Outlook version 2002 makes working with e-mail, tasks, contacts, and appointments more intuitive without requiring users to learn new ways of accomplishing their tasks or spend time searching for the right tools. A variety of security enhancements have been included in Outlook version 2002 to help users feel more secure when working with e-mail. Setup and configuration have been made simpler with such enhancements as single-integrated e-mail mode, customization enhancements in the Custom Installation Wizard, and a simplified interface for setting up e-mail accounts.

New features include AutoComplete Addressing: As a user enters an e-mail address, Outlook automatically recognizes it and completes the name based on previously sent e-mail to the recipient. Users can also now access e-mail from their Hotmail accounts (or other Internet mail providers) directly from within Outlook. Users with multiple e-mail accounts can choose on a per-message basis what account to use to send their message. With Word as the default e-mail editor, users can take advantage of the smart tags that are available in Word (including AutoCorrect, paste options, address, name, date, or customizable smart tags). Smart tags are context-sensitive buttons that give users the options and information they need at the time they need them.

Users can now easily change between different mail formats on the fly and on a per-message basis. By giving users the option to switch between HTML, rich text, or plain text, they can more easily format their message so that the recipient can have the best viewing experience. Mailbox Cleanup allows users to view the size of their mailbox, search for files by size or by age, and then delete, move, or archive those files to clear up space. Exchange users can also automatically be notified when they are approaching their mailbox size limit and choose from the above options for cleaning up their mailbox. And Outlook can now automatically clean up plain text e-mail formatting that often contains extra line breaks that make the message difficult to read. Outlook automatically removes the extra line breaks (an option exists to turn this off as well) when a user opens an e-mail message, previews the message in the preview pane, or prints the message so that it is easier to read.