Microsoft has been working on a new Outlook for Apple computers since 2020. Since last year, the redesigned e-mail client has been available to all users. And after yesterday it is surprisingly free. The company eats it she released for everyone, no longer requires a Microsoft 365 subscription.
The new Outlook for Windows, which is currently being prepared, will also be free. But it is built on a web basis and will correspond to what the Outlook.com web client offers. But Outlook for Mac is a native application tastefully designed to fit into the operating system.
It has a modern airy look with translucent elements and a dark/light theme switcher that can be controlled by macOS settings. Outlook supports system notifications, even has a widget or Handoff function to synchronize work between macOS and iOS/iPadOS. And there is also a widget for the top bar (menubar) showing the agenda from the calendar or the possibility to create user profiles. Outlook for Mac is paradoxically given better care than Outlook for Windows.
Free Outlook is available in Mac App Storeeventual on the Microsoft website. Some users are reporting that it hasn’t updated yet and still requires a subscription. I can’t verify this because I already had Outlook installed and I also have a subscription. The app requires macOS 10.14 Mojave and higher.
Microsoft promises that Outlook for Mac will continue to remain a native application and will not be created as a PWA like the one for Windows. This will not make his work easier and he will develop two different products at the same time. After all, the version for Mac is still not finished and does not have all the functions that the original program had or that the existing large Outlook for Windows has.
There is still no support for local folders (all messages are online only), contact lists, flagging or setting reminders. Notes or tasks are not part of the app, but just links to the website. Import/export of .olm and .pst files is also missing. But all this should arrive this year.
