Can New Outlook Replace Classic Outlook for Quick Steps? Practical Answer

Quick Steps in Classic Outlook let you apply multiple actions to an email with one click. The New Outlook app for Windows has a different design that does not include the Quick Steps feature. This article explains what Quick Steps do, how the New Outlook handles automation instead, and whether you can rely on the New Outlook to replace Classic Outlook for this task. You will learn which workflows transfer and where you must keep Classic Outlook.

What Quick Steps Do in Classic Outlook

Quick Steps are macros stored in your Outlook profile that apply a sequence of commands to a selected message. You access them from the Home ribbon in the Quick Steps group. Common built-in Quick Steps include Move to: folder name, Reply & Delete, and Forward to Manager. You can also create custom Quick Steps that combine up to nine actions, such as marking an email as read, moving it to a specific folder, and forwarding a copy to a colleague.

Each Quick Step runs immediately when you click its button or press its assigned keyboard shortcut. The action applies only to the currently selected message. This on-demand behavior differs from Outlook Rules, which apply automatically when a message arrives or is sent.

Prerequisites for Using Quick Steps

You need Classic Outlook 2013 or later on Windows. Quick Steps sync between computers if you use the same Outlook profile and have Roaming Settings enabled in Microsoft 365. The feature works with Exchange, Microsoft 365, IMAP, and POP accounts. No additional software or scripting is required.

Why New Outlook Does Not Include Quick Steps

The New Outlook app is a web-based wrapper that uses the same code as Outlook on the web. Microsoft redesigned the interface to be simpler and faster, but this came at the cost of many legacy features. Quick Steps rely on local COM add-ins and VBA macros that are not supported in the New Outlook architecture. As of the current release, Microsoft has not announced plans to add Quick Steps to the New Outlook.

Instead, the New Outlook offers a smaller set of built-in actions under the … menu on each message. You can mark as read, move to folder, flag, or forward. These are single actions, not multi-step sequences. You cannot combine them into a custom one-click button.

Steps to Automate Tasks in New Outlook Without Quick Steps

If you must use New Outlook, you can replicate some Quick Step behavior using Outlook Rules and manual actions. Follow these steps to create a rule that automates a common Quick Step pattern.

1. Open the Rules dialog in New Outlook
   In New Outlook, select the gear icon in the top-right corner. Choose View all Outlook settings. Go to Mail > Rules. Click Add new rule.
2. Name the rule and set a condition
   Enter a name like “Move and Forward from Boss.” Under Conditions, choose a trigger such as From and type the sender’s email address. You can also use other conditions like subject keywords or recipient address.
3. Add an action
   Under Actions, select Move to folder and pick the destination folder. Then click Add another action and choose Forward to and enter the recipient’s email. Rules in New Outlook support up to two actions per rule, which is fewer than the nine actions in Classic Quick Steps.
4. Set exceptions and save
   Optionally add an exception, such as Except if it has an attachment. Click Save. The rule applies automatically to incoming messages. It does not run on demand for existing messages.

Using Quick Actions for Single-Step Tasks

New Outlook includes Quick Actions that appear when you hover over a message in the message list. You can click the folder icon to move the message, the flag icon to flag it, or the trash icon to delete it. These actions are always single-step. To apply multiple actions, you must perform each one manually.

If Classic Outlook Quick Steps Still Matter to You

If you rely heavily on custom Quick Steps, you should keep Classic Outlook installed. Microsoft allows side-by-side installation of Classic and New Outlook on the same computer. You can switch between them using the toggle in the top-right corner of the New Outlook window.

Quick Step keyboard shortcuts do not work in New Outlook

Classic Outlook lets you assign Ctrl+Shift+1 through Ctrl+Shift+9 to Quick Steps. New Outlook ignores these shortcuts. If you press Ctrl+Shift+1 in New Outlook, nothing happens. You must use the ribbon or the right-click menu instead.

Custom Quick Steps that use VBA or scripts are lost

If your Quick Step runs a VBA macro or a PowerShell script, it will not work in New Outlook. New Outlook does not support any form of scripting. You would need to run the script manually outside of Outlook.

Quick Steps that require multiple folders or complex logic

A Quick Step that moves a message to one folder, forwards a copy to two people, marks it as read, and sets a follow-up flag cannot be replicated with a single rule in New Outlook. Rules support only two actions and no follow-up flags. You would need to create multiple rules or perform steps manually.

Classic Outlook vs New Outlook: Quick Steps and Automation Comparison

Item	Classic Outlook	New Outlook
Quick Steps feature	Available with up to nine actions per step	Not available
Custom keyboard shortcuts	Ctrl+Shift+1 through 9	None
Rule-based automation	Unlimited actions per rule	Up to two actions per rule
On-demand multi-step actions	Yes, via Quick Steps button	No, each action must be done manually
VBA macro support	Yes	No
Side-by-side installation	Yes, with New Outlook	Yes, with Classic Outlook

New Outlook cannot replace Classic Outlook for Quick Steps as of the current version. The feature is absent and no equivalent exists. If you use Quick Steps daily, keep Classic Outlook installed and use New Outlook only for tasks that do not require automation. Microsoft may add Quick Steps to New Outlook in a future update, but no timeline has been announced.

To manage your workflow today, use Classic Outlook for any multi-step automation and switch to New Outlook for basic email reading and sending. You can toggle between the two apps using the Try the new Outlook slider in Classic Outlook or the New Outlook toggle in the top-right corner of the New Outlook window.

For advanced automation needs, consider using Power Automate to connect Outlook with other Microsoft 365 services. Power Automate can trigger on new messages and perform actions like moving files to SharePoint or posting to Teams, which can supplement the missing Quick Steps in New Outlook.