Outlook Add-ins Not Showing or Missing on Windows & Mac: Fixed

Last Updated on Sep 2, 2022

Outlook add-ins make you use another application’s features in Outlook itself to enhance your productivity. Due to “add inns” great potential, you have started using Add-ins, but what if Outlook add-ins not showing?

Well, you are at the right site; with this article, we have tried to cover all possible solutions. For example, for Add-ins not showing on mac or windows outlook 365, “Get add-ins” greyed out/missing, add-ins not loading, how to show add-ins on the ribbon, Enable/disable COM add inns, etc.

Outlook Add-Ins Troubleshooting for Mac & Windows

So, any issue with add-ins gets fixed with the solution to a different problem provided below. With add inns, you don’t need to juggle between two applications to enhance your overall efficiency.

Outlook add-ins not showing mac

If outlook add-ins are not showing in mac, there may be a different problem for different users. We have listed some of them.

• Outlook app is stuck or internal bug, Force quit Outlook app, From top menu Outlook > Quit Outlook.
• Make sure that Reading Pane is not set to hidden (view > Reading Pane).

        If the reading pane is hidden, then it will disable add-ins.

• Sometimes, add-ins are in the overflow menu (visible on clicking the ‘…’ button). Therefore, you need to pin them on the ribbon using customize Toolbar option.
• Some Add-ins are visible on the ribbon while reading or composing the message.
• Some Add-ins are visible while creating or viewing meetings or appointments as organizers.

We hope that your issues get fixed. 

Also Read: Best Outlook Add-Ins.

However, if you want to know how to enable add inns in outlook 365, read the following topic mentioned below.

How to enable add-ins in Outlook 365

Add-ins not showing in outlook 365 means you need to enable it if it’s already installed.

To enable add-ins in outlook 365, follow the steps below.

Step 1→ open the outlook app.

Step 2→ Go to the File menu.

Step 3→ Select Option at the bottom left side.

Outlook option pop box will generate.

Step 4→ Select Add-ins from the left side.

Step 5→ Select COM Add-ins from the drop-down For Manage located at the bottom of the box.

Step 6→ Select Go.

COM Add-ins pop box appears 

Step 7→ Find Add-ins from the list of Add-ins and check the box next to Add-ins to enable them. 

Step 8→ click ok.

With the steps mentioned earlier, you can enable any add-ins.

What if outlook “Get add-ins” greyed out? Then we have a solution for it; please refer next topic for the same.

Outlook get add-ins greyed out

“Get add-ins” gets greyed out when the account connection is misconfigured. Let’s discuss it in detail for mac and Windows.

Add-ins greyed out For Mac

Add-ins support Microsoft Exchange accounts (abc@outlook.com) only. 

It means if you have signed into Outlook with a single account, and if that account type is other than a Microsoft Exchange account, you must sign out and again sign in with a Microsoft Exchange account.

Sometimes you have signed into Outlook with multiple accounts, some of which are IMAP/POP3/SMTP (for ex., xyz@gmail.com), then add-ins get greyed out in that account.

Add-ins will be visible on the Microsoft Exchange account.

Get add-ins greyed out For Windows

Scenario 1: The reason for Get add-ins greyed out for Windows may be the Account Connection is misconfigured.

The Microsoft outlook account is sometimes connected via IMAP/POP3/SMTP (for ex., xyz@gmail.com) instead of the Microsoft Exchange server’s direct connection (xyz@outlook.com). 

If you have signed into Outlook with a single account and if that account type is other than a Microsoft Exchange account, you must sign out and again sign in with a Microsoft Exchange account.

If you have signed into Outlook with multiple accounts at a time, then in that case also, you can use “add-ins” with Microsoft Exchange accounts only. All add-ins are automatically greyed out in all the other accounts except the Microsoft Exchange account.

These simple steps allow you to check your account connection type in windows.

Step 1→ Open Outlook app.

Step 2→ Go to File.

Step 3→ Click Account Settings again and select Account settings from the drop-down menu.

Step 4→ Select the Email tab, where a list of accounts with type is displayed.

You can use the facility of add inns with only.  

Now, the “Get add-ins” icon is visible on the ribbon.

Remember that you can only use the add-ins feature with a Microsoft Exchange account.

In other words, add-ins support Microsoft Exchange accounts only.

Scenario 2: Via turn on all connected experiences

In this scenario Get add-ins button is there on the ribbon, but it gets greyed out.

Following are the steps to get back the “Get add-ins” button on the ribbon.

Step 1→ Open outlook app.

Step 2→ Select File from the menu bar.

Step 3→ Click on the “Option” located at the bottom left side.

Outlook option dialogue box appears

Step 4→ Select General and then click on Privacy settings.

Step 5→ Scroll down and thenPut a check in the box next to”turn on all connected experiences“.

Step 6→ Restart outlook.

Now you can check that the “Get add-ins” button is visible if this is the case.

If your Outlook add inns are not loading, kindly go through the topic mentioned below.

Outlook add-in not loading

There are several reasons for outlook add-in not loading.

We have mentioned some of the reasons for outlook add-ins not loading. 

A) Your computer is not updated, so update your pc first.
B) Enable Outlook add-ins,

• Outlook app > File > Option > Add-ins > Select “COM add-ins” for “Manage” > Go > Check Add-ins to enable > Ok > Restart outlook.

C). Check Slow and disabled COM add-ins
D). Edit from Registry Editor

By going through all the above solutions, we hope all your issue gets fixed.

Kindly check the next topic if you want to know how to enable add-ins in Outlook 2016.

How to enable add-ins in Outlook 2016

Enabling add-ins in outlook 2016 is not a complex task. Here are the steps 

Step 1→ Launch the Outlook app

Step 2→ Go to File, then Select Option

Step 3→ Select Add-ins from the left-side pan

Step 4→ Select “COM add-ins” for “Manage” at the bottom of the box, then click Go.

Step 5→ Put Check in the box next to the add-ins that you want to enable

Step 6→ Click ok and Restart Outlook

So now go back to the home tab and check that add-ins are enabled.

Refer next topic for how to add “add-ins” in Outlook.

How to add add-ins in Outlook

To add “Add-ins” in Outlook is a straightforward process. Here are the steps to add “Add-ins” in Outlook.

Open Outlook app > Click on Get Add-ins Icon from Home tab ribbon > Select All > Search for Add-ins (for example, zoom for outlook) > Now select Add. 

You can easily add “add inns” with the steps mentioned earlier. 

If your “get add-ins” button is missing in Outlook, please check the next topic where we have tried to provide the best solution. 

Get add-ins outlook missing Windows & mac

You might be wondering why your Get add-ins button is missing or not visible here is a solution for your problem.

Get add-ins Outlook missing For Mac

Here are the steps to get back “Get add-ins.”

Step 1→ Open outlook on the mac device.

Step 2→ Select preferences.

Step 3→ Click on Privacy under other.

Step 4→ Select “Manage Connected Experiences“.

Step 5→ Check “tun on all connected experiences” and Click Ok.

Step 6→ Restart Outlook app.

With the above steps, you can quickly get back “Get add inns” for mac. 

Check the next topic for how to get missing “Get add inns” for windows too.

Get add-ins Outlook missing For Windows

There can be different cases for the “get add-ins” icon missing from the ribbon of Outlook.

Here is a troubleshooting guide for different cases.

Case 1: Misconfigured Account Connection

In some cases, the Microsoft outlook account is connected via IMAP/POP3/SMTP (for ex., xyz@mail.com) instead of the Microsoft Exchange server’s direct connection (xyz@outlook.com). Therefore, you must select a Microsoft exchange account as your default account if you have multiple accounts in Outlook.

With these simple steps, you can check your account connection type.

Step 1→ Open Outlook app.

Step 2→ Go to File menu.

Step 3→ Click Account Settings again and select Account settings from the drop-down menu.

Step 4→ Select the Email tab, where a list of accounts with type is displayed.

Case 2: All Connected Experiences are disable

In this scenario Get add-ins button is there on the ribbon, but it gets greyed out.

 Following are the steps to get back the “Get add-ins” button on the ribbon.

Step 1→ Open outlook app.

Step 2→ Select File from the menu bar.

Step 3→ Click on the “Option” located at the bottom left side.

Outlook option dialogue box appears

Step 4→ Select General and then click on Privacy settings.

Step 5→ Scroll down and thenPut a check in the box next to”turn on all connected experiences“.

Step 6→ Restart outlook.

Now you can check that the “Get add-ins” button is visible if this is the case.

Case 3: By Mistake “Get Add-ins” button was removed 

In this case, your”Get add-ins” button is not greyed but gets removed or missing.

If this is the case with you, follow these steps to get the “Get add-ins” button back on the ribbon of Outlook.

Step 1→ Open Outlook app.

Step 2→ Select File from the menu bar.

Step 3→ Click on the “Option” located at the bottom left side.

Outlook option dialogue box appears.

Step 4→ Select Customize Ribbon.

(You can also select customize ribbon option by Right click on the home tab ribbon and then select “Customize Ribbon”).

Step 5→ Select All Commands for “Choose commands from.”

Step 6→ Select “Get add-ins” from the left side (under all commands).

Step 7→ Click on create new group.

Step 8→ select add and click ok.

Step 9→ Restart outlook app.

After restarting your Outlook, you can see the “Get add-ins” button on the home tab ribbon of your outlook app.

Case 4: Third-party Add-ins disabled by admin

Sometimes admin of office 365 has disabled the third-party add-ins, so you must ask the admin to enable it or log in as admin and enable it.

Following are the steps on how you can enable it.

Step 1→ Sign into office 365 with an admin account

Step 2→ Go to the Admin center

Step 3→ Click on Settings

Step 4→ Select Services 

Step 5→ Click on “user-owned apps and services“

Step 6→Enable both options under “user-owned apps and services”

FAQs

1. Where are Outlook add-ins installed?

You can easily find a list of your installed outlook add-ins with the following steps.

Open outlook app > Go to File > Click option > Select Add-ins >Select COM add-ins for Manage > click Go.

You will find a list of your installed outlook add-ins by performing the above steps.

Add-ins with Check in a box are enabled, and unchecked are disabled.

Also, you can get a list of installed add-ins from the windows registry.

2. What are COM add-ins in Outlook?

COM is an abbreviation for Component Object Model. A COM add-in is subordinated program inside Outlook to enhance the efficiency of Outlook with specialized features.

A third party, as well as a Microsoft program, can install COM add-ins. 

If you want to know how many COM add-ins are installed in your outlook app, follow this step.

Open outlook app > Go to File > Click option > Select Add ins >Select COM add ins for Manage > click Go

With the above steps, you can know the list of Com add-ins. In this list checked, Add-ins are enabled, and unchecked is disabled.

If any add-ins create trouble, then as part of troubleshooting, you can deactivate/disable that specific add-in by unchecking it and clicking ok, then restart Outlook.

3. How do I fix a missing Skype for business meeting in Outlook 2016?

You can resolve your missing skype for a business meeting in outlook 2016 by manually enabling skype meeting add-ins in Outlook.

Here are the steps to manually enabling the skype meeting Add-ins.

Step 1→ Launch the outlook app on your device

Step 2→ Go to the File menu

Step 3→ Select Option at the bottom left side.

Outlook option pop box will generate

Step 4→ Select Add-ins from the left side

Step 5→Select COM Add-ins from the drop-down For Manage located at the bottom of the box

Step 6→Select Go

COM Add-ins pop box appears 

Step 7→ check the box next to “Skype Meeting Add-in for Microsoft Office 2016″ and clicks ok.

4. How do I show add-ins in Outlook ribbon?

First, ensure that the add-ins you want to show on the ribbon are already added from “Get Add-ins.”

a) Ensure that Reading Pane is not set to Off (view > Reading Pane).

If the reading pane is off, then it will disable add-ins.

b) Some Add-ins are visible on the ribbon while reading or composing the message.

c) Some Add-ins are visible while creating or viewing meetings or appointments as organizers.

d) Some Add-ins are visible while attending meetings as attendees.

5. where is get add ins in Outlook?

You can find the “Get add-ins” button on the home tab ribbon of the outlook app.

We consider that after going through the whole article, all your doubts get resolved, but still, if you have any issues, kindly mention them below in the comment section.

You can check more about add-ins here.