Microsoft is adding support for sending emails via alias email addresses (also known as aliases or proxy addresses) from the Outlook for Windows email client.
"Send email from a proxy email address or account alias rather than your primary email address," Microsoft says on the planned feature's Microsoft 365 roadmap entry.
"The alias email address will be preserved in the FROM and REPLY TO for the recipients."
Choose an email alias via a drop-down menu
Once the feature is released, users will be able to send messages via Outlook for Windows using any previously set up alias besides their primary SMTP address.
The added support for email sender aliases will help those who need to send emails using multiple branded domain names or on behalf of a company's specific team or department.
Having the option to choose any alias available for their account will also remove the hassle of setting up and using shared Outlook mailboxes or creating additional POP or IMAP accounts.
In short, after this new feature rolls out, Outlook for Windows will provide users with the ability to choose the sender or FROM address via a drop-down list within the email compose pane.
Microsoft is planning to make this new feature available worldwide in standard multi-tenant environments by the end of next month.
More email improvements
The company is also adding support for sending emails from proxy addresses to Outlook on the Web, as BleepingComputer previously reported. This feature's estimated roll-out date is also set for March 2021.
In more related news, Microsoft added support for disposable emails to Exchange Online in October 2020, allowing Office 365 customers to use unlimited throwaway recipient email addresses generated using plus addressing (also known as subaddressing or detailed addressing).
This feature makes it simple to create an indefinite number of custom and unique email addresses by adding suffix text strings to the default address using a '+' delimiter.
Microsoft announced Exchange Online support for plus addressing during Ignite 2019, and roll-out started in September 2020.
BleepingComputer reported in July that the planned release date was set for the third quarter of 2020.
Comments
Mallissin - 3 years ago
Only been asking for this for a few decades.
Everything was there to allow it to happen, they just wouldn't let it happen.
khuongduybui - 3 years ago
I have been able to use this in Outlook (part of Office 365) and Windows Mail (default UWP Mail client in Windows 10) since God remembers when.
What exactly is "Outlook for Windows"? Does that refer to outlook.com web UI or what? I just sent an email from an alias on outlook.com a few days ago too, so it isn't exactly "brand-new" feature.
Mallissin - 3 years ago
When you use aliases now in Outlook, the email recipient will see "alias@alias.com on behalf of main@main.com" as the sender, so people can still see the primary email account.
Which in my opinion is a security risk because I prefer my primary email to be hard to guess and then use aliases for my actual external names to make it harder for people to break into the account.
Whalley_World - 3 years ago
This, to me, looks like a spammer's dream. It would make it easier for them to cover their tracks.