the left navigation bar.
2. Find the person in your contacts or recent emails
   Use the search box at the top of the People module to type the person's name. Results appear from your contacts and from the Global Address List.
3. Right-click the person and select Add to favorites
   Right-click the person's name in the search results or in the contact list. Click Add to favorites.
4. Test the favorite
   Switch to Mail and click the person's name under Favorites. A new email message opens with that person in the To field.

Adding a Person from an Email Message

1. Open an email from the person
   Double-click an email message in your inbox from the person you want to favorite.
2. Right-click the sender name in the From field
   In the message window, right-click the sender's name or email address.
3. Select Add to favorites
   If the person is already in your contacts, Outlook adds them to favorites immediately. If not, Outlook asks you to save the person as a contact first. Click Save and then Add to favorites.

Organizing and Removing Favorites

You can reorder any favorite by dragging it up or down within the Favorites section. To remove a group or person from favorites, right-click the favorite name and select Remove from favorites. This action does not delete the contact group or the person from your Contacts folder. It only removes the shortcut from the favorites bar.

Limitations and Things to Avoid

Favorites Do Not Sync Across All Devices

Favorites that include groups and people are stored locally in the new Outlook app. They do not sync to Outlook for Android, Outlook for iOS, or Outlook on the web. If you switch devices, you must re-add your favorites on each device.

Cannot Create a Contact Group from the Favorites Bar

The favorites bar is a shortcut list, not a creation tool. You must create contact groups in the People module before you can add them to favorites. To create a group, go to People > New contact group, name the group, add members, and save. Then follow the steps above to add it to favorites.

Favorites Are Not Available in Classic Outlook

If you switch back to classic Outlook, your favorites with groups and people disappear. Classic Outlook only shows mail folder favorites. You will need to re-create these shortcuts in the new Outlook app if you switch back again.

Large Contact Groups May Cause Performance Lag

When you click a favorite contact group with hundreds of members, Outlook may take a few seconds to populate the To field in the new email message. This is not a bug; it is a limitation of the address resolution process. For groups with more than 500 members, consider using a distribution list in Exchange instead of a contact group.

Item	Favorites with Groups and People	Favorites with Mail Folders Only
Description	Pins contact groups and individuals to the favorites bar for one-click email creation	Pins only mail folders to the favorites bar for quick folder navigation
Supported in new Outlook	Yes	Yes
Supported in classic Outlook	No	Yes
Syncs across devices	No	No
Requires existing contact or group	Yes	No
Can be reordered	Yes	Yes

You can now add contact groups and individual people to your favorites bar in the new Outlook. Use the right-click or drag-and-drop methods to pin these items for faster email composition. Remember that favorites do not sync across devices and require existing contacts or groups. For teams you email daily, create a contact group first, then add it to favorites to save even more time.