Microsoft Outlook and Office 365 connected services: FAQ

Applies to: PrivacyOffice Products

This FAQ clarifies what Microsoft Outlook and Office 365 connected services in Cortana are, how information is exchanged, the different Microsoft apps and services that are included, and information about the Microsoft Privacy Statement. All answers apply to both Office 365 and Outlook.com connected services unless otherwise noted.

To manage how Cortana accesses information stored on your device, go to Start > Settings > Privacy . To learn more about connected services, see the Cortana and privacy page.

What are Outlook.com and Office 365 connected services in Cortana?

Outlook and Office 365 connected services in Cortana allow you to sync information like your content, contacts, calendar details, and email across Cortana and other Microsoft apps. These apps include, but are not limited to, Outlook, Microsoft To-Do, Skype, and Microsoft Launcher. You can sync Cortana with the Outlook connected service using a Microsoft account, such as Outlook.com, Hotmail.com, and Live.com.

The connected services can be set up through the Cortana app on Windows PCs, and Android and iOS devices.

For Office 365 enterprise customers, set up an Office 365 connected service (do not use the Outlook connected service) and use your Azure Active Directory (AAD) account to link Cortana to these apps. The Office 365 connected service is currently available only on Windows 10.

What do I get as part of connected services in Outlook or Office 365?

Once the Outlook or Office 365 connected service is activated with your Outlook or Office 365 account, you can seamlessly use Cortana's productivity features like calendar, reminders, lists, email, and notes to create and access similar productivity features in connected Microsoft apps. For example, you can:

Add a meeting using the Cortana calendar feature, and it will automatically be added to your Outlook calendar.
Add a reminder or list item to Microsoft To-Do using the Cortana reminder or list feature.
Send an email from your connected account using the Cortana email feature.

What happens when I disconnect connected services?

If you choose to disconnect from Outlook or Office 365 connected services, you may not be able to use some or all of the Cortana productivity features. Also, Cortana will no longer sync with the Microsoft apps mentioned earlier. Any content you synced before disconnecting connected services will not be deleted from any apps. You can delete this content by going to the Cortana's Notebook section of the privacy dashboard. You can reactivate connected services at any time.

Note

The availability of these Cortana experiences may change over time. Also, Microsoft may make Outlook or Office 365 connected services mandatory to access productivity features like email, calendar, reminders, or lists within Cortana.

Your privacy is important to us. To learn about how Microsoft collects and uses personal information, see the Microsoft Privacy Statement.

Last Updated: Apr 10, 2019