iOS and Android users who really love Outlook are in luck today: Microsoft launched a new app bearing the name of its popular professional-grade email client on the iOS App Store and Google Play Store.
Users will be able to manage their inbox alongside their calendar in the new mobile app, in much the same way that they can with the desktop version of Outlook. The app also includes support for scheduling emails, so that users can set them aside, and then have them return after a set amount of time away. The app also serves as a viewer for files stored in a user’s OneDrive, Dropbox and Google Drive accounts, which they can then attach to any of the messages that they send.
Both apps are available for free, and don’t require an Office 365 subscription to access any of the features, unlike Microsoft’s slate of other Office apps for iOS and Android. This Android app is still in preview, which means that users may experience some bugs during their use of Outlook.
This isn’t the first time Microsoft has offered an email app for the platforms, but it is the most widely accessible. The company also has an Outlook Web Access app available, but it requires a working Office 365 Business subscription to work.
It’s based on Acompli, the email app Microsoft acquired in December for a reported $200 million. The Acompli app has been pulled from app stores, though existing users can still choose to continue their use of the product. Any future improvements to the features introduced by Acompli will be made in Outlook instead, so people who want to stay on the cutting edge will have to switch.
There’s a long road ahead for this version of Outlook – Acompli CEO Javier Soltero said in a blog post announcing the new apps that the company is working hard to integrate with Microsoft, and more features will be coming soon.
“There is extraordinary power and untapped potential across all of the Office 365 technologies, and we think an extremely compelling and beautiful e-mail app will provide one effective portal to tap into it,” he said.
The announcement of mobile Outlook comes as Microsoft also revealed its version of Office for Android Tablets is now generally available and out of preview.
