Northwestern has begun the transition to cloud-based Microsoft Exchange email as part of the adoption of the Microsoft 365 suite of software. If your email and calendar have migrated, this article can help you configure your mail clients on all your devices. If you have Outlook email client software installed and running On-Premises Exchange, you will not need a fresh install of that client software. Please be sure that your email client is up to date. Outlook for Mac 2011 and Windows Outlook 2013 are not supported. Northwestern IT will support Outlook 16 or newer for Mac or Windows. Current versions of Outlook for Mac or Windows are available for download from the M365 web site. All other clients (e.g., Apple Mail) should be updated to the most recent version. *NOTE: Feinberg users are required to connect to the secure Northwestern network when configuring NU Exchange on their mobile device. Do not use Guest-Northwestern or Device-Northwestern.
Outlook for Windows
- Open Outlook for Windows on your computer
- When a Windows Security window appears, enter your Northwestern email address and your NetID password
- Click Remember my Credentials, then click OK
- When the Northwestern Online Passport appears, enter ads\netid and your NetID password in their corresponding fields, then click Sign In
- Outlook will begin syncing to the server, loading your mail and calendar data.
Outlook for macOS
1. When you open Outlook, click Get Started. When a message indicating Outlook was redirected to the server autodiscover… appears, check the Always use my response for this server checkbox, then click Allow.
- If a message indicating Mail could not be received at this time… appears, click Yes to try again.
2. When prompted, enter yournetid@ads.northwestern.edu as the User Name and your NetID password as the Password, then click OK.
3. When prompted again, enter yournetid@ads.northwestern.edu in the NetID field, and your NetID password, then click Sign In.
4. Outlook will begin syncing to the server, loading your mail and calendar data.
Outlook for Android
When being migrated to Microsoft 365 If you are currently using Outlook app on your Android mobile phone or tablet to access your @northwestern.edu Exchange mailbox, you will need to remove your old account information from the settings, and re-add your account as new, otherwise you may end up with both new and old account information in the settings on your device, and constant password prompts to log in.
This appears to be a flaw in the Android app and has been reported to Microsoft. We have verified this behavior on multiple different Android devices in testing, so we recommend you remove the old account completely. Please verify you are running the most up to date version of the Outlook app. Removing Account from Outlook app for Android mobile phone or tablet
1. From the Settings menu, select Accounts & sync (this application may be named Accounts on some versions of Android).
2. Select Corporate (this option may be named Exchange or Exchange ActiveSync on some versions of Android).
3. Tap the Delete Account button.
4. At the prompt confirm that you really want to delete the account.
Adding Microsoft 365 based Exchange account:
1. Launch Outlook App
2. Enter your @northwestern.edu email address or Select Corporate (this option may be named Exchange or Exchange ActiveSync on some versions of Android)
3. On the Northwestern Online Passport Login Page enter your NetID OR email address and your NetID password
4. If Prompted to activate device Administrator, click Activate, then Active this Device admin app
5. Click Get Started
6. Then Click skip
7. Then click Skip again, or Click the Arrow to look through new features
Outlook for iOS
- When being migrated to Microsoft 365 If you are currently using Outlook for iOS on your iOS mobile phone or tablet to access your @northwestern.edu Exchange mailbox, you will need to remove your old account information from the settings, and re-add your account as new.
- If you are updating an iOS device previously configured with Northwestern Exchange, start with step 3. If you have a brand new iOS device, please start with step 1
- Install Outlook for iOS from the App Store
- Open Outlook and tap Add Account
- If Outlook finds your existing Northwestern Exchange account, skip to step 6
- Enter your @northwestern.edu email address then tap Sign In with Office 365
- Northwestern Online Passport page will appear. Log in using adsnetid then your Net ID password
- If prompted to add another account, tap Maybe Later
- Intro pages will appear, skip or view as desired
- A prompt to enable notifications will appear, Turn on or say No Thanks, as desired
Apple Mail for iOS
When being migrated to Microsoft 365 If you are currently using Apple Mail for iOS on your iOS mobile phone or tablet to access your @northwestern.edu Exchange mailbox, you will need to remove your old account information from the settings, and re-add your account as new. Note: If you are updating an iOS device previously configured with Northwestern Exchange, start with step 8. If you have a brand new iOS device, please start with step 1
- Tap Settings
- Tap Passwords Accounts
- Tap Add Account
- Tap Exchange
- Enter your Northwestern email address in the Email field
- Enter Northwestern Exchange in the Description field
- Tap Next
- Tap “Sign In” when prompted to in the window that appears
- The Northwestern Online Passport will appear. Enter adsnetid in the User ID field then type your netid password in the password
- Tap Accept when Permissions requested appears
Apple Mail for macOS
When being migrated to Microsoft 365 If you are currently using Apple Mail client on your Mac to access your @northwestern.edu Exchange mailbox, you will need to remove your old account information from the settings, and re-add your account as new.
1. Go to Apple menu> System Preferences> Internet Accounts
2. Click Exchange.
3. Enter your Name and Northwestern email address and click Sign In
4. Apple Mail will ask you to confirm: "Sign in to your Exchange acount using Microsoft?". Click Sign In
5. The Northwestern Online Passport window will appear. Enter your @northwestern.edu email address and your net id password,then click Sign In.
6. You will be prompted to select the apps to use with your Exchange account. Select all that apply* An Exchange account will appear in your list of accounts.
7. Open the Apple Mail application. Your newly created account and folders will begin synching. This process may take some time.
8. Open iCal. Your calendar should begin synching.
Android Mail client (Gmail app)
When being migrated to Microsoft 365 If you are currently using Android Mail client (Gmail app) on your Android mobile phone or tablet to access your @northwestern.edu Exchange mailbox, you will need to remove your old account information from the settings, and re-add your account as new.
- Open Gmail App
- Tap the Menu icon in the upper left-hand corner. (Hamburger Icon)
- Tap Add Account
- Under Set Up email, tap Exchange and Microsoft 365 (Office 365)
- When prompted, enter netid@ads.northwestern.edu in the email field, then tap Next
- Enter your net id password in the password field
- Tap Save when prompted to save your Northwestern email address to Gmail
- An alert will appear Redirect request: To configure your account, Gmail…” Tap OK
- In the server field type autodiscover.northwestern.edu
- Port should default to 443; Security type is SSL/TLS
- A message saying “Validating server settings…” will appear
- Click OK when asked if you want to finish setting up the account
- When prompted to Activate device admin app? tap “Activate this device admin app”
- You will see a message saying “Your account is set up and email is on its way!” Tap Next
- The screen will display a flashing progress bar under “Getting your messages…”. Allow sufficient time for the account to fully sync