Fix Outlook Tasks Showing 'This Computer Only' and Not Syncing
Question details
User is experiencing an issue where Outlook tasks appear as 'This computer only' and fail to synchronize across devices, including Outlook online, Microsoft To Do, Android, and iPad.
- Product
- Microsoft Outlook
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to sync Outlook and OneNote tasks across multiple platforms and mobile devices for integrated task management.
- Observed behavior
- Tasks are labeled as 'This computer only' inside the desktop Outlook application and do not upload or sync to Microsoft To Do or other connected mobile devices.
Before proceeding, verify your current email account type by opening Outlook and navigating to File > Info > Account Settings to see if your account is labeled as IMAP/SMTP.
Migrate Tasks to an Exchange-Based Account
Switching from an IMAP email account to an Exchange-based account enables full synchronization of tasks, contacts, and calendars across all devices.
The 'This computer only' tag appears specifically because you are using an IMAP account configuration. The IMAP protocol was designed solely for syncing email messages and fundamentally lacks the capability to synchronize non-mail items like tasks, contacts, or calendars with a server.
To resolve this sync issue with Microsoft To Do, Android, and iOS devices, you must use an Exchange account. If you do not have a business Exchange account via Microsoft 365, setting up a free personal Outlook.com account will provide the exact same synchronization capabilities for your tasks.
If you don't already have one, sign up for a free Outlook.com account via a web browser to serve as your task synchronization hub.
Open your Outlook desktop application, click on 'File', select 'Add Account', and follow the prompts to sign in with your new Exchange or Outlook.com email address.
Go to 'File' > 'Open & Export' > 'Import/Export'. Select 'Export to a file', choose 'Outlook Data File (.pst)', and select your 'This computer only' tasks folder to back them up safely.
Use the same Import/Export wizard to import the .pst file you just created, ensuring you select your new Exchange account's task folder as the final destination.
Open the Microsoft To Do app or the Outlook app on your Android or iPad device to confirm your migrated tasks are now appearing and syncing in real time.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I force my IMAP account to sync tasks in Outlook?
No, the IMAP protocol inherently only supports email synchronization. You cannot force it to sync Outlook tasks, calendars, or contacts. You must use an Exchange-based protocol (like Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 Exchange) to enable these features.
How do I back up my 'This computer only' folders before changing accounts?
You should export these local items to a PST file. In Outlook, go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export, choose 'Export to a file', select 'Outlook Data File (.pst)', and specifically select the tasks or contacts folders marked 'This computer only'.
Will switching to an Exchange account fix my missing contacts and calendar events too?
Yes, adding an Exchange account (such as a free Outlook.com account or a Microsoft 365 Business account) natively supports syncing contacts, calendars, and tasks across all your devices and online web apps seamlessly.
