14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is internally testing an update to its Outlook email client for Windows and macOS in an attempt to improve usability and simplify the interface with more customization options offered to users.
The purpose of the macOS version of Outlook is to bring it in line with the iOS user interface, which has already received a visual makeover in July this year.
But what Microsoft wants to do is offer just a single-line ribbon with only a few buttons included by default, but with options to let users choose what controls they wish to see every time they launch the email client. A revamped left navigation panel will also be included with quick access to folders.
iOS-like features
And because it’d be specifically optimized for each platform, the new macOS client will come with support for trackpad gestures in order to provide access to features similar with those on iOS. For instance, users would be able to quickly delete emails by simply sliding left or right, as it’s currently possible on iPhones.
The new Outlook app will also feature improved search, which will reportedly be faster, as well as new calendar with flyouts for quickly opening specific entries without actually launching a new window.
The bigger goal here is to win the Apple ecosystem and not necessarily users looking for a powerful email client. The Verge writes that Microsoft is going after “key influencers and decision makers,” so by offering them a powerful email app on their MacBooks, they could become interested in more Microsoft solutions, including those aimed at iOS.
At this point, Microsoft is already testing the new version of Outlook for both Windows and macOS internally, but there’s still no word as to when it could be released to users. The cited source claims it’s likely to be included in the upcoming Office 2019, and Office 365 subscribers should be the first receiving it sometime in the near future.
