What are MailTips?
MailTips are helpful alerts in Outlook that display while you're writing or reading an email. They appear as pop-ups when composing a message or as banners at the top of received emails. These alerts highlight useful information, such as if someone is out of office, if you're emailing a large group or if the message is being sent externally.
As part of the recent enhancements, MailTips now include banners at the top of received emails that indicate first-time contact, potential impersonation or messages identified as potentially risky. These updates are designed to help raise awareness, reduce errors and improve overall email security.
New MailTips
MailTips now offer more real-time notifications that appear in both Outlook and Outlook on the web while you're composing or receiving emails.
- First contact MailTip
This feature alerts you when an email contacts you for the first time, helping to detect impersonation attempts using familiar names with unfamiliar or similar addresses.
- Potential impersonation MailTip
This warning does not indicate a definite security issue, but it suggests exercising caution. It appears when the system detects characteristics that could indicate an impersonation attempt.
- Potentially risky mail MailTip
This alert shows when an email fails one or more security checks but isn’t confirmed as harmful. It doesn’t mean the email is unsafe, but you should be cautious when opening attachments or clicking links.
The pop-up alert will display ‘We could not verify the identity of the sender. Click here to learn more’.