In August of 2022, Microsoft first launched Outlook Lite for Android smartphones. It was developed and released as a very small (5 MB) app for budget Android phones in certain parts of the world, but it was later released worldwide. In April 2023, it was revealed that Microsoft was working on adding a way for Outlook Lite to send and receive SMS messages.
Today, Microsoft has confirmed that the long-awaited SMS feature is now available in the latest version of the Outlook Lite app. In a blog post, Microsoft mentions this new feature is also available worldwide. All users have to do is update the app from the Google Play Store and then tap on the icon that"s labeled "SMS." They will then go through the usual permission menus, and finally, the SMS Outlook Lite app feature will be enabled.
Microsoft added:
With SMS on Outlook Lite, you can enjoy the convenience and security of sending and receiving SMS messages from your Outlook Lite app. SMS is integrated with your email, calendar, and contacts, so you can stay in touch with your contacts in one app.
Microsoft is not done yet with adding SMS functions to the Outlook Lite app. The company said it is working on some additional related features it will add to the app sometime in the future. That will include things like integrating SMS more with Outlook Lite"s email, calendar, and contact features.
Microsoft is also looking into putting in cloud backups of the SMS messages in the Outlook Lite app. Finally, the blog mentions that the SMS feature will get some "enhanced security features," but details about these features were not provided.
In December 2023, Microsoft revealed that the Outlook Lite app had exceeded 5 million downloads from the Google Play Store since it launched in August 2022.