Home › Knowledgebase › KB-639

How to fix Outlook calendar reminders not showing on your Windows 11 lock screen

Calendars & Scheduling KB-639

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to fix Outlook calendar reminders not showing on your Windows 11 lock screen. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Quick Tip: Need immediate assistance? 💻 Open a Ticket

Common Causes

Windows 11 can display calendar event reminders on the lock screen, but this relies on a specific chain of settings across Windows notifications, Outlook, and Focus Assist. If your Outlook reminders are not appearing on the lock screen, the most common cause is that notifications are being suppressed or that Outlook is not registered as a lock screen notification provider. Follow the steps below to restore lock screen reminders.

Quick Fix Steps

  1. Check that Focus Assist is turned off or set to Priority only with Outlook allowed.
  2. Verify that Outlook is allowed to show notifications on the lock screen in Windows Settings.
  3. Confirm that Outlook’s own reminder options are enabled.
  4. Restart Outlook and test with a test appointment.

Detailed Instructions

Step 1: Check Focus Assist settings

Focus Assist can silently block lock screen notifications, including Outlook reminders.

  1. Open Settings by pressing Windows key + I.
  2. Go to System > Focus assist (on Windows 11 22H2 and later, this is System > Notifications > Focus assist).
  3. Ensure the mode is set to Off. If you prefer Priority only, click Customise priority list and make sure Outlook is listed under Apps.
  4. If Alarms only is selected, change it to Off or Priority only.
Tip: Focus Assist can turn on automatically during certain hours or when duplicating your display. Check Automatic rules to disable any rules that might be activating it during your workday.

Step 2: Allow Outlook notifications on the lock screen

  1. Open Settings > System > Notifications.
  2. Scroll to Notifications from apps and other senders.
  3. Find Outlook in the list and ensure the toggle is On.
  4. Click on Outlook to expand its notification settings.
  5. Make sure Show notification banners and Show notifications on lock screen are both ticked.
  6. Also tick Show notifications in notification centre if it is unticked.
Important: If you have multiple Outlook profiles or use both classic Outlook and new Outlook for Windows, you may see more than one Outlook entry. Enable notifications for the version you actually use.

Step 3: Verify Outlook’s internal reminder settings

  1. Open Outlook.
  2. Go to File > Options > Calendar.
  3. Under Calendar options, ensure Default reminders is ticked and a reminder time is set (e.g., 15 minutes).
  4. Under Reminders, ensure Show reminders is ticked.
  5. Click OK to save.
Tip: If you use new Outlook for Windows, go to Settings (gear icon) > Calendar > Notifications and ensure Calendar reminders is enabled.

Step 4: Check Windows notification delivery for Outlook

  1. Open Settings > System > Notifications.
  2. Scroll to the bottom and click Advanced settings (or Additional settings on some builds).
  3. Ensure Show reminders and incoming VoIP calls on the lock screen is ticked.
  4. Also ensure Show notifications on the lock screen under Lock screen is enabled.

Step 5: Restart Outlook and test

  1. Close Outlook completely (right-click the Outlook icon in the system tray and select Exit).
  2. Reopen Outlook.
  3. Create a test appointment for 2–3 minutes from now with a reminder set to 0 minutes.
  4. Lock your computer by pressing Windows key + L.
  5. Wait for the reminder time. The reminder should appear on the lock screen.

Troubleshooting

Reminders appear after unlocking, not on the lock screen

This usually means Windows is set to hide notification content on the lock screen. Go to Settings > Personalisation > Lock screen and set Lock screen status to Show notifications and detailed status instead of Show only app icons or Hide all notifications.

Outlook reminders are not firing at all

  • Check that Outlook is running. Reminders do not fire if Outlook is closed, unless you are using new Outlook for Windows with background sync enabled.
  • Run outlook.exe /cleanreminders from the Run dialog (Windows key + R) to reset the reminder cache.
  • Check that the calendar is not a shared calendar with reminders disabled by the owner.

Focus Assist keeps turning on automatically

Open Settings > System > Focus assist and review Automatic rules. Disable rules for During these times, When I’m duplicating my display, and When I’m playing a game if they are interfering with your reminders.

Notifications are enabled but still not showing on lock screen

Check your Windows power settings. If your PC enters Modern Standby or Hibernate, notifications may be delayed until wake. Go to Settings > System > Power & battery and ensure the PC is not set to sleep too aggressively during work hours.

Important: If your organisation uses Group Policy or Intune to manage Windows notification settings, some of these options may be greyed out. Contact your IT administrator if you cannot change a setting.

Additional Tips

  • Keep Outlook updated via File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now.
  • If you use new Outlook for Windows, ensure Background sync is enabled under Settings > General > Privacy and data.
  • For critical meetings, consider also enabling a secondary alert such as a mobile phone notification via the Outlook mobile app.

If you have followed all steps and lock screen reminders still do not appear, please Open a Ticket with details of your Outlook version and Windows 11 build number so our support team can assist.

Still Having Issues?

Need more help? If the issue persists after trying these steps, please open a support ticket and our team will assist you.

💻 Open a Ticket

Related Articles