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"New" Outlook - can not access Categories

Teresa Craig 0 Reputation points
2026-01-06T21:31:36.8766667+00:00

The new updates to Legacy Outlook no longer gives me access to Categories, so I move to the New Outlook... and I still do not have access to Categories.

I use Categories daily and extensively, so not having access is beyond frustrating and totally limiting my ability to work effectively.

In previous Outlook versions, and with an IMAP account, I was able to use Categories, but with all the updates in the last 2+ months I've been having consistent issues.

Is there a way to fix this?

Teresa

Microsoft 365 and Office | Other
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  1. Marcelo Mendoza 10,680 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-01-06T22:13:47.02+00:00

    Hello Teresa,

    I understand how disruptive this situation has become especially since Categories are a core part of how you organize and manage your work in Outlook on a daily basis. Thank you for clearly explaining what has changed for you and how both Legacy Outlook and the New Outlook behave with your IMAP account because that context really helps frame the issue.

    I can see why this would be frustrating and limiting since Categories have been available to you for years and suddenly losing access after recent updates makes it harder to stay productive and organized. The reason this is happening is that Categories in the New Outlook are currently only fully supported for Exchange based accounts such as Microsoft 365 Outlook.com and on premises Exchange while IMAP accounts do not store category metadata on the server and the New Outlook no longer supports local category storage for IMAP accounts which matches Microsofts updated design and architecture direction. Because of this limitation there is no direct fix at the moment that will restore Categories for IMAP accounts in the New Outlook and the Legacy Outlook behavior you previously had is no longer being maintained as updates roll out.

    As a resolution Microsoft currently recommends using an Exchange based account if Categories are a critical workflow requirement or using alternative organization methods such as folders flags or rules while using IMAP and you may also choose to stay on Legacy Outlook for as long as it remains available if it still partially meets your needs.

    I hope this answer is helpful if you have further questions feel free to reply back

    Regards,

    Marcelo

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