Last Updated on May 10, 2026
When it comes to email accounts, you have a lot of options such as Gmail, Yahoo, Proton, Outlook, iCloud and so on.
And when it comes to email desktop clients, you have many options as well.
If you are a Microsoft Windows user, you may have used the Windows Mail app that you can use for your email, calendar and contacts.
This has now been replaced by the Outlook for Windows app which is meant to be a more modern email client that more resembles the Outlook desktop client that comes with the Microsoft Office 365 accounts.
This updated software is meant to be a much more modern email client that closely resembles the premium Outlook desktop client that comes bundled with Microsoft Office 365 accounts.
In this article, we will be showing you exactly how to add email accounts, calendars, and contacts directly to the new Outlook for Windows app.
The Outlook for Windows app can be seamlessly used with a wide variety of popular email services.
This includes support for Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, iCloud, and even legacy POP3 and IMAP type accounts.
Keep in mind that the configuration process will naturally vary depending on the specific type of email account you are trying to add.
Up until the Windows 11 25H2 update, you could go to the Windows settings app to manage your connected accounts.
Under the Accounts section, there was a dedicated area called Email & accounts where you could easily configure your system-wide email addresses.
This option is no longer there, and Microsoft has completely streamlined the process.
Now, you need to add your email accounts right from the Outlook for Windows app itself.
How to Add a Gmail Account to Outlook
If you have not yet added an email account to Outlook for Windows, the software will automatically prompt you to do so the very first time you open it.
It will also most likely suggest adding the default email account that you use to log into Windows with, which is tied to your main Microsoft account.
If this is the one you want to add, you can simply continue on with the process.
Otherwise, you will need to manually type in the specific email address you wish to add into the provided text box.
For our first example, we will be adding a standard Gmail account to Outlook.
When doing so, you will actually be taken outside the app to your default web browser where you will then need to securely sign in with your Google account.
You will most likely need to provide some type of two-factor authentication to allow Outlook to access your Gmail account.
This step can vary depending on exactly how you have your personal Google account security configured.
After passing the security check, you will also need to explicitly agree to the permissions that Microsoft needs in order to connect your Gmail account to Outlook.
Simply click Continue to accept these terms and link the services.
Once your account is successfully configured, your email messages, calendar events, and contacts should then begin to import directly into Outlook.
If you have a massive inbox with a lot of email, this synchronization process can take several minutes to fully complete.
How to Add a Secondary Microsoft Outlook Account
We will now add a standard Microsoft Outlook email account to the app to show you how the process can vary compared to linking a Google account.
If you click on the Settings gear icon in the top corner, you can then navigate over to the Accounts section.
From there, click the Add account button to add a brand new email address to your Outlook interface.
You will also see any other accounts that you have previously configured listed safely right here.
Once you click on the Add account button, you will see a very familiar welcome screen appear.
This is where you can type in the exact email address for the new Microsoft account you wish to add.
Depending on how you have your Outlook.com email account configured, you may see several different ways to authenticate and connect it to the Outlook for Windows app.
You may then be asked to configure Windows Hello with your newly added account for faster logins.
If you click Ok, then you will be prompted to enter the PIN that you currently use to log into your local computer with.
Managing Multiple Accounts in Outlook
Once you have added your Outlook.com account, it will be listed right alongside your other accounts in the Accounts settings section.
You can then do things such as add a custom description for the inbox or completely delete the account from here if needed.
Now that we have a second account fully added to Outlook, we will see it listed along with the first one in our main navigation pane.
You can easily toggle between them from the sidebar to view the individual email inboxes, calendars, and contacts for each profile.
For additional training resources, check out our online IT training courses.
Check out our extensive IT book series.
