OWA Standard vs. OWA Light
Differences between OWA
standard and OWA light
Outlook Web App (OWA) is the email client used to access NHSmail. It is available in two
versions: a standard version and a light version. The standard version of OWA offers full
functionality, while the light version has fewer features and is available on older browsers that do
not support the standard version of OWA.
This guide explains which browsers are supported by the standard and light versions and lists the
feature differences between the two
Supported browsers
Web browser
OWA version supported
Internet Explorer 7 & 8
Light
Internet Explorer 9 and above
Standard
Chrome (most up-to-date
version)
Firefox (most up-to-date
version)
Safari 5
Standard
Safari 6 or later
Standard
Standard
Light
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OWA Standard vs. OWA Light
Differences between OWA
standard and OWA light
Supported functionality
The table below provides information on where differences exist between the functionality of
Outlook Web App (OWA) Standard and Light. This is designed to be an ‘at a glance’ guide and
does not give complete guidance on the available functionality of the OWA versions
Feature
OWA Standard
OWA Light
OWA Function
Advanced search
Available
Not available
Email
Apps
Email
Calendar options
Available (Enabled by Not available
admin)
Available
Limited
Calendar
Conversation view
Available
Not available
Email
Create and edit
personal
distribution lists
Create and edit
mailbox rules
Available
Not available
Email
Available
Not available
Email
Drag-and-drop
Available
Not available
Applies to all
Delivery and read
receipts
Available
Not available
Email
Favorites
Available
Not available
Contacts
Mailtips
Available
Not available
Email
Monthly calendar
views
Available
Not available
Calendar
Notifications and
reminders
Open a shared
calendar
Available
Not available
Tasks
Available
Not available
Calendar
Play sound when
message arrives
Available
Not available
Email
Reading pane
Available
Not available
Email
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OWA Standard vs. OWA Light
Differences between OWA
standard and OWA light
Feature
OWA Standard
OWA Light
OWA Functionality
Right-click menu
Available
Not available
Applies to all
S/MIME encryption
Available
Not available
Applies to all
Scheduling
assistant
Share calendars
Available
Not available
Calendars
Available
Not available
Calendars
Share folders
Available
Not available
Email
Spelling checker
Available
Not available
Email
Weekly calendar
views
Available
Not available
Calendars
Further browser information
For more information on the differences between Outlook Web App (OWA) Standard and Light,
refer to the detailed comparison from Microsoft that can be found here:
https://support.office.com/en-ie/article/Compare-the-standard-and-light-versions-of-OutlookWeb-App-63f3e29e-f076-40f7-a373-6d0cc24550a0
Accessing OWA Light on Internet Explorer 11
If you require accessibility features when using Outlook Web App on Internet Explorer 11 you will
need to set your compatibility view settings on your browser.
To set your compatibility settings on Internet Explorer 11:
1
Click the settings icon in the top right corner of the browser and select Compatibility View
settings
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OWA Standard vs. OWA Light
2
Type ‘www.nhs.net’ under Add this website and select Add
3
Select Close
Differences between OWA
standard and OWA light
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