Hotmail was one of the first email services that could be accessed through a web browser. Though it was first launched way back in 1996, it continues to be relevant even after three decades.
Despite being so old, there are still many things you can do using a Hotmail account. Don’t believe me? Read on and you’ll be amazed!
Top Features Hotmail (Outlook) Is Used For and Its Benefits
Hotmail is comparable with many modern email services that are available today. It can do all the basics like how to create and email groups plus more advanced features noted below.
Here’s a look at its important features if you are curious about what Is Hotmail used for.
Excellent Spam Filters
Hotmail has an advanced spam filter that can keep your inbox free of spam emails. In particular, a feature called the SmartScreen makes it easy to unsubscribe from newsletters ad other unwanted emails without leaving your inbox. This sure saves you time and reduces spam emails.
Secure
Another highlight of Hotmail is its security. This email service supports multi-factor authentication to protect your account from unauthorized access. When someone signs in from a new device or browser, Hotmail sends a code to the associated email or phone number, and you have to enter this code correctly to access your email.
Social Media Access
You can access multiple social media accounts through your Hotmail. Many times, it is so well-integrated that you can access these social media sites from your account itself. Such an integrated look and feel greatly enhances your user experience.
Online Storage Space
Hotmail offers a 15GB storage space for every free account. If you’re a Microsoft 365 subscriber, you get a whopping 50GB free. Further, you can also connect to cloud storage for unlimited storage.
Multiple Domains
Hotmail was acquired by Microsoft and since then, it has gone through many name and branding changes. This is why you can have multiple domain extensions for your email. For example, you can choose from Hotmail, Live, MSN, and Outlook while creating an email ID. This flexibility is hard to match by other service providers.
Integration with other Microsoft Services
Your Hotmail is integrated with other Microsoft services. This means, you can use it with Skype, Bing, Photos, Videos, and other services that Microsoft offers. The obvious advantage is you can get personalized news feeds and suggestions when you log into these services with your Hotmail account.
Calendar and Tasks
In particular, the Calendar and Tasks functionalities help you to stay on top of your time and tasks respectively. You can schedule events with others, attend meetings, track your time, enhance your productivity, and more with Calendar.
Likewise, the Tasks functionality can be used to list your to-do tasks, and you can take them off as you complete them.
Highly Reliable
Hotmail is a reliable service that’s backed by Microsoft, so the chances for an outage are less. Further, it also comes with excellent security and this translates to lower chances for hackers to get to your data.
Based on the above features, here’s a look at the uses and benefits of Hotmail.
Uses of Hotmail
Hotmail can be used for the following.
- Send and receive emails with an attachment limit.
- Integrate with other Microsoft services
- Access social media
- Manage your events through its Calendar
- You can schedule meetings and events through the Calendar
- Create a To-do list to stay on top of your tasks.
- Lastly, you can upgrade to Microsoft 365 at any time for access to more services.
Thus, these are some of the benefits of using Hotmail.
Moving on, let’s briefly a few common questions related to Hotmail.
What’s The Difference Between Email and Hotmail?
Email is a generic service that allows you to send and receive messages through the Internet, while Hotmail is a specific email service that’s owned by Microsoft.
Another key difference is that Hotmail extends email to other functionalities. For example, you can log into your Hotmail account and access the other services offered by Microsoft like personalized news feeds, Skype, and more. This way, you use a single email to access multiple services.
Also, Hotmail offers other functionalities like Calendar and Tasks that help you to stay on top of your commitments.
Are Gmail and Hotmail The Same Thing?
No, Gmail is offered by Google while Hotmail is offered by Microsoft . Though both are email services that provide access to other services, they are offered by different companies with varying services. Hence, they are not the same thing.
Is Hotmail Safe To Use?
Yes, Hotmail is safe to use. It comes with many advanced features such as multi-factor authentication, extensive spam filters, and more. Along with Gmail, Hotmail is considered to be one of the safest email services today.
