How to use Microsoft Outlook on Chromebook
Microsoft Outlook is a widely used email client on Windows. However, if you’re using a Chromebook and need access to Outlook, you’ll be out of luck, as Microsoft doesn’t make a native Outlook app for Chrome OS.
If you’d like to get a desktop Outlook app on your Chromebook, you can with the Outlook for Linux unofficial client. It’s a wrapper for the Outlook web app. With this wrapper, you get an excellent desktop Microsoft Outlook experience with all the features. The app is excellent and allows you to check your Outlook mail right from the Chrome OS desktop. Here’s how to get it working on your system.
Enable Linux on Chrome OS
Using the Outlook for Linux app on a Chromebook is possible, but only if you enable Linux support first. To start, click on the clock icon in the Chrome OS dash. After selecting this icon, find the “gear” icon and click on it to open up the Chrome OS settings area.
After loading up the Chrome OS settings area, find the “Advanced” section and select it with the mouse to reveal advanced options. From here, look through the “Advanced” section for the “Developers” area and click on it.
Inside the “Developers” area of the Chrome OS settings, locate “Linux developer environment” and select it with the mouse. Then, find the “Turn on” button, and click on it to download and enable Linux on your Chromebook.
Once Chrome OS is finished downloading Linux to your Chromebook. It’ll also download a terminal app. It should automatically launch this terminal app. If not, search the app menu for “Terminal” and launch it.
Inside the terminal app, find “Penguin,” and select it with the mouse to access the command line for Linux on your Chromebook. Then, run the apt update command.
sudo apt update
Running the apt update command updates the software sources for Linux on your Chromebook and checks for updates. To install updates on your Chromebook use the apt upgrade command below.
sudo apt upgrade
When your Chromebook’s Linux container is up to date you’ll be free to install Chrome OS apps, including Microsoft Outlook for Linux. All apps you install will be located in the “Linux apps” folder in the app menu.
How to install Outlook for Linux on Chrome OS
The Outlook for Linux app is installable on Chromebook via the Flatpak packaging system. However, you’ll need to install Flatpak and its’ runtime before you can set up the app.
To start the process, open up the Chrome OS terminal app. Once it is open, find the “Penguin” section and click on it with the mouse. When you select “Penguin,” you’ll have access to the Chrome OS Linux terminal.
Inside the Chrome OS Linux terminal, use the apt install command to install the “flatpak” package. This package handles the Flatpak runtime, and everything needed to run Flatpak apps on Chrome OS.
sudo apt install flatpak
With the “flatpak” package installed, you’ll need to set up the Flathub app store. Flathub is responsible for delivering many applications to users over Flatpak, including Outlook for Linux. To add Flathub, enter the command below.
flatpak --user remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
After setting up the Flathub app store on your Chrome OS system, you can install the Microsoft Outlook for Linux program on your Chromebook as a Flatpak using the command below.
flatpak install flathub io.github.mahmoudbahaa.outlook_for_linux
Once the package is installed on your Chromebook, you can launch Outlook for Linux via the “Linux apps” folder on your Chromebook.
Setting up Outlook for Linux on Chrome OS
To set up Outlook for Linux on your Chromebook, start by launching the app. Once you’ve launched it, you’ll see a window that says “Sign in” to continue to Outlook. Use your Microsoft account to log in.
After you’ve entered your account information in Outlook for Linux, you’ll see a notification from Microsoft. This notification says “Stay signed in?” Allow the app to stay signed in so that checking your Outlook is easier.
Once you’ve confirmed you wish to stay signed in, Outlook for Linux will load up the main UI. From here, you’ll be able to check your Outlook email right from the Chrome OS desktop.
