Office 365 guides and resources
The information below is only relevant to staff and postgraduate research students who have been transferred to Office 365. If you have not yet been transferred to Office 365, these instructions will not work for you.
Please note: Many of these links go directly to pages on the Microsoft website. The University of Manchester is not responsible for the content of external websites.
You will be able to access your email on the web straight after your upgrade, however you may need to reconfigure some of your devices if you use your phone's email app, or use email software on your own computer.
Outlook on the web
Colleagues who have been transferred to Office 365 should now log in to their webmail via outlook.com/manchester.ac.uk instead of the previous outlook.manchester.ac.uk address.
Outlook for Microsoft Windows
- Add your email account to Outlook (Note: if you're using a University managed desktop or laptop computer, this should be done for you automatically)
- Create and send email
- Send automatic out of office replies
- Manage your calendar and contacts
- Create, change or customise a view
- Create and add a signature to messages
- Recall or replace an email message that you sent
- Email: Open an Outlook (.pst) mail file
Recreating your Outlook profile
After being transferred to Office 365, you may need to recreate your Outlook profile before you can continue to use your University email account with your Outlook desktop app. This essentially means 're-adding' your email account to Outlook. The live session recording below covers how to recreate your Outlook profile on Windows and Mac:
For further instructions, login to the Support Portal and then click the following Knowledge Base article:
Unmanaged computers
If you're using an unmanaged computer for work, you may need to install Outlook, part of the Office 365 suite, directly from the Microsoft website and then re-configure some settings.
Please note that older versions of Outlook (e.g. 2010 and 2013) are not compatible with an Office 365 email account, and won't allow you to access your University email after you've been transferred to Office 365. You'll therefore need to install the newest version of Outlook after being transferred, which can be done by downloading it from office.com.
For instructions, login to the Support Portal and then click the following Knowledge Base article:
Outlook for Apple Mac
- Add your email account to Outlook
- Send automatic out-of-office replies (Select the "Exchange or Outlook.com account" option)
- Create a meeting or appointment
- Search your mail, calendar and contacts
- Create and insert a signature
- Email: Open an Outlook (.pst) mail file
- Outlook for Mac quick start guide (PDF)
- More guides about Outlook for Mac
Recreating your Outlook profile
After being transferred to Office 365, you may need to recreate your Outlook profile before you can continue to use your University email account with your Outlook desktop app. This essentially means 're-adding' your email account to Outlook. The live session recording below covers how to recreate your Outlook profile on Mac and Windows (Mac instructions from 6:47):
For further instructions, login to the Support Portal and then click the following Knowledge Base article:
Unmanaged computers
If you're using an unmanaged computer for work, you may need to install Outlook, part of the Office 365 suite, directly from the Microsoft website and then re-configure some settings.
For instructions, login to the Support Portal and then click the following Knowledge Base article:
Mac Mail
If you'd like to access your Office 365 email account using Mac Mail, you'll likely need to reconfigure Mac Mail after being transferred to Office 365.
Note that your version of MacOS must be at least version 10.14 (Mojave) or higher.
For instructions, login to the Support Portal and then click the following Knowledge Base article:
Email on your mobile device
First login to the Support Portal and then click one of the following three Knowledge Base articles:
- Set up Office 365 on your iPhone or iPad after your Office 365 transfer
(Search term: ios O365) - Set up Office 365 on your Samsung phone after your Office 365 transfer
(Search term: Samsung O365) - Set up Office 365 on your Android phone after your Office 365 transfer
(Search term: Android O365)
Prefer a video tutorial?
You may also want to use the Microsoft Outlook Mobile app, which is now available for all colleagues using Office 365. Detailed instructions will follow but in the meantime, you can download the app from:
You can also easily access email on your mobile device through Outlook on the web:
Linux and IMAP users
Colleagues who use IMAP to access their University email account are recommended to use either the Thunderbird or Evolution email client after being transferred to Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365). Please note that you must have IMAP access enabled on your IT account before following the configuration instructions linked below. To request IMAP access, contact the Support Centre or submit an Email issue/request form via the Support Portal.
Thunderbird
Until recently, the Thunderbird email client has not supported the authentication methods the University uses for Microsoft 365 email. However, version 78 has recently been released, we’ve tested it with our email service and we’re now happy to recommend it as a method for our colleagues to access their email.
For instructions on how to set up Thunderbird to access your Microsoft 365 email account, login to the Support Portal and then click the following Knowledge Base article:
Evolution
For colleagues who use Linux, the recommended method of accessing University email after your account has been transferred to Office 365 is to use Evolution.
Evolution is available in all major Linux distributions and is best installed by using the distribution's software or package manager.
For setup instructions, login to the Support Portal and then click the following Knowledge Base article:
Other Office 365 software
In addition to email and calendar, Office 365 comes with other software such as OneDrive and Microsoft Teams.
Installing Office 365 applications on a personal computer or device
If you're using an unmanaged computer, once your account has been transferred, you can download Office 365 software (such as Word, Excel, OneNote etc.) from the Microsoft website. You can install the software on up to five personal devices.
While you'll be able to access all Office 365 online apps through your web browser via www.office.com, not all apps are available to download and install at this time
For instructions, login to the Support Portal and then click the following Knowledge Base article:
OneDrive for Business
OneDrive for Business enables you to interact easily with Office 365 files (eg Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and collaborate on them with others, including non-University staff. You can securely share information and control levels of security via links for editing or viewing files. It should be used for your working drafts and to collaborate on documents before they are finalised and stored elsewhere, such as a SharePoint site, where they should be managed in accordance with the Records Retention Schedule.
It should not be used as a place to store your own personal/private documents, photographs etc that are not work related.
Microsoft Teams
Teams is the new digital hub for communication and collaboration across our University – providing a space to chat, hold meetings, make calls and share files, all together in one place. Visit our dedicated site for guides, resources, FAQs and more:
Teams is also now available for undergraduate and postgraduate taught students. See our page on Microsoft Teams for students for more information:
Other Office apps - OneNote, Project, Sway and Visio
Onenote:
Microsoft Project:
The Microsoft Project app is not in scope of the programme, you will need to continue using Project 2016.
Sway
Sway is coming soon and will be available by request only.
Visio
Visio is not currently available as part of our standard Office 365 subscription, however Visio 2016 can still be used:
Using and downloading Office 365 apps:
If you're using an unmanaged computer, once your account has been transferred, you can download Office 365 software (such as Word, Excel, OneNote etc.) from the Microsoft website. You can install the software on up to five personal devices.
While you'll be able to access all Office 365 online apps through your web browser via www.office.com, not all apps are available to download and install at this time
For instructions, login to the Support Portal and then click the following Knowledge Base article:
Detailed step-by-step guidance to get the best out of Office 365
Quick and easy guides to get you up and running
Information on the full Microsoft 365 package
Further help and support
For further help with M365 applications, please visit the M365 Help and Support site. Here you will find:
- Bitesize videos and webinars explaining how to use key features
- Frequently asked questions covering Microsoft 365 apps
- Pages to help you find your local Digital Champion who can support you with questions that you may have.
If you are unable to resolve your query or if you appear to have a technical issue, you can contact the IT Support Centre.