If you’ve tried to create or export an .ics calendar file from New Outlook and can’t find the option, you’re not alone. Microsoft has confirmed that creating your own “Add to Calendar” .ics file directly from New Outlook is currently unsupported.
Why This Matters
If you frequently host webinars or meetings where attendees need to “Add to Calendar,” this missing feature can cause confusion for recipients—especially when using Gmail, Yahoo, or other non-Microsoft accounts.
Until the New Outlook regains this functionality, the best approach is to create your .ics files elsewhere and attach them manually to your New Outlook emails.
What Microsoft Has Confirmed
According to recent discussions and documentation that I have read, the New Outlook for Windows does not yet include the option to export events as .ics files or generate them automatically.
Microsoft has not announced a feature availability timeline for this functionality.
This means while you can easily import .ics files into New Outlook (see how here), you cannot yet create or share one directly from the app.
Here’s the Confusion
Here’s where things get tricky.
When testing across different accounts, I noticed some interesting behavior:
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As a receiver, the invite did not appear as an .ics attachment when checking it from a Gmail account that’s loaded inside New Outlook application. Instead, it showed up as an Outlook Item (.msg) format.
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However, when viewing the same Gmail message directly in Gmail’s web interface, the appointment did appear correctly as an .ics file.
This shows that while Outlook and Gmail can both handle calendar attachments, New Outlook currently interprets and displays them differently—especially when a Gmail account is connected inside the app.
Still, if you want to create an “Add to Calendar” .ics file the same way you could in Classic Outlook, that option remains unavailable in the new version.
Create ics File Current Workaround
Until Microsoft rolls out this feature, here are your options:
- New Outlook Workaround
– create and send an event to yourself
– Save as or drag an email to a local drive
– Add the attachment to a new message and send it to others
– (Too many clicks and steps.) Use Outlook on the Web –
Go to outlook.office.com, create an event, and select Forward as iCalendar (.ics) or Export event to save it as a file.Use Classic Outlook for Windows –
In classic Outlook, you can open an event and choose File > Save As > iCalendar Format (.ics).
Before You Go
Stay connected. My fingers are crossed that this functionality becomes available. When it does, I will share the details.
Need to import an .ics file into New Outlook instead?
Check out the step-by-step guide: How to Import an .ics File into New Outlook.
Now, go and work your calendar magic.
