Can we use Outlook on the web (OWA) as our main client instead of the desktop app?
OWA isn't a second-class option anymore. For many SMB roles it's the simpler choice: nothing to install, access from any browser, always on the latest version. The trick is knowing when it fits and when a desktop client still wins.
Try this first
- 1OWA fits roles that work mostly in the browser: reception, inside sales, freelancers swapping laptops, people on Chromebooks or Linux. No profiles to create, no cached mode, no PST worries.
- 2What you give up: offline work is limited (only recent mail via cache), no COM add-ins, no export to PST, some heavy shared-mailbox flows are slower. Opening attachments goes through browser downloads, slightly more clicks.
- 3Install OWA as a PWA in Edge or Chrome via 'Install this site as an app'. You get a taskbar icon and its own window, feels like a real app.
- 4Enable push notifications via browser notifications, otherwise you miss new mail. Also test that your company signature shows correctly, because OWA signatures are cloud-side and don't always sync with desktop signatures.
- 5Train people on shortcuts (question mark in OWA opens the overview). A power user in OWA is as fast as in desktop, just different mouse targets.
When to bring us in
If you're torn between OWA and new Outlook for the whole team, a role-based choice usually beats one tool for everyone. A short per-department inventory and you've got a plan that fits.
See also
- Outlook crashes or freezes on large attachmentsUsually the mailbox cache is the culprit, not Outlook itself. Shrinking or relocating usually helps within ten minutes.
- Teams: they cannot hear me, or I hear nothingIn our experience Teams usually picked the wrong audio device after a Windows update or a new headset.
- OneDrive has stopped syncingThe cloud icon is grey or has a warning. Locally changed files are not showing up for colleagues.
None of the above fits?
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