Microsoft Issues Major Update to Outlook for Android and iOS

Microsoft has released a major update to Outlook for Android and iOS, with new conversation and navigation experiences.

“Microsoft has some exciting updates to Outlook on iOS and Android this morning with all new conversation and navigation experiences,” a Microsoft representative told me. “Improvements to scroll and reply functions now allow for more effortless communication, and updates to navigational functions make switching between accounts and folders a breeze. Also announced were forthcoming redesigns to Outlook’s search experience.”

Here’s what’s new.

  • Microsoft has redesigned the conversation experience so that there is more separation between each conversation and you can see more of each conversation at once.
  • When you open a conversation, you will navigate right to the first unread message.
  • A new quick reply feature helps you see the rest of the conversation while you type.
  • You can now switch between accounts and folders more easily than before thanks to a redesigned menu.

In addition to these changes, Microsoft is also discussing some future changes to the Outlook app for Android and iOS. The firm intends to revamp search and make it front and center in a new, simplified menu bar. It will also integrate people and files into search and display suggestions as you type.

“The new accounts navigation and conversations experiences are available starting today in Outlook for iOS with Outlook.com and Gmail accounts,” Microsoft says. “Support for Office 365 accounts will be rolling out in the coming days. The new search experience is coming soon to Outlook for iOS. We’re working hard right now to bring all three of these new experiences to Outlook for Android over the next couple of months.”

 

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Conversation 27 comments

  • John Dunagan

    Premium Member
    12 July, 2017 - 2:48 pm

    <p>This is welcome news – it was awkward to not have an intuitive and immediate way to move to the next email from within the previous one without returning to the folder level. Hope this solves that, and that it's implemented.</p>

    • xperiencewindows

      12 July, 2017 - 3:08 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#143877"><em>In reply to John Dunagan:</em></a></blockquote><p>You can also swipe left or right to view the other emails in the folder.</p>

      • John Dunagan

        Premium Member
        13 July, 2017 - 11:44 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#143901"><em>In reply to xperiencewindows:</em></a></blockquote><p>Doesn't seem to work on my Nexus 6P.</p>

  • Narg

    12 July, 2017 - 2:52 pm

    <p>Outlook seems OK on both iOS and Android. I see a much more usefulness to it on Android where e-mail can be a mess. iOS's built in e-mail is just still plenty good enough. Plus Outlook tends to be a battery hog. So, until they fix the ability to control e-mail checking, and a few other odd things I can already do with the built in or other e-mail apps, no thanks.</p>

    • wright_is

      Premium Member
      13 July, 2017 - 2:50 am

      <blockquote><a href="#143878"><em>In reply to Narg:</em></a></blockquote><p>The biggest problem with the Android version, at least, is that you can't add or edit contacts. If somebody changes there number, address etc. I have to write it down, then wait until I get back to my desk to update it!</p>

  • Peter Vassiliou

    12 July, 2017 - 3:06 pm

    <p>Please let me know when Outlook for Android/iOS supports Exchange tasks and contact pictures. Until then it shouldn't be called Outlook..</p>

    • jvd897

      Premium Member
      12 July, 2017 - 3:46 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#143900"><em>In reply to petvas:</em></a></blockquote><p>(Didn't mean to vote on this comment either way — Paul, please add the ability to undo votes, such as by re-clicking the same arrow. Too easy to tap the wrong thing on a phone.)</p>

    • echorelay

      Premium Member
      12 July, 2017 - 10:39 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#143900"><em>In reply to petvas:</em></a></blockquote><p>So the iOS version shows contact pictures but the Android version doesn't? (I'm using Office 365 fwiw)</p>

    • jeromey

      13 July, 2017 - 2:54 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#143900"><em>In reply to petvas:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>I'm still holding out for "Journal" support.</p>

  • jclarytx3

    12 July, 2017 - 4:17 pm

    <p>Still doesn't sync my iCloud calendars on my iPhone. Does on my Amazon Fire. According to MS support this is a know issue for some accounts. MS has no idea of when it will be fixed. (Maybe never?) </p>

  • Gus Paul

    Premium Member
    12 July, 2017 - 4:22 pm

    <p>I'm still waiting for them to integrate the Sunrise calendar into the app. It was vastly superior to the one they have now. Why did they buy it just to kill it?</p>

  • Martin Pelletier

    Premium Member
    12 July, 2017 - 5:01 pm

    <p>I think Microsoft should leave the OS market. They have more resources on apps on IOS / Android than with Win10.</p>

  • Pbike908

    12 July, 2017 - 5:18 pm

    <p>Does Android Outlook sync contacts yet? I really don't want to take the time to reinstall and test…</p>

    • SvenJ

      Premium Member
      12 July, 2017 - 6:30 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#143995"><em>In reply to Pbike908:</em></a> From your MSA, Exchange, certainly. Don't know about GMail. I don't keep contacts or calendar in GMail. </blockquote><p><br></p>

  • rob4jen

    Premium Member
    12 July, 2017 - 5:22 pm

    <p>Really wish they'd add the option to delete from the Android notification. Archive is useless to me. </p>

  • pwrof3

    12 July, 2017 - 5:45 pm

    <p>I used to use Outlook as my main Mail app on my iPhone, as I got tired of the stale,clandestine stock iOS version. Then I got a new phone and never set up the Outlook app again and have been using the stock app. Looks like I should try it out again.</p><p>Apple's stock iOS apps used to be good enough, but they have really stopped updating or adding useful features over the last few years, especially with Mail.</p>

  • brettscoast

    Premium Member
    12 July, 2017 - 8:17 pm

    <p>Thanks for the heads up Paul this is all welcome news for us android users this stuff works pretty well now and with these updates and new features even better in the near future switching more easily between folders and accounts is something i have been waiting for with baited breath, good stuff.</p>

  • Kjenkins

    12 July, 2017 - 11:58 pm

    <p>2 questions I couldn't find the answer for. Does it still store your password on Microsofts servers,when using your own Exchange server? Does it support shared/group accounts/inboxes? </p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    13 July, 2017 - 2:48 am

    <p>But can you add/edit contacts? How about getting the basics working first!</p>

    • Bill Leigh

      Premium Member
      13 July, 2017 - 5:56 am

      <blockquote><a href="#144203"><em>In reply to wright_is:</em></a><em>you can now on iOS and soon too on android.</em></blockquote><p><br></p>

    • Belralph

      14 July, 2017 - 1:44 am

      <blockquote><a href="#144203"><em>In reply to wright_is:</em></a></blockquote><p>Yeah, that would be nice. I just switched phones so I was motivated to clean up my mess of contact hell only to be unable to edit those coming from my work account attached to Outlook. </p>

  • Lewk

    Premium Member
    13 July, 2017 - 3:12 am

    <p>What about the Windows 10 app? Will it see these features?</p>

  • skramer49

    Premium Member
    13 July, 2017 - 7:41 am

    <p>Tried it, but… when I tried to add my iCloud email account, Outlook said I needed an app specific password because I was using two-factor authentication. I don't use two-factor authentication. Outlook doesn't give me a choice.</p><p><br></p><p>App deleted.</p>

  • Delmont

    13 July, 2017 - 7:58 am

    <p>Now if they'd just block html content by default… you know like every other email client in the world has for the past decade I'd use it.</p>

  • jwpear

    Premium Member
    13 July, 2017 - 10:49 am

    <p>Would so love for them to add the ability to turn off the annoying duplicate notification badges that come up when you unlock the phone. Only way I've found to get rid of them is to disable them entirely in iOS settings. That, unfortunately, means I might miss an important email. I'm seriously thinking of going back to the iOS mail app because of this.</p>

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