New Outlook My Day and To Do Bar: Replace the classic To-Do Bar habit

The classic To-Do Bar in older versions of Outlook showed your calendar, upcoming tasks, and a quick task entry field in a single pane on the right side of the reading pane. In the new Outlook for Windows, that classic bar is gone. It has been replaced by two separate features: My Day and the To Do Bar. If you relied on the classic To-Do Bar to see your day at a glance without opening extra windows, you now need to learn how to use these two replacement tools. This article explains exactly what My Day and the To Do Bar do, how to open and configure each one, and how to replicate the most common classic To-Do Bar habits in the new Outlook.

How the Classic To-Do Bar Worked and Why It Changed

The classic To-Do Bar appeared in Outlook 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Microsoft 365 versions. It occupied a vertical strip on the right side of the main Outlook window. You could configure it to show the date navigator, upcoming appointments from your calendar, and your task list with a quick task entry box. The bar was always visible unless you closed it manually.

The new Outlook for Windows is built on a different architecture that uses web-based components. Microsoft separated calendar and task views into distinct modules to improve performance and simplify the interface. The classic To-Do Bar no longer exists as a single pane. Instead, you use My Day for a temporary calendar and task overview, and the To Do Bar for a persistent task list. Both features are optional and can be enabled independently.

How to Open and Use My Day in New Outlook

My Day is a pop-out panel that shows your calendar events and tasks for the current day. It does not stay pinned to the window edge. You open it when you need a quick look at your schedule and close it when you are done.

1. Open My Day from the ribbon
   In the new Outlook, select the View tab on the ribbon. Click My Day in the Layout group. A small panel opens on the right side of the reading pane.
2. Navigate between days
   The My Day panel shows today by default. Click the left or right arrow at the top of the panel to move to the previous or next day. You can also click the date header to jump to a specific date using the date picker.
3. Configure what My Day shows
   Click the gear icon in the top-right corner of the My Day panel. A settings flyout opens. You can choose which calendars appear, which task lists appear, and whether to show tasks that are overdue or due today. You can also change the number of days shown from 1 to 7. If you set it to 7, the panel shows a weekly view instead of a single day.
4. Add a task directly from My Day
   At the bottom of the My Day panel, click the text field that says Add a task. Type the task name and press Enter. The task is added to your default task list in the To Do app.
5. Close My Day
   Click the X in the top-right corner of the My Day panel, or press the Escape key on your keyboard.

How to Open and Configure the To Do Bar in New Outlook

The To Do Bar is a persistent pane on the right side of the main Outlook window. It shows your flagged emails and tasks in a list format. Unlike My Day, the To Do Bar stays open until you manually close it.

1. Enable the To Do Bar
   Go to the View tab on the ribbon. In the Layout group, click To Do Bar. A checkmark appears next to it, and the pane opens on the right side of the reading pane.
2. Understand what appears in the To Do Bar
   The To Do Bar lists items from your default task list in the To Do app. It also shows emails that you have flagged. Flagged emails appear as tasks in the list. The bar does not show calendar events. Use My Day for that.
3. Sort and filter the list
   Click the three-dot menu at the top of the To Do Bar pane. You can sort by due date, importance, or creation date. You can filter to show only flagged items, only tasks, or all items.
4. Complete a task or flag
   Click the circle icon next to any item in the To Do Bar list. The task is marked complete, or the flag is removed from the email. Completed items disappear from the list.
5. Close the To Do Bar
   Click the X in the top-right corner of the pane, or go to View > To Do Bar and click it again to remove the checkmark.

Common Mistakes When Replacing the Classic To-Do Bar

I turned on My Day but I cannot see my tasks

My Day shows tasks only if you have configured it to include a task list. Click the gear icon in My Day and ensure that at least one task list is checked under the Tasks section. If you have no tasks in any list, the panel will appear empty.

The To Do Bar takes up too much screen space

The To Do Bar is a fixed-width pane. You cannot resize it in new Outlook. If you need more room for emails, close the To Do Bar and use My Day instead. My Day opens only when you need it and closes with a single click.

I want the classic date navigator back

The new Outlook does not include a date navigator in the folder pane. To see a monthly calendar alongside your inbox, open the calendar module by clicking the Calendar icon in the left navigation bar. You can keep the calendar open in a separate window if you have a second monitor. Alternatively, use My Day set to 7 days to get a week view.

Flagged emails do not appear in the To Do Bar

The To Do Bar pulls flagged items from your default task list in the To Do app. If your flagged emails are not appearing, go to the To Do app and verify that your flagged email list is synced. In new Outlook, flagged emails from shared mailboxes or public folders may not appear in the To Do Bar.

Item	Classic To-Do Bar	New Outlook My Day + To Do Bar
Calendar events view	Shows upcoming appointments in a vertical list	My Day shows a day or week calendar panel
Task list	Shows tasks in a list with quick entry box	To Do Bar shows tasks and flagged emails
Persistence	Always visible unless manually closed	To Do Bar is persistent; My Day is a pop-out
Quick task entry	Type directly in the To-Do Bar field	Type in My Day add-a-task field or use To Do app
Date navigator	Monthly calendar in the To-Do Bar	Not available; use Calendar module or My Day

You can now use My Day for a quick calendar and task pop-up or the To Do Bar for a persistent task list in the new Outlook. Start with My Day set to 7 days to get a weekly overview similar to the classic bar. Try pinning the Calendar module to the left navigation bar for quick access to your full month view. For faster task entry, press Ctrl+Shift+K to create a new task without opening any panel.