14 DAY TRIAL // If you’re using a new version of Windows and rely on Outlook.com for your messaging needs, then here’s something that’ll probably come in handy.
The latest Chrome 92 update (Microsoft Edge is also sporting similar functionality in the latest version) allows users to configure Outlook.com as the default email handler when installing the official PWA in the browser.
Spotted by WBI, the new feature is powered by a new implementation called URL Protocol handler registration for PWAs, which essentially means that other PWAs could eventually come with similar options on systems where browsers packing such functionality are installed.
The feature works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Windows 11 just around the corner
If you enable Outlook.com as the default email app, you can then change the configuration from the settings app. In Windows 11, the settings app has received a redesign, just like the rest of the operating system, therefore becoming a little bit more straightforward.
Windows 11 is the new operating system that is just around the corner, with Microsoft projected to finalize its development at some point this month.
The rollout to production devices will begin in early October.
The Mail app isn’t getting a major facelift in Windows 11, and to be honest, I still think that alternatives like the fully featured Outlook app or Thunderbird are way more powerful on Windows devices.
This is why relying on Outlook.com as the default mail handler could actually make sense for some, especially given an advanced email client still isn’t offered as part of the native Windows experience.
To use Outlook.com as the default email handler, just make sure you’re running an up-to-date browser, and when you load the PWA, you should see a notification at the top of the screen to let you enable this functionality on your device.