Set up your Outlook email on Android.

This guide adds your Microsoft 365 or Outlook email account to the Gmail app that comes built into your Android phone — no extra app to install. Follow the steps with screenshots below; the whole process takes about five minutes.

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Before you begin

You'll need:

  • Your Microsoft 365 work email address (e.g. yourname@yourcompany.com.au)
  • Your Microsoft 365 password
  • Your phone's authenticator app or SMS access for two-factor verification

If you're unsure about any of these, give us a call before you start — we'll walk you through it.

Note: Android phones from different makers (Samsung, Google Pixel, Motorola, OPPO, etc.) all share the same Gmail app — so these steps work the same on every Android device, even if your phone's other apps look slightly different.

1

Open Gmail and tap the menu icon

Open the Gmail app on your Android phone. In the top-left corner of the search bar, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines, also called a hamburger menu).

Gmail search bar with the three-line hamburger menu icon highlighted in red on the left

The hamburger menu icon at the top-left of the Gmail search bar.

The side menu will slide in from the left. Scroll all the way to the bottom and tap Settings, then on the Settings screen tap Add account.

2

Choose Exchange and Office 365

You'll be shown a list of email providers. Tap Exchange and Office 365.

Gmail Set up email screen showing Google, Outlook Hotmail and Live, Yahoo, Exchange and Office 365, and Other options

Tap Exchange and Office 365 — not "Outlook, Hotmail and Live".

Why not "Outlook, Hotmail and Live"? The Outlook/Hotmail option is for personal hotmail.com or outlook.com mailboxes and only syncs your email. Exchange and Office 365 is the right choice for business and work email accounts, and it syncs your email, calendar, and contacts together.
3

Enter your email address

Type your full Microsoft 365 work email address into the Email field, then tap Next in the bottom-right corner.

Android Exchange setup screen with an Email field and a Next button in the bottom-right

Enter your work email address, then tap Next.

Don't tap "Set up manually". Leave that alone unless we've specifically asked you to use it — it's for unusual server configurations only.
4

Sign in with your Microsoft 365 password

You'll be taken to the Microsoft sign-in screen. Enter your password and tap Sign in.

Microsoft Enter password screen with the Sign in button highlighted in red in the bottom-right corner

Enter your password — example email shown, yours will be different.

If your business uses two-factor authentication (almost all do), you'll then be prompted to approve the sign-in. This is usually done by:

  • Tapping Approve in the Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone, or
  • Entering a six-digit code sent to you by SMS.

Follow whichever prompt appears on screen.

Stuck on two-factor? If you've changed phones recently or never set up Authenticator, give us a call — we can help you get back in and set things up properly.
5

If you see a "Redirect request" prompt, tap OKOptional

Some phones will show a small dialog explaining that Gmail needs to send your account info to Microsoft's autodiscover service to finish setting up the account. Tap OK to allow it. This is normal and required.

Redirect request dialog explaining that Gmail is being asked to send account info to autodiscover-s.outlook.com, with Cancel and OK buttons

If this dialog appears, tap OK to continue.

Didn't see this prompt? No problem — some Android versions skip it. Move on to the next step.
6

Allow calendar and contacts to sync

After the account is added, swipe down from the top of your screen to open the notification shade. You may see a notification that reads "Unable to sync calendar and contacts". Tap it.

Android notification reading Unable to sync calendar and contacts — Tap to allow Gmail to sync calendar and contacts

Tap this notification to grant calendar and contacts access.

On the screen that follows, tap Allow. This gives Gmail permission to sync your work calendar and contacts alongside your email.

No notification appeared? Open Settings → Apps → Gmail → Permissions on your phone and turn on Calendar and Contacts manually.
7

You're done

Open the Gmail app — your work emails will start to sync within a minute or two. You can switch between your accounts by tapping your profile picture in the top-right corner.

Your work calendar and contacts will also start to sync automatically into the Calendar and Contacts apps on your phone.

No emails showing? The first sync can take a few minutes, especially on a busy mailbox. If nothing has appeared after five minutes, check your Wi-Fi or mobile data, then give our helpdesk a call.

Need to add a shared mailbox as well?

If your business uses a shared mailbox — such as reception@yourcompany.com.au or info@ — the setup is different from adding your personal account, and Gmail's built-in flow doesn't always handle shared mailboxes cleanly. We'll be putting together a dedicated guide; in the meantime, give us a call and we'll walk you through it.

Shared mailbox guides →

Screenshots reproduced from HostPapa Knowledge Base and Microsoft Support for instructional clarity. All other content is original to Hello Computer.

Need a hand?

If you get stuck at any point, our team is happy to walk you through the setup over the phone or via remote support.

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