In most scenarios, Outlook settings are saved on your computer. If you get a new computer, those settings won't be transferred, and you will need to manually configure your preferred settings.
The new Store my Outlook settings in the cloud feature in Outlook Desktop stores your Outlook Microsoft 365 account settings and preferences in the cloud, automatically roaming across all your Outlook for Windows clients.
Who can use this feature?
Store my Outlook settings in the cloud is enabled by default and available for Microsoft 365 accounts with cloud mailboxes using the latest Monthly Enterprise Channel, Current Channel, or Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (version 2108). It is also available for Outlook.com users.
Settings that roam
Most of the Outlook options that you find when you select File>Options do roam. These can include settings that are associated with the account you use to sign into Office. You can see your active account by selecting File>Office Account.
Note: If you use Outlook or any other Office application to switch to a different Office account, a different set of roamed settings will be applied to Outlook.
Additionally, settings associated with your Exchange Online and Outlook.com accounts roam, such as Add online meeting to all meetings, Focused Inbox, and Automatic Replies (Out of Office).
Note: The Outlook team is currently working to add the Signature setting to the list of features that roam. This article will be updated when Signature is included.
However, there are some settings that do not roam.
Settings that do not roam
Settings that do not roam are generally computer-specific or Office-wide settings.
Examples include:
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Settings that are dependent on Microsoft Windows, such as time zone.
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Settings that are dependent on local files, such as fonts.
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Office-wide settings, such as the Ribbon.
The following groups of options under File>Options do not roam:
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Customize Ribbon
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Quick Access Toolbar
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Add-ins
Below is the list of settings that do not roam/ do not get stored in the cloud.
File>Options>General>User Interface options>When using multiple displays
File>Options>General>User Interface options>Enable Live Preview
File>Options>General>Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office>User name
File>Options>General>Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office>Initials
File>Options>General>Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office>Office Theme: Colorful
File>Options>General>Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office>Enable LinkedIn features in my Office applications
File>Options>Mail>Compose messages>Editor options
File>Options>Mail>Compose messages>Spelling and autocorrect
File>Options>Mail>Compose messages>Stationary and fonts
File>Options>Mail>Compose messages>Show text predictions while typing
File>Options>Mail>Compose messages>Ignore original message text in reply or forward
File>Options>Mail>Replies and forwards>Preface comments with
File>Options>Mail>Save messages >Automatically save items that have been sent after x minutes
File>Options>Mail>Send messages>Suggest names to mention when I use the @ symbol in a message
File>Options>Mail>Tracking>Automatically process meeting requests and responses to meeting requests File>Options>Mail>Tracking>Update tracking information, and then delete responses that don't contain comments
File>Options>Mail>Message format>Use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) for appearance of messages
File>Options>Mail>Message format>Reduce message size by removing format information not necessary to display the message
File>Options>Mail>Message format>Automatically wrap text at character
File>Options>Mail>Other>Show Paste Options button when content is pasted into a message
File>Options>Mail>Other>Show Next and Previous links in the message headers when reading messages
File>Options>Calendar>Work time>Start time
File>Options>Calendar>Work time>End time
File>Options>Calendar>Work time>Work week
File>Options>Calendar>Calendar options>Enable an alternate calendar
File>Options>Calendar>Display options>When in Schedule View, show free appointments
File>Options>Calendar>Time zones>Primary Time zone
File>Options>Groups>Attachment options>For files I choose from my computer
File>Options>Language>Office display language and Office authoring languages and proofing
File>Options>Ease of Access>Feedback options>Provide feedback with sound
File>Options>Ease of Access>Feedback options>Sound scheme: Modern
File>Options>Ease of Access>Feedback options>Application display options> Suggest names to mention when I use the @ symbol in a message
File>Options>Advanced>Outlook panes>Navigation pane and Reading pane options
File>Options>Advanced>Autoarchive options
File>Options>Advanced>Link Handling>Open supported hyperlinks to Office files in Office desktop apps
File>Options>Advanced>Reminders>reminder sound file
File>Options>Advanced>Pen>Use pen to select and interact with content by default
File>Options>Advanced>Developers>Allow forms that bypass Outlook
File>Options>Trust Center>Trusted Publishers
File>Options>Trust Center>Form-based Sign-in>Sign-in Prompt Behavior
File>Options>Trust Center>Email Security>Encrypted email settings and Digital IDs
File>Options>Trust Center>Attachment Handling>Reply with Changes>Add properties to attachments to enable Reply with Changes
File>Options>Trust Center>Macro Settings>Macro Settings
File>Options>Trust Center>Add-ins>Apply macro security settings to installed add-ins
Additional information
Cloud stored settings synchronize when you start Outlook, and then at hourly intervals and the data is cached on the local PC in the following registry location:
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Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Outlook\Settings\Data
Note: Outlook creates this registry key if it does not already exist. After the initial creation, the values in the subkey are created and populated by synchronizing the settings from the cloud storage.
The cached data can be categorized as one of two types of settings:
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Roaming global settings – These are identified by the REG_SZ value name prefixed with “global_”. The global settings are associated with the active user’s Office Account (identity). Any changes made by the user are synced to the service. When the user launches Outlook on another PC and signs in using the same Office Account, the cloud settings are synced to the new PC.
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Roaming account-specific settings – These are identified by the REG_SZ value name prefixed with the user’s account “user@domain.com_”. The account-specific settings are associated with the user’s online mailbox. This includes information about the Favorite folders, Focused Inbox, etc.
Note: The last change that is uploaded to the cloud service (even if it was delayed due to connectivity issues) takes precedence and is synchronized to other eligible Outlook clients.
Group Policy information for Administrators
Roaming options are on by default. Administrators can turn it off using the group policy Disable roaming settings in Outlook.
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HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\outlook\setup!disableroamingsettings
Disabling this feature through Group policy will remove this setting from user interface.
The group policy is also available as a cloud policy through Office Cloud Policy Service - Microsoft 365 Apps admin center - Microsoft 365 Apps admin center.
