How to Get Outlook Online Notifications on Mac? [7 Different Ways]

Don’t know to set notifications for Outlook Online notifications? This article will help you to get Outlook Online notifications on your Mac.

Outlook can notify us of new e-mails by displaying an alert on our desktop or by bouncing the Outlook icon on the device. Outlook will also play sounds to notify of new email messages, event reminders, and all other notifications.

Outlook Online comes with a default set of sounds, but still, third-party sound sets are available on the Internet. A sound set for Outlook is a folder containing six sound files as well as a.plist file that associates each sound file with an Outlook event.

Microsoft is working on a new Outlook experience for both Windows and Mac. You can get real-time Outlook alerts by following the instructions below.

  • What is Outlook and why it is important?
  • Check Outlook notifications on Mac
  • Outlook app to enable notification
  • Keep Outlook open in the background
  • Disable Focus on Outlook online from Mac
  • Try to add an email account again in Outlook online
  • Check spam once in Microsoft Outlook Online
  • Update the Microsoft Outlook application
  • Outlook notifications not working on Mac

What is Outlook and Why it is Important?

Microsoft Outlook is an email program that allows us to send, receive, and organize emails. In addition to emails, we can also use Outlook Calander to schedule meetings with external parties. Outlook Online is also compatible with Microsoft 365 applications.

We can turn our meeting into an online Teams meeting or a Skype business call with a single click. Instead of sending files as email attachments, we can share them on the cloud so that everyone can work together on the same document. Using the Outlook mobile app also we can assist with our tasks even when we are out of the office.

Check Outlook Online Notifications on Mac

When you first launch the Outlook Online app on your Mac, you will be prompted to grant notification permission. Outlook on the Mac cannot send alerts if you deny it. To enable notifications for Outlook on Mac, follow the steps below.

Step1

Click the Apple icon in the top-left corner of the menu bar and click Preferences.

Step-2

Select Notifications & Focus which is in the middle end similar to the bell button.

Step-3

Scroll down to see the Microsoft Outlook option and enable Allow Notifications toggle in the Outlook Online application.

We can also select banners alerts style from the same menu.

Outlook App to Enable Notification on Mac

Let’s check to enable notifications on Mac from the Outlook applications.

Step-1

Open the Outlook application on the Mac to enable the notification.

Step-2

Select Outlook in the top left corner and hit the Preferences option in the menu.

Step-3

Outlook preferences page will appear and select Notifications & Sounds.

Step-4

In this step, enable Display an alert on my desktop option from the Mac.

In the same menu, we can also change the number of sound badges in Outlook Online.

Keep Outlook Open in the Background from Mac

Unlike Outlook mobile apps, the Mac app does not send notifications in the background. The app must be kept open in the background or launched at system startup.

Step-1

 Open the Mac System Preferences menu from the list of options.

Step-2

Select the Users& Groups option on the system preferences page.

Step-3

Click Login Items and also simultaneously click the + icon which is at the end of the page of Users&Groups.

Step-4

Select Applications from the left sidebar and hit Microsoft Outlook then click Add button.

To receive notifications, Mac OS will launch Outlook Online automatically during system startup.

Disable Focus on Outlook Online from Mac

The focus has taken the place of Do Not Disturb on the Mac. When we enable focus on Mac, the system will put it on pause for all the notifications from the Outlook Online application and make us free in a disturbing free environment. We can either disable Focus or add Outlook Online as an exception in Focus. Let’s check in the below step to see how.

Step-1

Open the Notifications & Sound menu in Mac System Preferences.

Step-2

Select Focus and open enable a focus mode that you have used often and also click the + icon which is at the end of the page.

Step-3

Now search for Microsoft Outlook and click Add as an exception.

Outlook Online will now continue to send notifications even when Focus is turned on.

Try to Add an Email Account Again in Outlook Online

We may no longer receive notifications in Outlook Online due to an account authentication error. We must delete the account and re-add it.

Step-1

Select Account from the Outlook Preferences on the Mac.

Step-2

Choose an email account that you want to remove from the Outlook application and also tapthe icon which is at end of the left sidebar and sign out.

Step-3

Select the + icon to add a new account in Microsoft Outlook Online from the Mac.

Sign in using the same account credentials as before to sync your email inbox in Outlook Online.

Check Spam Once in Microsoft Outlook Online

Outlook Online spam filters can be quite harsh at times. To avoid missing important emails, check Outlook’s Junk Email folder on a regular basis.

Step-1

In Microsoft Outlook Online, select the junk folder from the left sidebar of the application.

Step-2

If you find any important mail in the junk folder, just right-click on it and expand Report junk and select Not junk so that it won’t go and sit in the junk folder.

Update the Microsoft Outlook Application

On Mac, an outdated Outlook build may cause notification issues. You must install the latest Outlook update from the Mac App Store. Once the Microsoft Outlook application is updated we may be free from unwanted issues.

Outlook Online Notifications not Working on Mac

Even after updating the Microsoft Outlook Online application from Mac OS, an email notification suddenly stops. Sometimes we won’t receive any audio or visible notification when new mail lands in our mailbox is really a headache. A simple restart can sometimes make great changes. If the problem persists, try the troubleshooting steps listed below.

Notifications can be Disabled and Enabled Again

Make sure you are using the correct notification settings. First, disable all your mail notifications. Then, enable them and also restart your Mail app, and see the results.

Go to System Preferences > Notifications > Mail on the left-hand side > Enable Allow Notifications > Save the settings.

Make sure that you enable the following settings.

  • Show notifications on the lock screen
  • Show in Notification Center
  • Badge app icon

If any problem affecting Outlook Online, go to System Preferences > Notifications > then Outlook. Enable all of the options listed above. Enable the Play sound for notifications as well.

Disable Do Not Disturb Mode

Go to System Preferences > Notifications & Focus > turn off Do Not Disturb.

If this option is enabled, we cannot receive any alerts or notifications. If Do not Disturb mode (DND) is already off, enable the option and leave it for 30 seconds. Then disable it and check if you can see any improvements.

Remove Unwanted Mail Apps

Uninstall the apps that you don’t use for a longer time. Many users’ problems have been solved after removing unwanted apps. Delete these programs if you don’t use them. If you can’t uninstall third-party email clients, make sure to update them to the most recent version. Then move on to the next option.

Display a Notification on my Desktop

The full title refers to a setting in the Microsoft Outlook Online app. This setting controls how new message notifications are delivered to our Mac computer. Furthermore, it determines whether you want to receive notifications for new messages or not. However, if it is accidentally turned off, you will not receive notifications.

Microsoft Outlook application > Preferences > Notifications & Sounds > Enable Display an alert on my desktop.

Check the Outlook Sounds Settings

If Outlook displayed the notification without the notification sound then it is mandatory to check the sound settings. Make sure you have enabled all the checkboxes available in the Notifications & Sounds window.

Conclusion

In this article, I have covered everything related to getting Outlook Online notifications on Mac. Hope this article helped out if you are facing any trouble while setting online notifications from Outlook.

I also spoke about the reason for not working Microsoft Online notifications and also explained troubleshooting techniques as well.

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