task assignment

Question

How do you assign task to another person in the new version of outlook

Answer 1

Hi @Steve Wassenhove,  

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

Thank you very much for reaching out regarding your question about assigning tasks in the new version of Outlook. I truly appreciate you taking the time to contact me and share your concern. 

I understand how important the task‑assignment feature is to your workflow, and I’d be happy to clarify what’s changed and guide you through the available options. 

In the new Outlook, Microsoft has removed the ability to assign tasks directly from the To Do section or the Outlook interface. This behavior is expected because Microsoft To Do is now designed for individual task management only, and Outlook no longer supports task delegation in the same way Classic Outlook did. 

Instead, Microsoft provides Microsoft Planner as the recommended tool for assigning tasks to others within your organization. Planner allows you to create tasks, assign them to teammates, and track progress collaboratively. Once a task is assigned in Planner, it will automatically appear in the assignee’s To Do > “Assigned to you” list for convenience.

Below are the detailed steps depending on which workflow suits you best: 

Option 1 - Assign tasks using Microsoft Planner (recommended for teamwork) 

1. Open Planner (Tasks by Planner & To Do) through the app launcher in New Outlook or Outlook on the web.  
2. Create a new Plan and add your team members. 
3. Create a task and click Assign, then select the person you want to delegate it to. 
4. The assigned task will appear both in Planner and in the assignee’s Assigned to you list in Microsoft To Do. 
5. 

For your reference: Assign people to tasks - Microsoft Support.

Option 2 - Assign tasks using a Shared List in Microsoft To Do 

If you prefer a simpler shared checklist: 

1. Create a shared list in Microsoft To Do and invite the relevant members.  
2. Open the task > select Assign to or type @member-name. 
3. The assignee will find the task in their Assigned to you smart list. 
   (Note: Moving tasks between lists will remove the assignment, and you will need to reassign.)  

For your reference: Assign tasks in shared lists - Microsoft Support. 
I hope this information is helpful. Should you have any further questions or need additional assistance, feel free to reach out.    

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this. 

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Answer 2

To assign a task to another person in Outlook, follow these steps:

1. Create a new task or open an existing task.
2. On the Task tab, look for the Manage Task group and click on Assign Task.
3. In the Task dialog box, enter the name or email address of the person you want to assign the task to in the To box. You can also click the To button to select from a list.
4. Make sure to check both the Keep an updated copy of this task on my task list and the Send me a status report when this task is complete checkboxes to track the task.
5. Once ready, click Send to assign the task. Ownership of the task will pass to the person you assigned it to.

If the assigned person declines the task, you will receive a notification, and you can reclaim ownership if needed.