Classic Outlook to New Outlook: AutoCorrect and Auto Capitalization – Where editor settings moved

If you upgraded from classic Outlook to the new Outlook for Windows, you likely noticed that the AutoCorrect and auto capitalization settings are no longer in their usual places. In classic Outlook, these settings lived under File > Options > Mail > Editor Options. In the new Outlook, the editor settings have been relocated to a separate pane that integrates with Microsoft Editor and Microsoft 365 cloud services. This article shows you exactly where to find AutoCorrect, auto capitalization, and other editor settings in the new Outlook and explains why the change happened.

Why Editor Settings Changed in the New Outlook

The new Outlook for Windows is built on a web-based platform that shares code with Outlook on the web and the Outlook mobile apps. This platform uses Microsoft Editor, a cloud-connected service that provides grammar, style, and spelling suggestions. Because the underlying architecture changed, the editor settings were moved out of the classic File > Options menu and into a unified settings interface.

In classic Outlook, AutoCorrect and auto capitalization were part of the Microsoft Word editor engine embedded in the application. The new Outlook does not embed Word. Instead, it uses a lightweight editor that communicates with Microsoft Editor cloud services. This change allows Microsoft to update grammar and style rules without requiring an Outlook update. However, it also means the settings are no longer in the File menu.

The settings you are looking for fall into two categories. First, the basic auto capitalization and spelling corrections are controlled by check boxes in the Editor Options pane. Second, the custom AutoCorrect entries you created in classic Outlook are stored in your Microsoft 365 roaming profile and are available in the new Outlook through a different dialog.

Steps to Find and Configure AutoCorrect and Auto Capitalization in New Outlook

The following steps show you how to locate the editor settings in the new Outlook and make changes to AutoCorrect and auto capitalization behavior.

1. Open Outlook Settings
   Click the Settings gear icon in the upper-right corner of the Outlook window. Alternatively, press Ctrl + Comma to open Settings directly.
2. Navigate to Mail Settings
   In the Settings pane, click Mail on the left sidebar. Then click Compose and Reply in the Mail section.
3. Open Editor Options
   Scroll down to the Editor Options section. Click the Editor Options button. A new dialog titled Editor Options opens.
4. Adjust AutoCorrect and Auto Capitalization
   In the Editor Options dialog, select AutoCorrect As You Type from the left menu. You will see the following check boxes:

   – Replace text as you type — enables automatic replacement of common typos and symbols
   – Capitalize first letter of sentences — automatically capitalizes the first word after a period
   – Capitalize first letter of table cells — applies capitalization inside table cells
   – Capitalize names of days — capitalizes day names like Monday
   – Correct accidental use of cAPS LOCK — fixes text typed with Caps Lock on
   – Replace text as you type — also enables the replacement list (see next step)

   Check or uncheck each box as desired. Click OK to save.

5. Manage Custom AutoCorrect Entries
   To add, edit, or remove custom AutoCorrect replacements, click Advanced AutoCorrect at the bottom of the AutoCorrect As You Type page. The classic AutoCorrect dialog opens. Here you can type a replacement pair in the Replace and With fields. Click Add to create a new entry. To remove an entry, select it in the list and click Delete. Click OK to close the dialog and then OK again to close Editor Options.

Your changes take effect immediately in new messages you compose. Existing drafts are not affected.

If AutoCorrect Entries from Classic Outlook Are Missing

Custom AutoCorrect entries did not transfer to new Outlook

Custom AutoCorrect entries you created in classic Outlook are stored in a file named .ACL (AutoCorrect List) on your local drive. The new Outlook does not read this file. Instead, it uses the Microsoft 365 roaming AutoCorrect list, which is stored in the cloud. If you never signed in to Microsoft 365 with the same account in classic Outlook, your custom entries will not appear.

To recover entries, open classic Outlook on the same computer and export the AutoCorrect list using a third-party tool or manually recreate each entry in the new Outlook using the Advanced AutoCorrect dialog described above. Microsoft does not provide a built-in export or import feature for AutoCorrect entries.

Auto capitalization does not work in new Outlook

If auto capitalization is not working, first verify that the check boxes in Editor Options > AutoCorrect As You Type are enabled. If they are enabled but capitalization still fails, the issue may be caused by a conflict with a third-party add-in or a corrupted editor cache. Close Outlook, press Windows key + R, type outlook.exe /safe, and press Enter. If auto capitalization works in safe mode, disable add-ins one by one in Settings > Mail > Customize Actions > Add-ins.

If safe mode does not help, clear the editor cache by deleting the contents of the folder %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Outlook\16.0\Roaming\Editor. Restart Outlook and test again.

Spelling and grammar suggestions are missing

The new Outlook relies on Microsoft Editor for spelling and grammar suggestions. If suggestions are missing, ensure you are signed in to Outlook with a Microsoft 365 subscription that includes Editor. Free Outlook accounts have limited editor capabilities. Go to Settings > Mail > Compose and Reply and verify that Show suggestions from Microsoft Editor is turned on. If the option is grayed out, your subscription may not include Editor.

Classic Outlook vs New Outlook: Editor Settings Comparison

Feature	Classic Outlook	New Outlook
Path to AutoCorrect	File > Options > Mail > Editor Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options	Settings > Mail > Compose and Reply > Editor Options > AutoCorrect As You Type
Custom AutoCorrect entries storage	Local .ACL file on the computer	Microsoft 365 cloud roaming profile
Auto capitalization check boxes	Same as classic, under AutoCorrect As You Type	Same check boxes, under Editor Options > AutoCorrect As You Type
Spelling and grammar engine	Microsoft Word editor engine (local)	Microsoft Editor cloud service
Advanced AutoCorrect dialog	Accessible via AutoCorrect Options button	Accessible via Advanced AutoCorrect button in Editor Options
Add-in conflicts possible	Yes, with COM add-ins	Yes, with web add-ins and some COM add-ins

The main difference is the storage location of custom entries and the engine used for suggestions. Classic Outlook stores everything locally, while the new Outlook stores custom entries in the cloud and uses Microsoft Editor for suggestions. The check boxes for auto capitalization and replacement are functionally identical.

You can now locate and adjust AutoCorrect and auto capitalization settings in the new Outlook using the Settings > Mail > Compose and Reply path. If you need to restore custom entries from classic Outlook, you must recreate them manually. For users who rely heavily on a large AutoCorrect list, consider keeping classic Outlook installed alongside the new Outlook until Microsoft adds an import feature. To quickly toggle auto capitalization while composing, press Alt + F7 to open the Editor pane and adjust settings from there.