The battle among internet giants continues worldwide, with the focus now on email services. To revitalize its offerings in this highly competitive market, Microsoft has launched several new services. Historical names like Hotmail disappear in favor of a single brand: Outlook. It can be challenging to make sense of it all. This article will clarify the various Microsoft email services.
End of Hotmail
Microsoft has made significant changes to its email service, affecting aesthetics and technical aspects for users of its free email accounts.
Previously, users who wanted to create an email account on Microsoft’s platform had to visit the Hotmail website. However, things have changed in recent months.
Hotmail, the famous email service created in 1996 by Jack Smith and acquired by Microsoft in 1997, no longer exists. The American company has replaced the name Hotmail with Outlook.com. These changes have consequences for those with Hotmail email addresses.
Do not confuse Outlook with Outlook.com
The name Outlook may sound familiar because it is the name of the email management software integrated into the Microsoft 365 suite (formerly Office). The application has become increasingly popular, especially in businesses.
Capitalizing on this success, Microsoft decided to use the name of its flagship application to rename its email service. Hotmail (also known as MSN Mail or Windows Live Hotmail) is now replaced by Outlook.com.
However, Microsoft complicates things, and the webmail access is now officially through the following URL: https://outlook.live.com/. Still, the outlook.com address remains operational. If you’re starting to feel confused, don’t worry; it’s normal. Let’s move on.
Outlook.com replaces Hotmail
If you have a Microsoft-hosted email account and fear losing access to your messages, contacts, and personal data, there’s no need to panic. Hotmail becomes Outlook.com, but nothing changes for you.
The transition to the new system will be entirely transparent and will not affect your data. You can continue to send and receive messages from your computer or smartphone.
New users can create email addresses with the new server address, @outlook.com. Existing users (with email addresses ending in @hotmail.fr, @live.fr, or @msn.fr) can continue using their Hotmail accounts as before. These changes do not affect how users connect to Microsoft’s email service.
However, keep in mind that Hotmail will eventually disappear (in the more or less distant future). It’s better to start communicating your new email address to friends and colleagues now. This new address will appear after clicking your avatar in the top right corner of your web interface.
Importantly, the transition to your new @outlook.com email address happens automatically, without any intervention. Likewise, you will continue to receive messages sent to your old email address.
For those interested, you can find information on configuring an Outlook account on an Android smartphone here. The Outlook app also has a Light version designed for older smartphones with fewer system resources (power) than the latest high-priced models.
It’s worth noting that Microsoft’s email service has an alias system for hiding your actual email address. However, all messages sent to your new address will automatically land in your existing inbox. This topic will be covered in a separate article.
