New Outlook vs Classic Outlook Meeting Chat: Where to Find It

Meeting chat in Outlook lets you exchange text messages with attendees before, during, and after a meeting. In Classic Outlook for Windows, the chat window appears inside the meeting item or in the calendar preview pane. In New Outlook for Windows and Outlook for the web, meeting chat is integrated with Microsoft Teams chat, and the location and behavior differ. This article explains exactly where to find meeting chat in each version and how to access past conversations.

How Meeting Chat Works in Classic Outlook for Windows

Classic Outlook (the traditional desktop app) treats meeting chat as a pane that opens inside the meeting window. This chat is only available for meetings that were created with a Microsoft Teams meeting link. If the meeting was scheduled without Teams integration, no chat option appears.

Where the Chat Button Is Located

Open a meeting from your calendar. In the meeting window, look for a chat bubble icon in the toolbar at the top. The icon is labeled Chat and appears next to the Join button. Clicking it opens a chat pane on the right side of the meeting window.

What You Can Do in the Chat Pane

The chat pane shows the conversation thread for that specific meeting. You can send new messages, view past messages, and attach files. The chat persists after the meeting ends. To return to an old meeting chat, open the meeting item from your calendar and click the Chat icon again.

Limitations in Classic Outlook

The chat pane does not support full Teams features such as tabs, bots, or message threading. It also does not show chat history from before the meeting was created. If you delete the meeting from your calendar, the chat link is lost unless you saved the conversation separately in Teams.

How Meeting Chat Works in New Outlook for Windows and Outlook for the Web

New Outlook for Windows and Outlook for the web share the same codebase. Meeting chat is handled through the Teams app rather than inside the Outlook window. When you open a meeting, you see a link or button that opens the full Teams chat in a separate window or tab.

Where to Find the Chat in New Outlook

Open the meeting from your calendar. In the meeting details pane, look for a section labeled Chat or a button that says View in Teams. Clicking either option opens the Teams desktop app or the Teams web app with the meeting chat already selected. The chat appears as a regular Teams conversation with the meeting name as the chat title.

Accessing Past Meeting Chats

In New Outlook, past meeting chats remain in your Teams chat list. Open Teams, go to Chat, and look for the meeting name in the list. You can also search for the meeting name in Teams search. The chat is not tied to the Outlook calendar item after the meeting ends.

Differences in Behavior

New Outlook does not show the chat inline inside the meeting window. You must switch to Teams to read or send messages. This design gives you the full Teams chat experience including message formatting, @mentions, and file sharing. However, it adds an extra step compared to Classic Outlook.

Steps to Access Meeting Chat in Each Version

Classic Outlook — Open Chat Inside the Meeting

1. Open your Calendar
   Click the Calendar icon in the navigation pane at the bottom left of Outlook.
2. Double-click the meeting
   Find the meeting you want to chat about and double-click it to open the meeting window.
3. Click the Chat icon
   In the toolbar at the top of the meeting window, click the Chat bubble icon. The chat pane opens on the right side.
4. Type your message
   Enter text in the message box at the bottom of the chat pane and press Enter to send.

New Outlook for Windows — Open Chat in Teams

1. Open your Calendar
   Click the Calendar icon in the left navigation pane.
2. Select the meeting
   Click once on the meeting in the calendar grid. The meeting details pane appears on the right.
3. Click View in Teams
   In the meeting details pane, find the View in Teams button and click it. Teams opens and shows the meeting chat.
4. Alternatively, click the Chat tab
   If you see a Chat tab in the meeting details pane, click it. This also opens the Teams chat.

Outlook for the Web — Open Chat Inline or in Teams

1. Open Calendar in Outlook.com
   Go to Outlook.com and click the Calendar icon at the bottom of the left pane.
2. Click the meeting
   Click the meeting in the calendar grid to open the details pane on the right.
3. Click the Chat tab
   In the details pane, click the Chat tab. The chat loads inline within the pane.
4. Open full chat in Teams if needed
   Click Open in Teams at the top of the chat pane to switch to the full Teams interface.

Common Problems When Finding Meeting Chat

Chat Button Is Missing in Classic Outlook

If you do not see the Chat icon in a meeting window, the meeting was not created with a Teams meeting link. Only meetings that include a Teams online meeting link show the chat option. To add chat, edit the meeting and insert a Teams meeting link using the Teams Meeting button in the toolbar.

View in Teams Button Does Nothing in New Outlook

This usually happens when Teams is not installed or is not signed in. Install the Teams desktop app from Microsoft.com and sign in with the same account you use in Outlook. If Teams is already installed, close it completely and try again. In some cases, a browser version of Teams opens instead of the desktop app.

Meeting Chat Is Empty After the Meeting

In Classic Outlook, the chat pane only shows messages sent after you opened the meeting. Messages sent before you joined the chat may not appear. In New Outlook and Outlook for the web, the chat is stored in Teams and should show all messages. If it is empty, check that you are looking at the correct meeting chat. The chat title in Teams matches the meeting subject line.

New Outlook vs Classic Outlook Meeting Chat: Key Differences

Item	Classic Outlook	New Outlook / Web
Chat location	Inside the meeting window as a pane	In Teams app or web, opened from meeting details
Inline chat	Yes, in the meeting window	No, opens externally in Teams
Persistent after meeting	Yes, accessible from the calendar item	Yes, stored in Teams chat list
Full Teams features	No, limited to text and file attach	Yes, includes tabs, bots, @mentions, formatting
Requires Teams meeting link	Yes	Yes
Chat search	Only within the chat pane	Full Teams search across all chats

Meeting chat in Classic Outlook offers a simpler inline experience for quick messages. New Outlook and Outlook for the web provide a richer chat through Teams, but require switching apps. Choose the version that matches your workflow. If you frequently use Teams features like @mentions or file sharing, New Outlook is the better choice. For quick check-ins during a meeting, Classic Outlook keeps you inside the meeting window.