Create tasks with To Do in Outlook

Create and manage tasks with To Do in Outlook on the web and Outlook.com

Microsoft To Do is a simple and intelligent to-do list that helps you track tasks and organize your day all in one place. With To Do's integration with Outlook, you can use My Day to see your upcoming calendar events and tasks anywhere in Outlook, including Mail, Calendar, and People.

Open the To Do app

On the left margin of the Outlook window, select the To Do  icon, which opens the Tasks pane. You can select different lists, or create a New list here. 

Create, edit, delete and restore tasks

Create a task   

You can create a task from the Add a task input field. Select the field, type the task's title, and press Return or Enter. If you add a task to a smart list, the task will be saved in Tasks and linked to the list you were in when you created it.

Edit a task    

To rename a task, select the task to open its detail view. Once in the detail view, you can click or tap the task's title. A cursor will appear in the task title field and you'll be able to rename or edit the title. 

Delete a task   

To delete a task, select the trash can icon in the bottom right corner of the task’s detail view. 

Restore a deleted task    

Since your tasks are stored on Exchange Online and are also visible in Outlook Tasks, you can recover accidentally deleted tasks in Outlook: 

1. From your Outlook folder list under Mail, select Deleted Items.

2. Locate the deleted task, select and hold (or right-click), and then select Restore.

The deleted task will then reappear in its correct list.

Use My Day in Outlook 

With To Do you can quickly organize your tasks by adding them to My Day, marking them as important, or adding them to new lists that you create. 

Use To Do and the My Day pane to access your upcoming calendar events and tasks anywhere in Outlook, including in Mail, Calendar, People, Groups, and more.

Learn more about using My Day.

Open the To Do app

On the left margin of the Outlook window, select the   To Do icon, which opens the Tasks pane. You can select different lists, or create a New list here. 

Make the To Do app your preferred tasks management experience

You can specify your preferred experience for managing tasks in Outlook. There are a few different ways to configure this option.

• On the teaching callout, select Try it:

  

• In Tasks, select Try it on the yellow bar.

  

• Navigate to File > Options > Tasks, then select Open tasks in the To Do app. You can switch back to Outlook tasks at any time by unchecking the setting.

  

How it works

When you select the option to open tasks in To Do, the following changes are made:

• The tasks icon () is unpinned from the navigation bar (on the left margin of the Outlook window) and moved under   More apps on the navigation bar. The To Do app icon remains pinned and visible.

• When you select New Items >   Task, it opens the To Do app instead of the classic Outlook Tasks app.

  

When you Open a task from the To Do bar, the Reminders window, or the Daily task list on the Calendar, it opens the task in the To Do app.

Create, edit, delete and restore tasks

Create a task   

You can create a task from the Add a task input field. Select the field, type the task's title, and press Return or Enter. If you add a task to a smart list, the task will be saved in Tasks and linked to the list you were in when you created it.

Edit a task    

To rename a task, select the task to open its detail view. Once in the detail view, you can click or tap the task's title. A cursor will appear in the task title field and you'll be able to rename or edit the title. 

Delete a task   

To delete a task, select the trash can icon in the bottom right corner of the task’s detail view. 

Restore a deleted task    

Since your tasks are stored on Exchange Online and are also visible in Outlook Tasks, you can recover accidentally deleted tasks in Outlook: 

1. From your Outlook folder list under Mail, select Deleted Items.

2. Locate the deleted task, select and hold (or right-click), and then select Restore.

The deleted task will then reappear in its correct list.

View your tasks and calendar in Outlook

Tasks are displayed in three locations in Outlook — in the To-Do Bar, in Tasks, and in the Daily Task List in Calendar. If you subscribe to a SharePoint task list, any task assigned to you from this list also appears in all three locations.

1. On the navigation bar, click Tasks.

   

2. Click a task to view it in the Reading Pane, or double-click it to open it in a new window.

   Another way to see tasks, including flagged to-do items, is the Tasks peek.

   • Point to Tasks on the Navigation Bar.

   

   The Tasks peek pops up. To keep the Tasks peek in view, pin it by clicking .