Outlook for Android iOS is Updated with Skype Call Scheduling and More

An update to the Outlook apps for Android and iOS this week adds Skype Call scheduling, new calendar features, improved navigation, and more.

Note: I briefly mentioned this app update in yesterday’s Thurrott Daily, but for iOS only. As it turns out, some of these features are “coming soon” on Android.

Note: If you’re a Windows 10 Mobile user, you’ll be getting Skype Call scheduling in”a future update for Outlook Mail,” Microsoft says.

Here’s what’s new.

Skype Call scheduling. When you create a new event in Outlook calendar, you will see a new Skype Call option. When enabled, Outlook will create a new Skype Call, complete with its own custom URL, so that everyone who is invited to this meeting—multi-user events are called meetings, by the way—can join via Skype. (And as Microsoft notes, meeting attendees do not need a Skype account to attend a Skype Call: They can simply use Skype for Web instead.) Note that this is for Skype consumer only: Skype for Business support is coming soon.

Two-week mini-calendar view. Outlook calendar has been updated with a new two-week mini-calendar view. To see more, just swipe on that mini-calendar at the top and you’ll get a full month view. (This feature is available now on iOS and coming soon on Android.)

3-day view in calendar. In addition to the previously available Agenda and Day views, Outlook Calendar now supports a 3-day view too. (This feature is available now on iOS and coming soon on Android.)

Improved navigation. New to the Android version only, Outlook now sports a new navigation bar that lets you quickly access the app’s Mail, Calendar, Files and People sections from anywhere. (Previously, you had to go into the side menu, I believe.) The iOS version of the app already works like this.

Other request-driven updates. I don’t believe these are new to the latest version of the apps, but Microsoft says it has added many other features to Outlook for Android and iOS “over the past month.” These include: contact push, save files (to Android), Set Automatic Replies, Calendar widget (iOS), Print (iOS), and 3D Touch support (iOS).