How to deploy Outlook PWA in Edge seamlessly?

[natecohen01]

Hello, I am involved in a project to migrate users from Exchange 2016 to Exchange Online. We have a large number of users using Outlook 2016 but are frontline users, and we want them to start using the Outlook web app because we are giving them only Exchange Kiosk licenses.

I’m trying to circumvent this odd UX with deploying the PWA in Edge if anyone has any experience with it.

I set these MS Edge user GPOs:
“Configure list of force-installed Web Apps” includes this JSON:

[
  {
    "fallback_app_name": "Outlook Web",
    "custom_name": "Outlook Web",
    "create_desktop_shortcut": true,
    "install_as_shortcut": true,
    "default_launch_container": "window",
    "url": "https://outlook.office.com/mail/"
  }
]

Then, “Register protocol handlers” is set to:

[
  {
    "url": "https://outlook.office.com/mail/deeplink/compose/?mailtouri=%s",
    "default": true,
    "protocol": "mailto"
  }
]

The following good behavior occurs (all on Windows 11):
“Outlook Web” shortcut becomes pinned on the desktop.
“Outlook Web” appears in the start menu under All Apps, but not “Pinned”.

The following is where it starts to break down:
When a user opens the desktop shortcut, they get a prompt to allow this app, I would like to avoid it or set some defaults:

Pinning to start and taskbar is fine and works.

In my testing, this pop up appears AFTER I click allow with pin to taskbar and must be clicked to finalize a taskbar pin:

Next, our biggest issue is twofold: despite the registered protocol handler, mailto does not default to OWA:

When I click Outlook Web and click Always, it still gives one more prompt:

I looked through other Edge related GPOs but couldn’t find much.

Edit: Similar to this post from 2023, setting AutoLaunchProtocolsFromOrigins to [{"protocol": "mailto","allowed_origins": ["*"]}] doesn’t eliminate the “Allow app to open email links?”

[Jay-Updegrove]

Use New Outlook, instead of OWA…it’s the same thing but in App Form instead of based on a browser. It’s attempting to default to that for you, I suggest you let it.

[natecohen01]

New Outlook is not available to use for Exchange Kiosk licenses.

After some digging I found that I’m not the first person to ask Microsoft about the UX flaws, so I’ll be following some of the guidance here: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/discussions/edgeinsiderenterprise/feature-request-pwa-pre-installation-and-protocol-handling-improvements-/3718251

[titusovermyer (Gorfmaster1)]

I am going through a similar issue. I will be following this.