Step-by-step: Send your first Windows 8 e-mail in two minutes

The Mail app in Windows 8 is perfect for simply receiving and sending electronic mail, and although it doesn't offer the range of functions of professional software such as Outlook, it is ideal for on the go or beginners, better than overloaded pages from email providers such as GMX or Gmail. How to configure and use the app - a step-by-step guide.

1. Set up the mail app

Start the Mail app (which is one of the integrated apps of Windows 8) by clicking on the tile on the start screen. On the welcome screen, tap on the mail account you would like to set up. If this does not appear, use the shortcut Windows + I to open the app settings. Here, click on "Accounts" and "Add account".

2. Use Microsoft Exchange, Hotmail, Google, GMX and Co

With the Outlook setting, you can set up both an "@outlook.com" address and a Microsoft Exchange address (for professionals and companies). Via "Hotmail" you can add not only Hotmail addresses, but also Live.com or MSN e-mail accounts. Accounts from Yahoo or Google are also supported.

If you have an account with another provider, click on "All in settings..." and then on "Other account" on the right. Always have the settings from GMX or Web.de, for example, to hand. Once set up, the inbox of your email account will open directly. The app is basically divided into three areas: On the left, you can see the accounts you have set up with the respective folders. The emails in the currently selected folder are listed in the middle, with the content of the currently selected email to the right.

3. Use multiple email accounts

Do you have several email accounts? No problem: you can use the app to access multiple email accounts at the same time. You can add more accounts in the Windows 8 settings under "Accounts". Tip: If you need more information on setting up email under Windows 8, you can find editorial support on countless news portals.

1. open empty email

To write a new email, click on the "PLUS" sign. Then enter the primary recipient and the copy recipients (Cc) in the left-hand area. Click on "Show more" to display additional fields for blind copy recipients (Bcc) and priority.

2. write message

In the area at the top right, type in the subject and your message below it. To format the message text, select the relevant text passage. The Mail app then displays the various formatting options at the top, such as font, bold, italics, underline and text color. By clicking on "More", you can also insert bulleted lists and numbering and undo changes.

You can also insert symbols and emoticons into the message. To do this, right-click in the message and then click on "Emoticons" at the bottom right. This opens a window with a large selection of smileys and symbols in different categories. Click on one of the symbols to insert it into the selected text passage.

3. insert attachments and use the cloud

To add attachments to emails, right-click in the email window and click on the "Attachments" entry. Then select the file you want to send. Tip: Click on "Send with SkyDrive instead" to send the file using the online storage SkyDrive.

This transfers the file to your SkyDrive Internet storage before it is sent and a download link is sent. Advantage: The email arrives even if the recipient's mailbox does not accept large file attachments. In addition, such messages do not unnecessarily bloat the mailbox and can be forwarded more quickly. To send the file as an attachment after all, click on "Send with standard attachments instead".

4. Last click to submit

To finally send the email, click on the Send button in the top right-hand corner.

Alternative email clients

If you don't like the integrated mail app, you can of course also use tried-and-tested client alternatives such as Thunderbird under Windows 8. Thunderbird in particular shines with its functionality. New emails can be checked for spelling, for example, and security is also taken care of: advertising filters largely prevent the receipt of unwanted advertising emails (spam), and a phishing filter protects against emails used by fraudsters to steal private and sensitive data. In addition, outgoing messages can be encrypted if desired. Just like the Firefox browser, which is also developed by Mozilla, there are also many add-ons for Thunderbird that can be used to extend the program's functionality.