Add your work email to your phone (Outlook app)

You can read and send your work email on your phone with the free Microsoft Outlook app. It takes about five minutes. The app keeps your work email separate from your personal apps.

What you’ll need

• your work email address and password
• your phone, connected to the internet (Wi-Fi is best)
• your phone nearby, if you’ve set up multi-factor authentication (see “Set up multi-factor authentication on Microsoft 365“)

Set it up

1. On your phone, open the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android).
2. Search for Microsoft Outlook and install it. Check that the publisher is Microsoft Corporation.
3. Open the app and select Add account. If the app already shows a personal account, tap the menu icon in the top-left corner, then the + (plus) sign, then Add account.
4. Type your work email address and select Continue.
5. Type your password when Microsoft asks. If you use multi-factor authentication, approve the request in the Authenticator app.
6. If the app asks to add another account, select Maybe later. Allow notifications if you want to be told when new email arrives.
7. If you see a message that your organisation needs to protect or manage the app, select Continue and follow the prompts. If it asks you to install something or change phone settings you don’t understand, stop and email us first.

Your inbox should fill within a minute or two. Send yourself a test email to check that sending works.

Good to know

• Your calendar and contacts are in the same app, using the buttons at the bottom of the screen.
• If you change your password, the app will ask you to sign in again.
• If you lose your phone, tell us straight away so we can protect your email.
• Use a screen lock (PIN, fingerprint or face) on your phone, because your email will be open on it.

If it doesn’t work

• “We couldn’t find your account” or sign-in fails. Check the spelling of your email address. Try signing in at office.com on a computer to check that your password works.
• No new email arrives. Pull down on the inbox to refresh, check that the phone has internet, then check that notifications are allowed for Outlook in your phone’s settings.
• The app says your organisation requires extra security. Follow the on-screen steps. If it keeps going in circles, email us a screenshot.
• You can’t find the Add account button. Tap the menu icon in the top-left corner, then Settings, then Add Account.