Option to encrypt email is not available in Outlook.com

Question

Users of Outlook.com with a Microsoft 365 Family subscription should have an option to encrypt an email according to this article: Learn about encrypted messages in Outlook.com - Microsoft Support

I have such a subscription but no option to encrypt messages is available either on outlook.com or using Microsoft 365 outlook on a desktop. The sending email is a Microsoft outlook.com email address.

How do I enable this feature?

Answer 1

I do not have the encrypt option, what can I do? please help.

Answer 2

I do not have the encrypt option

Answer 3

Hello! TDell987

Thank you for the reply!

Yes technically this should show in your page or in your Outlook application as long as you have an active Microsoft 365 subscription. What I would suggest is for you to contact the Outlook.com for them to verify this and further assist you with your concern as they have the necessary resources and tools for resolving this kind of issue.

You can follow these steps on how to contact Outlook.com support: How to get support for Outlook.com - Microsoft Support

1. Enter your question or issue in the Search Help box on the right, and then press Return.
2. If the self-help answers don't resolve your issue, try a different search, or scroll to the bottom of the Help pane and, under Still need help?, select Yes. **Tip:**If you've clicked a link to one of our articles, you may need to select the backarrow in the Help pane to see the Still need help? option.

I hope this helps!

Thank you,

Vince

Microsoft Community Moderator

Answer 4

Thank you for your response.

The email provider is outlook.com/hotmail.com.

There is no error message. It just that the ‘encrypt’ option is not available in new messages either in the ribbon or in ‘options’. This is true on multiple devices both on outlook.com etc and in desktop Outlook.

The Microsoft 365 Family subscription is under the same account as the email. All outlook email settings are Microsoft Exchange.

The support article that I referenced does not mention work/school or personal emails and can only be described as light on practical information. It does specifically mention outlook.com so without further clarification it would seem to be intended to work with @outlook.com emails - the apparent qualifying conditions being the possession of a Microsoft 365 Family or Personal subscription.

I have tried both personal Hotmail email and a business email and the encrypt option as described does not appear. Microsoft 365 claims to be up to date.

Answer 5

Hello! TDell987

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community

Certainly! Let’s address the issue of encrypting email messages in Outlook.com. If you have a Microsoft 365 Family or Microsoft 365 Personal subscription, you can indeed encrypt your emails to enhance security and protect sensitive information.

Allow me to ask:

1. Is this happening to other devices, browsers, and networks?
2. I would like to know what @domain and who is hosting your email account? example for @domains: Gmail.com, Yahoo.com, Outlook.com/Hotmail.com
   • May I know if the account is for Work/School use? or Personal (Hotmail/Outlook.com) use?
   • May I know what email configuration is your email account in Outlook? is it POP/IMAP? Or Microsoft Exchange?
3. What error message are you getting?

Here’s how you can enable this feature:

1. Log in to your Outlook.com account using your existing credentials.
2. Compose a new email by clicking on the “New mail” button.
3. In the email composition window, navigate to the “Options” tab located on the far right of the Ribbon menu.
4. You’ll find the “Encrypt” button in the “Permissions” group. Click on it.
5. Choose one of the following encryption options:
   • Encrypt: This ensures that your message stays encrypted within Microsoft 365. Recipients with Outlook.com and Microsoft 365 accounts can download attachments without encryption from Outlook.com, the Outlook mobile app, or the Mail app in Windows 10. For other email clients or accounts, a temporary passcode can be used to download attachments from the Microsoft 365 Message Encryption portal.
   • Encrypt and Prevent Forwarding: With this option, your message remains encrypted within Microsoft 365 and cannot be copied or forwarded. Microsoft Office attachments (such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files) also remain encrypted even after they’re downloaded. Other attachments (like PDF files or images) can be downloaded without encryption.

I have checked this in my end as well and I do have the encrypt option in my new message. However, my subscription is a Microsoft 365 Enterprise.

Remember that this feature is especially useful when you don’t fully trust the recipient’s email provider to be secure.

By encrypting your emails, you ensure that your confidential information remains protected within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

If you encounter any issues or need further assistance, feel free to ask!

Thank you,

Vince

Microsoft Community Moderator