How to restore Outlook emails and folders after Golden Gate update on MacBook Air?

The reason your Outlook looks completely different and your emails have vanished is because the macOS Golden Gate update automatically toggled on the "New Outlook for Mac" interface. 

To get your old layout, missing folders, and offline access back instantly, you just need to switch back to the classic version of the app. 

1. Open Outlook.
2. Look at the very top Mac menu bar and click Outlook.
3. Look for New Outlook (it will have a checkmark next to it) or Revert to Legacy Outlook.
4. Click it to uncheck/turn it off.
5. Outlook will ask you to confirm and then automatically close and reopen in its original format. 

PurpleSong wrote:

it keeps telling me to go online, but then doesn't allow me to.

What version of Outlook are you using?

And what version of macOS were you using prior to the upgrade to Golden Gate?

It is possible the version of Outlook is too old & incompatible with Golden Gate.

Also, you may first need to log into your Microsoft account to associate & activate your copy of Outlook. I've had to do this multiple times over the years because for some reason the associate becomes broken. Usually there is a very narrow bar near the top of the app that may note this, but it is very easy to overlook because it blends into the menus and icons of the app.

Make sure your mail server information within the Outlook app is also still filled in....maybe something happened there. If you saved your passwords to your mail accounts to automatically log in, then maybe they are not working & you have to delete the old passwords from the macOS Passwords/KeyChain app so you are prompted for a password to access your email server.

UPDATE: I found this via Google and it opened up a free Outlook account, and all my emails, folders and contacts were there.

https://www.google.com/search?q=can+you+still+get+a+free+live.co.uk+email+account&client=safari&hs=GxJB&sca_esv=8fd4df1161d88850&channel=ipad_bm&source=hp&ei=GOysasXFF6iU9u8Pu7zQkQo&iflsig=ABILxe8AAAAAaqz6KFRoJyJ24cZVuRAsD1WiycPOkqhg&oq=can+you+still+get+a+free+live.co.uk&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IiNjYW4geW91IHN0aWxsIGdldCBhIGZyZWUgbGl2ZS5jby51ayoFCAIYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABSMm6AVAAWJN-cAB4AJABAJgBf6ABoBSqAQQzOC4yuAEByAEA-AEBmAIooAKbFsICDRAAGIAEGIoFGEMYsQPCAg4QABiABBiKBRiRAhi0B8ICFhAuGIAEGIoFGEMYsQMYgwEYxwEY0QPCAhAQABiABBiKBRhDGLEDGIMBwgINEAAYgAQYigUYQxi0B8ICChAAGIAEGIoFGEPCAgsQABiABBiKBRiRAsICEBAuGIAEGIoFGEMYxwEY0QPCAggQABiABBixA8ICCBAAGIAEGLQHwgILEAAYgAQYigUYsQPCAgYQABgWGB7CAgsQABiABBiKBRiGA8ICBRAAGO8FwgIIEAAYgAQYogTCAgcQIRgKGKABwgIEECEYFcICBRAhGJ8FmAMAkgcEMzYuNKAHxP0BsgcEMzYuNLgHmxbCBwkwLjEwLjI4LjLIB5cBgAgB&sclient=gws-wiz

Received update of app through App Store today (UK) which has given back the modern (not legacy) UI for Outlook and allowed me to sign in to my account. So, all back to "normal" using app rather than having to go online - hope you have all had similar positive outcome?

Electron075 wrote:

I agree that apple could not have solved this issue alone. However, they surely could have applied (and maybe did so) to push microsoft to fix the issue with their app.

I am pretty sure that everyone commenting here was doing so to make suer that they were not the only experiencing this issue after updating from macOS 26 to 27 and consequently having their outlook app updated, probably automatically because they want to turst that apple would not make an app available that works.

The responsibility of all third party apps is on the individual developers of those third party apps to properly support them whenever Apple makes any changes to the OS.

Apple has no responsibility at all for these third party apps even if they are installed from the App Store. The only responsibility Apple assumes with third party apps is the initial vetting process to make sure those third party developers follow the rules for submitting apps for distribution through the App Store (and any app updates afterwards). Apple takes no responsibility for whether those apps even work as advertised. I think the App Store and other such stores give users a false sense of security.

Apple provides the App Store to third party developers to make it easier for both developers to distribute software to users and for users to find, download & install third party apps. Third part apps distributed through the App Store are many times more restricted than a version available directly from the developer's website where the developer has no need to restrict their software except by the limitations of Apple's current Privacy & Security policies that are enforced by macOS.

Users need to understand that many third party developers may take days, weeks, even months to release an app update that is compatible with a new major OS release (even with minor OS update patches it may take a while). People also need to realize that macOS is not of real interest to Microsoft.....Windows is the platform that Microsoft will support first & foremost. For any other platform, users get a diminished experience with Microsoft's apps. Back in the day, Microsoft Office for the Mac was completely different from the Windows release....these days there are fewer differences, but the macOS version of those apps are still subpar.

This is why I always recommend people wait to install a new major version of macOS. It allows third party developers time to release a compatible version of their app for the new OS. People need to perform their own research & testing to ensure all of their third party apps are actually compatible with the new major version of macOS, especially if the user cannot be without those particular apps. And it gives users time to see what issues the publicly released new OS may have and gives Apple time to patch the release day bugs.

Most people have no need to install a new major OS version on launch day. Those who do install a new major OS within three months of launch should expect bugs with the new OS as well as compatibility issues with many third party apps.

To clarify:

Microsoft Outlook is a Microsoft product, not an Apple product.

Outlook Mobile, which runs on Apple and Android mobile devices, is free to use without a subscription.

Outlook for macOS and Windows is NOT free to use. It requires a subscription to Microsoft 365 or a license for the standalone version of office.

If you are accessing a corporate Exchange email account, you should be signing into Outlook with your corporate email credentials.

What you are experiencing has nothing to do with Apple other than Outlook has decided that it needs to re-verify your license now that it is running on a different OS. No update from Apple is going to solve this.

Hi purplesong,

I agree with you as I have the same issue and have spent all day with an AI assistant trying to diagnose it. to no avail. It would seem that free for individual users is now discontinued even though microsoft say it is free.

I have macOS 27 (yesterday) and outlook 16.113 (today) and today everything outlook just stopped exactly as you say. so briefly my situation is that :-

The app opens in legacy mode and is also offline and I cannot turn the legacy toggle to OFF, it chnages but the app then restarts and it is back to ON. It also demands to have an account activated, but the pages that it links to do not open fully and reports some “error” and says try again. I have been using an AI assist to diganose all day now with no change to the issue, apple mail works as before with my outlook.com email.

outlook in browser is also fine.

so there are at least two of us with this issue. immediately after the update to "golden gate" and "new outlook app"

I have the same issue after update to OS27. I had the free version (not legacy) with the modern UI. After update old version had returned (legacy). Followed same process as Electron 075, but unable to make any headway so uninstalled and reinstalled from App Store but same older version downloaded and then same process as above. Cannot change to new version. All log in details (address & passwords) OK.

Luckily I have Outlook app on phone (iPhone 16, IOS 27) which is working but I use Outlook on Macbook M1 14 inch to receive and reply during production of monthly newsletter. This is much more convenient and I can access contacts & notes more easily than on phone.

In meantime, I have also linked the Outlook account to my Apple Mail so at least I can maintain contact.

I have tried various Microsoft Forums/Support but nothing seems to match symptoms as described.

This does not work as I do not have what you are suggesting.

I open Outlook. I do not have 'New Outlook' or 'Revert to Legacy Outlook'. I have 'Legacy Outlook', with a tick and nothing else. I also have that showing on my opened Outlook. When I click on 'Legacy Outlook' nothing happens, except it keeps telling me to go online. When I click that it says 'To complete this action, start your free one month trial of Microsoft365, or sign in to activate an existing subscription. I have free Outlook.

When I click on it I get a window which is obviously trying to get me to pay for Personal or Family Microsoft365. It shows the free version, but I am stuck at this stage. As nothing happens as seems to just be buffering.

I have tried to take screenshots, but they aren't showing anywhere.

This has to be down to the update and surely I am not the only one.

I'd be very grateful for any more help, but please realise I am fine using the Mac, but not good with things like this and the terminology sometimes used, although your first lot of instructions were easy, had I actually had what you suggested.

Should say my Outlook on my Amazon Fire is fine.

The passwords and account details are not the issue here because the app fails to allow an online connection before a subscription is made ! the same account details are used in the apple mail app without issue and in the web browser. My update was from Tahoe on an M1 imac, we know that the legacy version is ending/has ended but the current outlook app from the app store is supposed to be the one for golden gate. It is not failing to connect it is being prevented from connecting at all.

Regards,

It says Legacy Outlook. Don't know what the macOS was, but I always updated when one came in.

I have tried everything. Will just have to wait for updates to correct this error.

Think I will have to forward all my emails to my gmail account, as this is just ridiculous.

@KiltedTim

On my imac macOS 27 and outlook app for mac, from the app store, version 116.113.1 it (outlook app for mac) is FREE, if you have an outlook.com email account and I believe some other eprsonal use email accounts.

I agree that apple could not have solved this issue alone. However, they surely could have applied (and maybe did so) to push microsoft to fix the issue with their app.

I am pretty sure that everyone commenting here was doing so to make suer that they were not the only experiencing this issue after updating from macOS 26 to 27 and consequently having their outlook app updated, probably automatically because they want to turst that apple would not make an app available that works.

How does this work with the Outlook app? Thanks

So have I. Glad I have the back up of going online though.