Microsoft is putting a skin on the ugly new Outlook

Microsoft is putting a skin on the ugly new Outlook

By Sean Endicott
Publication Date: 2026-08-24 16:05:00

The new Outlook is ugly and needs to be covered up. That’s the message being sent out by Microsoft if you read between the lines. A new option setting in Outlook on the web and the new Outlook for Windows makes those experiences look like classic Outlook.

Microsoft claims that the option is being added to help those transitioning from classic Outlook to the new Outlook. But if the difference is so jarring that it requires a skin to make the new Outlook palatable, Microsoft has larger issues to deal with.