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How to Install and Set up the XQ Add-in from Outlook Desktop

The XQ Outlook Add-in allows you to encrypt messages and attachments directly from your Outlook account.


Install the Add-in

  1. Open the following URL in a browser tab:
    https://outlook.xqmsg.com/latest/manifest-admin.xml 
    In the browser click File and Save Page As to save an .XML file that you’ll upload later.
  2. Log in to your Outlook account. 
  3. Click the three-dots icon. In the menu that opens, click Get Add-ins
  1. In the pop-up window, click My add-ins. Scroll down and click Add a custom add-in. Select Add from File… from the drop-down menu.
  1. Copy and paste the .XML file you previously saved and click OK.

    Click Install on the Warning pop-up window. XQ protects your data and it will never be stored or shared with third parties.

    You will see the add-in under the Custom Add-ins section.

Configure Settings

  1. You have two options for opening the settings menu:
    • From New Message: Click the three-dots icon, select XQ Encryption and then Settings.
    • From Inbox: Select any message, click the three-dots icon, select Read with XQ and then Settings.
  1. The XQ Outlook Enterprise will open at the right side. Click Get Started and then Login and Continue.
  1. Open the email from XQ in your inbox and click Verify Email.
  1. A new tab will open with a page linking to the community. You can close it and go back to Outlook. You will now be successfully logged in. 
  1. Open the settings menu by clicking the three-dots icon inside an email, then XQ Outlook Enterprise and Settings.

Available settings

  • Messages Expire in 1 Week – Use this setting to change your message expiration time from 1 hour to 3 months.
  • Viewable By All XQ Users – With this setting enabled, encrypted messages sent from the Outlook Add-in can be viewed by all eligible XQ Users in your Team Workspace. Click on this setting to change the viewing permissions to Viewable By Authenticated Users if needed. 
  • Use OTP Encryption – By clicking this setting you can change it to Use AES-256 GCM Encryption if needed.
  • Optional Message Password – This setting is optional. If you wish to add a password to your secure emails, you can enter a password in this field. The recipient will be required to enter the password to decrypt the email. 
  • Never Offload Messages – This setting is disabled by default, but it is important to enable it because it ensures that long messages, messages with images in the body, and messages with long signatures are delivered successfully to the intended recipient. It works by storing messages in a user’s OneDrive account and sending the recipient a code to retrieve the encrypted message from the OneDrive folder it is stored in. Only addressed recipients can decrypt and access messages stored in OneDrive folders.

    To enable the setting, click Never Offload Messages and then select Offload Messages To OneDrive. Click Connect Account, and Continue. Finallysign into your Microsoft OneDrive account.

To disable this setting, select Never Offload Messages

You can see the connected One Drive account along with one new option in the settings menu.

  • Offload Long Messages Only – When enabled, this setting offload only long messages to OneDrive. Messages with images or long signatures will not offload to OneDrive if you choose to enable this setting. 
  • Automatically Encrypt Messages – When enabled, this setting automatically encrypts all messages sent via Outlook. 
  • Dark Mode – When enabled, this setting changes the appearance of the XQ Outlook Add-in to Dark Mode. 

Make sure to click Save after changing the settings to ensure your XQ Outlook Add-in settings are updated. 

Warning: The Outlook desktop application is not Chromium Based and can therefore not be made FIPS 140-2 compliant.

Updated on May 28, 2024
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