Plan feature customizations in Outlook 2013
Applies to: Office 365 ProPlus, Outlook 2013
Summary: Learn about some features that you can configure and deploy with Outlook 2013.
Audience: IT Professionals
Some features that you might have to configure and deploy with Outlook 2013, such as Contact Cards and the Outlook Social Connector, are discussed in this article. For security and protection features, see Overview of security and protection settings for Outlook 2013. For Cached Exchange Mode settings, see Plan a Cached Exchange Mode deployment in Outlook 2013.
Important
Are you looking for help with customizing new Outlook features on your desktop? You may be looking for What's new in Outlook 2013, which will help you get started with Outlook 2013.
In this article:
Overview
Add-ins
Attachment Reminder
Contact Cards
Conversation arrangement view
Data Loss Prevention and Policy Tips
Exchange ActiveSync
Exchange Fast Access and Sync Slider
Global address list synchronization
MailTips
Mail apps for Outlook
Outlook Social Connector
Site mailboxes
Weather bar
Overview
You can customize the installation of Outlook 2013 by using Group Policy or the Office Customization Tool (OCT). To enforce settings, use Group Policy together with the Outlook 2013 Group Policy template (Outlk15.admx/Outlk15.adml), and for some settings, such as those for Contact Cards, use the Office 2013 Group Policy template (Office15.admx/Office15.adml).
To configure default settings where users can later change the settings, use the OCT. The OCT settings are in corresponding locations of the Group Policy settings on the Modify user settings page of the OCT. For more information about the OCT, see Office Customization Tool (OCT) reference for Office 2013.
For information about how to download the Outlook 2013 administrative template, and about other Office 2013 Administrative Templates, see Group Policy Administrative Template files (ADMX, ADML) and Office Customization Tool (OCT) files for Office 2013.
For more information about Group Policy, see Overview of Group Policy for Office 2013 and Use Group Policy to enforce Office 2010 settings.
Note that some features that are available with Exchange Server, such as Data Loss Prevention and Policy Tips, are only administratively configurable through Exchange.
Add-ins
By default, Outlook 2013 now turns off any add-in that adversely affects performance, resiliency, or reliability of Outlook. Users can view and re-enable add-ins by going to File, Options, Add-ins, Manage and selecting Disabled items in Outlook 2013. If you, as the IT Administrator, do not want Outlook 2013 to automatically disable an add-in when it affects performance, you can use the Outlook Group Policy template (Outlk15.admx) to set the Group Policy option: List of managed add-ins. You can find the settings in the following table under User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Outlook 2013\Miscellaneous.
Add-in settings
| Setting name | Registry path and value name | Description |
|---|---|---|
Block all unmanaged add-ins |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\resiliency!addinlist |
Enable to block all add-ins not managed by the List of managed add-ins policy. If you disable or do not configure this setting, users can enable or disable any add-in not managed by the List of managed add-ins policy. |
List of managed add-ins |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\resiliency!addinlist |
Enable and add the programmatic identifier (ProgID) for COM add-ins that you want to manage. You can specify which add-ins are always enabled, always disabled (or blocked), or configurable by users. |
Attachment Reminder
Before an email message is sent, Outlook 2013 can detect if an attachment was omitted from the message and notify the user. Users can turn off the Attachment Reminder in Outlook 2013 by selecting Don’t show this message again in the Attachment Reminder dialog box or by going to File, Options, Mail and under Send messages, selecting Warn me when I send a message that may be missing an attachment.
The settings that you can configure for Attachment Reminder in Group Policy and the OCT are shown in the following table. In Group Policy, the settings are found under User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Outlook 2013\Outlook Options\Preferences\E-mail Options. The OCT settings are in corresponding locations on the Modify user settings page of the OCT.
Attachment Reminder setting
| Setting name | Registry path and value name | Description |
|---|---|---|
Attachment Reminder Options |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\mailsettings!checkforgottenattachments OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\ common\mailsettings!checkforgottenattachments |
Disable to turn off the attachment reminder in Outlook. |
Contact Cards
In Office 2013, Contact Cards appear when you rest the mouse pointer over a name, for example a sender’s name in an email message or the author’s name in an Office 2013 document. If you install Office 2013 with Office Communicator 2007 R2, Lync 2010 or Lync 2013, Contact Cards displays a person’s availability and lets you easily start a conversation directly through instant messaging, voice call, or video. When you expand the Contact Card, you can view the Contact, Notes, Organization, What’s new and Membership tabs.
The Contact tab is the default view and it displays information such as office location, company, and work telephone number.
The Notes tab shows the notes that the user added for the contact through Outlook contacts.
The Organization tab displays the contact’s manager and contacts that share the same manager.
The What’s new tab displays the contact’s social network updates from the social networks you’ve added if you are friends with that contact on that specific social network or if they have public social network updates.
The Membership tab displays the distribution lists for which the contact is a member.
In Office 2013, you can customize Contact Cards to turn off certain features and specify where presence icons are displayed. For the Contact tab on the Contact Card, you can replace labels and values. Some of the specific settings that you can configure for Contact Cards are described in the following two sections.
Contact Card
To configure Contact Card settings, load the Office 2013 administrative template. In Group Policy, the settings in the following table are found under User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Office 2013\Contact Card. The OCT settings are in corresponding locations on the Modify user settings page of the OCT. The settings in the following table apply to all Office applications where the Contact Card is available.
Contact Card settings
| Setting name | Registry path and value name | Description |
|---|---|---|
Configure presence icon |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\im! OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\im! |
Specifies where the presence icons are displayed. Display all Displays the presence icons. Display some Displays only in the Contact Card and in lists in SharePoint. Display None Presence icons are not displayed. |
Display legacy GAL dialog |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnonlegacygaldialog OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnonlegacygaldialog |
Displays the global address list (GAL) dialog box instead of the Contact Card when users choose (double-click) a contact in Outlook. |
Do not display Hover Menu |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoffhoverfunctionality OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoffhoverfunctionality |
Stops the Hover menu from displaying when a user pauses on a contact’s presence icon or display name. |
Do not display photograph |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common!turnoffphotograph OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common!turnoffphotograph |
Prevents display of the contact photograph on the Contact Card, email header, reading pane, fast search results, GAL dialog box, and File tab. For Outlook deployments with Lync Server, you can turn off photographs in the Lync contact list. See Customizing Lync Behavior and the User Interface. |
Remove Member Of tab |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoffmemberoftab OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoffmemberoftab |
Removes the Membership tab on the Contact Card. |
Remove Organization tab |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnofforganizationtab OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnofforganizationtab |
Removes the Organization tab on the Contact Card. |
Turn off click to IM option |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\im!turnoffclicktoim OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\im!turnoffclicktoim |
Removes the Instant Messaging (IM) option from the Contact Card and Outlook ribbon. |
Turn off click to telephone |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\im!turnoffclicktophone OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\im!turnoffclicktophone |
Removes the telephone option from the Contact Card and Outlook ribbon. |
Turn off presence integration |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\im!turnoffpresenceintegration OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\im!turnoffpresenceintegration |
Turns off IM presence integration for Office 2013 applications. |
Contact tab
Some of the Contact tab options that you can set are in the following table. In Group Policy, you can find these settings and more under User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Office 2013\Contact Card\Contact Tab. The OCT settings are in the corresponding locations on the Modify user settings page of the OCT.
If Outlook is installed, Office uses the MAPI property settings for the Contact tab. If Outlook is not installed, Office uses the Active Directory property settings. So to customize the Contact Card Contact tab in Office 2013, use the Replace MAPI - property settings for Office deployments where Outlook is installed. For Office deployments where Outlook is not installed use the Replace AD – property settings.
For information about Active Directory attributes, see Property Sets in Exchange 2007 and Attributes defined by Active Directory (Windows). For information about MAPI properties, see Mail User Properties.
Contact tab settings
| Setting name | Registry path and value name | Description |
|---|---|---|
Replace Label - Office |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttablabelreplaceoffice OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttablabelreplaceoffice |
Enable and enter a new label name for the Office (office location) field. |
Replace Label - Work |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttablabelreplacework OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttablabelreplacework |
Enable and enter a new label name for the Work (work phone) field. |
Replace Label - Mobile |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttablabelreplacemobile OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttablabelreplacemobile |
Enable and enter a new label name for the Mobile (mobile phone) field. |
Replace Label - Home |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttablabelreplacehome OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttablabelreplacehome |
Enable and enter a new label name for the Home (home phone) field. |
Replace Label – E-mail |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttablabelreplaceemail OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttablabelreplaceemail |
Enable and enter a new label name for the E-mail (e-mail address) field. |
Replace AD – Office |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabadreplaceoffice OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabadreplaceoffice |
Enable and enter the Active Directory attribute to replace the Office field value. If you enable this setting, also set Replace MAPI– Office. |
Replace AD – Work |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabadreplacework OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabadreplacework |
Enable and enter the Active Directory attribute to replace the Work field value. If you enable this setting, also set Replace MAPI – Work. |
Replace AD – Mobile |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabadreplacemobile OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabadreplacemobile |
Enable and enter the Active Directory attribute to replace the Mobile field value. If you enable this setting, also set Replace MAPI – Mobile. |
Replace AD – Home |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabadreplacehome OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabadreplacehome |
Enable and enter the Active Directory attribute to replace the Home field value. If you enable this setting, also set Replace MAPI – Home. |
Replace AD – E-mail |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabadreplaceemail OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabadreplaceemail |
Enable and enter the Active Directory attribute to replace the E-mail field value. If you enable this setting, also set Replace MAPI – E-mail. |
Replace MAPI– Office |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabadreplaceoffice OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabadreplaceoffice |
Enable and enter the MAPI property to replace the Office field value. If you enable this setting, also set Replace AD – Office. |
Replace MAPI – Work |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabmapireplacework OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabmapireplacework |
Enable and enter the MAPI property to replace the Work field value. If you enable this setting, also set Replace AD – Work. |
Replace MAPI – Mobile |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabmapireplacemobile OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabmapireplacemobile |
Enable and enter the MAPI property to replace the Mobile field value. If you enable this setting, also set Replace AD – Mobile. |
Replace MAPI – Home |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabmapireplacehome OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabmapireplacehome |
Enable and enter the MAPI property to replace the Home field value. If you enable this setting, also set Replace AD – Home. |
Replace MAPI – E-mail |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabmapireplacehome OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\common\contactcard!turnoncontacttabmapireplacehome |
Enable and enter the MAPI property to replace the E-mail field value. If you enable this setting, also set Replace AD – E-mail. |
Conversation arrangement view
The Conversation arrangement view provides a threaded view of email messages in an Outlook folder. To access the Conversation arrangement view in Outlook 2013, click View, and then select the Show as Conversations check box.
The settings that you can configure for Conversation arrangement view in Group Policy and the OCT are shown in the following table. In Group Policy, the settings are found under User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Outlook 2013\Outlook Options\Preferences\E-mail Options. The OCT settings are in corresponding locations on the Modify user settings page of the OCT.
Conversation arrangement view settings
| Setting name | Registry path and value name | Description |
|---|---|---|
Configure Cross Folder Content in Conversation view |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\options\conversations! OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\options\conversations! |
Enable and select the email folder content to include in Conversation arrangement view. On and cross-store Email that is displayed is from all connected Outlook data files whether they are cached on the local computer or online. Off Email that is displayed in Conversation arrangement view is only from the current folder (such as the Inbox). On and current Email that is displayed in Conversation arrangement view is only from the current Outlook data file being viewed. On and local Email that is displayed is only from the current Outlook data file being viewed and any other local Outlook data file (such as a personal data file (.pst)). |
Do not use Conversational arrangement in Views |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\setup!upgradetoconversations OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\setup!upgradetoconversations |
If you do not configure this setting, the Outlook 2013 views will display Date view as the default. Enable this setting to turn off Conversation arrangement and to prevent users from using Conversation arrangement in Outlook 2013. Disable this setting to turn on Conversation arrangement as the default Outlook view. |
Data Loss Prevention and Policy Tips
Data loss prevention (DLP) is a new feature area in Exchange Server 2013. DLP capabilities help you protect sensitive data and inform users of internal compliance policies. DLP can also help keep your organization safe from users who mistakenly send sensitive information to unauthorized people. The new Exchange DLP features help you identify, monitor, and protect sensitive data by using deep content analysis.
Exchange Server 2013 offers built-in DLP policies that are based on regulatory standards such as personally identifiable information (PII) and payment card industry data security standards (PCI). DLP is extensible so that it can support other policies that are important to your business. Additionally, the new Policy Tips in Outlook inform users about policy violations before they send sensitive data.
For information about how to configure Data Loss Prevention and Policy Tips with Exchange Server 2013, see Data Loss Prevention and Policy Tips.
Exchange ActiveSync
Exchange ActiveSync is a protocol that lets Outlook 2013 connect to services such as Outlook.com to access email, calendar, contacts, and tasks. Using Exchange ActiveSync to connect Outlook 2013 to an Exchange Server is not supported. With the exception of one setting, EAS Sync Frequency, Exchange ActiveSync is only administratively configurable through Exchange. For more information, see Exchange ActiveSync.
The setting that you can configure for Exchange ActiveSync in Group Policy and the OCT is shown in the following table. In Group Policy, the setting is found under User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Outlook 2013\Account Settings\Exchange ActiveSync. The OCT setting is in corresponding location on the Modify user settings page of the OCT.
Exchange Active Sync settings
| Setting name | Registry path and value name | Description |
|---|---|---|
EAS Sync Frequency |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\eas!pushduration OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\eas!pushduration |
Enable to change the number of minutes that Outlook automatically synchronizes users’ Exchange ActiveSync accounts. The default is 59 minutes. |
Exchange Fast Access and Sync Slider
Exchange Fast Access and Sync Slider are two new features that are available with Cached Exchange Mode. By default, they are enabled when Cached Exchange Mode is enabled.
Exchange Fast Access combines the instant-access of Online Mode with the offline capabilities and syncing robustness of Cached Exchange Mode, specifically in scenarios when syncing data locally would take enough time to be noticed by the user (for example, initial sync, resume, returning from vacation). When you first start Outlook 2013, you will immediately see your most recent email messages and a completely up-to-date calendar. Outlook 2013 caches items in the background to prepare you for offline use without affecting the user experience.
Sync Slider allows an Outlook 2013 user to limit the email messages that are synchronized locally in an Outlook data file (.ost). By default, if Cached Exchange Mode is enabled, Outlook 2013 will only cache email messages from the last 12 months and remove anything older than 12 months from the local cache. Users can view messages that were removed from the local cache by scrolling to the end of an email list in a folder and clicking the message Click here to view more on Microsoft Exchange. Users can also change how much email to keep offline. You, as the IT Administrator, can change the default age or enforce the age of email messages that are removed from the local cache by using Group Policy or the Office Customization Tool.
The settings that you can configure for Exchange Fast Access and Sync Slider in Group Policy and the OCT are shown in the following table. In Group Policy, the settings are found under User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Outlook 2013\Account Settings\Exchange\Cached Exchange Mode. The OCT settings are in corresponding locations on the Modify user settings page of the OCT.
Exchange Fast Access settings
| Setting name | Registry path and value name | Description |
|---|---|---|
Disable Exchange Fast Access |
Group Policy registry path:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\hybrid!localcaching OCT registry path:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\hybrid!localcaching |
If you enable this policy setting (by setting the DWORD value to 1), Exchange Fast Access is turned off and will not be available to any Exchange Accounts on the computer—and Outlook will download mailbox items to the local cache from Exchange before displaying new items to users. If you disable this policy setting (by setting the DWORD value to 0), Exchange Fast Access is turned on by default for Exchange Accounts in Cached Exchange Mode. By default, this policy setting is set to 0 (disabled), which turns on Exchange Fast Access. Upgrade consideration: When a user with a cached mode profile is upgraded to Outlook 2013, by default they are configured for Exchange Fast Access—where !localcaching is set to 0. This enables Exchange Fast Access in a hybrid mode—where all new emails appear at Outlook launch. If you want an upgraded user to remain in traditional cached mode, you will need to set their !localcaching registry setting to 1, effectively turning off Exchange Fast Access and keeping them in pure cached mode, where Outlook will wait for the OST to sync before displaying emails in the user’s inbox. |
Cached Exchange Mode Sync Settings |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\cached mode!syncwindowsetting OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\ cached mode!syncwindowsetting |
Enable to configure how much user email Outlook will synchronize locally by date of message. To allow all email messages, regardless of date, to synchronize to users’ local mailbox cache, enable and select All from the list. By default, if you do not configure this setting, Outlook synchronizes email messages sent or received in the last 12 months to users’ local mailbox cache. |
Global address list synchronization
Global address list synchronization (GAL) is replaced in Outlook 2013 by aggregation and Favorites functionality. By default in Outlook 2013, GAL synchronization is disabled in new account profiles. If you previously enabled GAL synchronization for Outlook profiles, GAL synchronization will remain enabled when you upgrade Outlook profiles to Outlook 2013.
One of the registry values that were used in earlier versions of Outlook to control the GAL synchronization is changed in Outlook 2013. In Outlook 2013, use the registry value RunAutomaticGALSync in the following table instead of ScheduleContactGALSync to configure GAL Synchronization. ScheduleContactGALSync registry value is not included in the Outlook 2010 administration templates for Group Policy or the OCT. Similarly, RunAutomaticGALSync is not in the Outlook 2013 administration templates. For more information about GAL synchronization, see the earlier version of this article.
GAL Sync registry setting
| Root | Data type | Key | Value name | Value data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
HKEY_CURRENT_USER |
DWORD |
Software\ Microsoft\Office\Outlook\SocialConnector |
RunAutomaticGALSync |
Configures the GAL synchronization configuration. However, the user can override the configuration through the user interface by choosing the View tab on the ribbon, choosing the drop-down arrow next to the People Pane button, selecting the Account Settings command, and then choosing the Settings button in the Social Network Accounts dialog box. 0 = Do not synchronize contacts with the GAL 1 = Automatically update contacts with the latest GAL information 2 = Prompt before Outlook updates contacts with the latest GAL information |
MailTips
MailTips is a configurable warning system to help prevent common email mistakes. Extra information is presented to users when they compose email messages. The MailTips are displayed in an InfoBar, similar to the banner that says "This message has not been sent.” MailTips do not prevent sending an email message. But they reveal things that might be unexpected about the delivery or audience of the message, such as recipient validity, whether the recipient is external to the organization or is out of the office, if the distribution list is unusually large, or if a message might not be delivered.
MailTips is available with Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013 and Exchange Online. With the exception of one setting, Disable Mail Tips, it is only administratively configurable through Exchange.
You can use the Outlook setting Disable Mail Tips, shown in the following table, to turn off MailTips in Outlook by using Group Policy or the OCT. In Group Policy, the setting is found under User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Outlook 2013\Outlook Options\Preferences\E-mail Options. The OCT setting is in the corresponding location on the Modify user settings page of the OCT.
MailTips setting
| Setting name | Registry path and value name | Description |
|---|---|---|
Disable Mail Tips |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\options\mail!disablemailtips OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\options\mail!disablemailtips |
Enable to turn off MailTips in Outlook. |
For more information about how to configure MailTips in Exchange Server 2010, see Understanding MailTips and Managing MailTips.
Mail apps for Outlook
An app for Outlook is a cloud-enabled application that integrates rich, scenario-focused content and services together with Outlook 2013. An example of this is the Bing Maps app that comes with Outlook. It shows an online map whenever you open a message that contains a street address. You can use apps for Outlook with email accounts that are on Exchange Server 2013 or Exchange Online.
You can get apps for Outlook from the Office Store. If you’re running Outlook that comes with an Office 365 subscription, you can get to the Office Store from the Home tab in Outlook. Otherwise, you can get there by choosing File and then Manage apps. For more information, see Get an app for Outlook.
You can use the Exchange Administration Center (EAC) to make specific apps for Outlook available to your users. Users can then manage their apps from Outlook 2013 by choosing File and then Manage apps. For more information, see Exchange admin center in Exchange 2013 or Exchange admin center in Exchange Online.
You can prevent users from downloading apps for Outlook from the Office Store and, for Outlook that comes with an Office 365 subscription, remove the Office Store button from the Home tab. For other versions of Outlook, see the Office settings in Managing access to apps for Office.
Mail apps for Outlook settings
To prevent users from downloading apps for Outlook from the Office Store, remove the My marketplace apps user role from the user policy in the Exchange Administration Center (EAC). To do this,
In EAC, select Permissions > User roles.
Select the policy and Edit.
Under Other roles, clear the My marketplace apps check box.
Select Save.
To remove the Office Store button from the Home tab in the version of Outlook that comes with an Office 365 subscription, use the Outlook Group Policy setting Hide the Office Store button, shown in the following table. In Group Policy, the setting is found under User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Outlook 2013\Outlook Options\Other.
| Setting name | Registry path and value name | Description |
|---|---|---|
Hide the Office Store button |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook\Options\WebExt! StoreButtonInRibbonHomeTabAllowed |
Removes the Office Store button from the Home tab in the version of Outlook that comes with an Office 365 subscription. |
Outlook Social Connector
The Outlook Social Connector (OSC) is an add-in that exposes social network data including friends, profiles, activities, and status information from social networks in Outlook 2013. In the People Pane at the bottom of an email message, you can see information about the sender and other recipients such as their picture, name, and title; view your communication history with this person including meetings and attachments; and view their activity feeds from social networks.
Outlook 2013 includes the OSC providers for Facebook and SharePoint My Site. You can also use OSC provider extensibility to build providers for line-of-business applications or internal corporate websites and to integrate their services into Outlook. For more information, see Outlook Social Connector 2013 Provider Reference.
To take advantage of all features that are available with the Outlook Social Connector, run Outlook 2013 in Cached Exchange Mode with Windows Desktop Search and have SharePoint Server 2013 or SharePoint 2013 My Site configured for users. In this configuration, local items, such as email messages, meetings, and attachments from the sender, will be included in the communication history. Additionally, when My Site is configured, you can view the activity feed from the sender’s My Site.
If you run Outlook 2013 in Online Mode, only items that are related to the sender that are stored on the server will be shown in the communication history. Also, only activity feed information about the sender from on-demand social network providers, such as SharePoint My Site and Facebook, can be shown.
To include information in the Outlook Social Connector from My Sites that are hosted on a SharePoint on-premises installation, set the MySiteHost registry key as described in the following table.
MySiteHost registry settings
| Root | Data type | Key | Value name | Value data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
HKEY_CURRENT_USER |
REG_SZ |
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\common\Portal\Link Providers\MySiteHost |
URL |
Your My Site URL. For example, http://Office/MySite. |
HKEY_CURRENT_USER |
REG_SZ |
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\common\Portal\Link Providers\MySiteHost |
DisplayName |
Optional: The name to display to the user in the Outlook Social Connector – for example, My Site. |
You can control the social network providers from which users can view activity feeds. You can prevent activity feeds from all social network providers by enabling the Disable Office connections to social networks setting in Group Policy. Or, you can deploy specific providers by using the Specify list of social network providers to load setting in the OCT and prevent other providers from being installed by using the Block specific social network providers setting in Group Policy.
You can also control whether to allow the Outlook Social Connector or social network providers to prompt users for updates, or you can manage the updates yourself by using the Do not show social network info-bars setting in Group Policy.
The settings that you can configure for the Outlook Social Connector in Group Policy and the OCT are shown in the following table. In Group Policy, you can find the settings under User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Outlook 2013\Outlook Social Connector. The OCT settings are in corresponding locations on the Modify user settings page of the OCT.
Note
The Outlook Social Connector can be disabled by using the Manage Add-ins feature in Outlook or by enabling the Turn off Outlook Social Connector setting in Group Policy. Use the Turn off Outlook Social Connector setting if you want to prevent all Office applications from using the Social Connector. Disabling the Outlook Social Connector add-in prevents only the Outlook application from using the Social Connector.
Outlook Social Connector settings
| Setting name | Registry path and value name | Description |
|---|---|---|
Block Global Address List synchronization |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!disablecontactgalsync OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!disablecontactgalsync |
Enable to block synchronization between Outlook and the global address list. |
Block network activity synchronization |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!disableactivitydownload OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!disableactivitydownload |
Enable to block synchronization of activity information between Outlook and social networks. |
Block social network contact synchronization |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!disablecontactdownload OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!disablecontactdownload |
Enable to block synchronization of contacts between Outlook and social networks. |
Block specific social network providers |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!disabledproviderslist OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!disabledproviderslist |
Specify the list of social network providers to block. For information about how to specify the Program ID (ProgID) values for each provider, see Register a provider. |
Do not allow on-demand activity synchronization |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!ondemandactivitysync OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!ondemandactivitysync |
Enable to prevent on-demand synchronization of activity information between Outlook and social networks. |
Do not download photos from Active Directory |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!downloaddetailsfromad OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!downloaddetailsfromad |
Enable to prevent download of contact photos from Active Directory. |
Do not show social network info-bars |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!unmanagedinfobars OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!unmanagedinfobars |
Enable to prevent displaying information-bar messages that will prompt users to upgrade the Outlook Social Connector when updates are available or to install or update social network providers. |
Disable Office connections to social networks |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!disablesocialnetworkconnectivity OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!disablesocialnetworkconnectivity |
Enable to prevent users from connecting Office to social networks (including SharePoint) and to prevent Office from displaying contacts and feeds from users’ social networks. |
Set GAL contact synchronization interval |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!contactsyncinterval OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!contactsyncinterval |
Enable to control how often contact information is synchronized between Outlook and connected social networks (in minutes). By default, if you disable or do not configure this policy, contact information is synchronized one time per day or every 1,440 minutes. |
Specify activity feed synchronization interval |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!activitysyncinterval OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!activitysyncinterval |
Enable to control how often activity feed information is synchronized between Outlook and connected social networks (in minutes). By default, if you disable or do not configure this policy, activity information is synchronized every 60 minutes. |
Specify which list of social network providers to load |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!providersecuritymode OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!providersecuritymode |
Enable to have Outlook Social Connector use a list of social network providers provided in trustedproviderslist. The default is for Outlook Social Connector to use all installed providers except for those listed in disabledproviderslist. |
Specify social network providers |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!trustedproviderslist OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!trustedproviderslist |
List of Progam ID (ProgID) values for social network providers. Outlook Social Connector loads this list only if providersecuritymode is enabled. For information about how to specify the Program ID (ProgID) values for each provider, see Register a provider. |
Turn off Outlook Social Connector |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!runosc OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\outlook\socialconnector!runosc |
Enable to turn off the Outlook Social Connector. |
Site mailboxes
Site mailboxes improve collaboration and user productivity by allowing access to both SharePoint 2013 documents and Exchange email messages by using the same client interface. A site mailbox consists of SharePoint 2013 site membership (owners and members), shared storage through an Exchange Server 2013 mailbox for email messages and a SharePoint 2013 site for documents, and a management interface that addresses provisioning and life-cycle needs.
Site mailboxes require Exchange Server 2013 and SharePoint Server 2013 integration and configuration. For more information about how to configure Exchange Server 2013 to work with SharePoint Server 2013, see Configure site mailboxes in SharePoint Server 2013.
Weather bar
Weather information for the next three days is displayed on the Calendar in the Calendar module. When Outlook 2013 starts for the first time after installation, the weather location is the default city for the market version of Outlook that is installed. Users can change the weather location displayed by selecting Add Location from the drop-down menu next to the city name in the Calendar view. Users can also configure two other options in File, Options, Calendar, Weather:
Show weather on the Calendar
Show temperature in: Celsius or Fahrenheit
Weather bar settings are saved in the user’s profile. If there are multiple Exchange accounts in a user profile, the weather location is based on the location that is specified in the user’s primary Exchange account. All calendars in a user profile will display the same location for weather.
The following Weather bar settings can roam depending on the account type:
Weather On or Off
Celsius or Fahrenheit
Weather locations
Currently displayed weather location
If the user has the same Exchange account on multiple computers, the user sees the same weather location on all computers. If the user has multiple Exchange accounts, the user sees the weather location that is associated with the primary Exchange account. In this case, the settings associated with the primary Exchange account will roam. If the user does not have an Exchange account and has the same IMAP/POP account on multiple computers, the settings will not roam.
The settings that you can configure for this feature in Group Policy and the OCT are shown in the following table. In Group Policy, you can find the settings under User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Outlook 2013\Outlook Options\Preferences\Calendar Options. The OCT settings are in corresponding locations on the Modify user settings page of the OCT.
Weather bar settings
| Setting name | Registry path and value name | Description |
|---|---|---|
Disable Weather Bar |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\options\calendar!disableweather OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\options\calendar!disableweather |
Enable to turn the Weather Bar off. |
Weather Bar Update Frequency |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\options\calendar!weatherupdatefrequency OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\options\calendar!weatherupdatefrequency |
Enable to change the Weather Bar update frequency. The default value is 120 minutes. |
Weather Server URL |
Group Policy registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\options\calendar!weatherserviceurl OCT registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\options\calendar!weatherserviceurl |
Enable to change the service the weather information is pulled from. If you disable or do not configure this setting, Outlook uses the default weather service URL. |
See also
Plan a Cached Exchange Mode deployment in Outlook 2013
Overview of security and protection settings for Outlook 2013
Group Policy Administrative Template files (ADMX, ADML) and Office Customization Tool (OCT) files for Office 2013
Office Customization Tool (OCT) reference for Office 2013
Overview of Group Policy for Office 2013
Determine which features to enable or customize in Outlook 2010