Microsoft announced a redesign for Outlook on macOS back during its Ignite conference in November 2019. The refreshed design not only brought improvements to the UI, but also to performance. The Redmond giant then began testing the new Outlook soon after with users in the Fast Ring of the Office Insider Program. The app has received multiple tweaks and enhancements, further improving the functionality.
Now, the company is rolling out the redesigned Outlook app for macOS users in the Slow Ring. Users can toggle a switch present in the top right corner of the app to enable the new design. The changes also include enhancements to the calendar, the People section, and search. Microsoft says that the new mail client is built on the same sync technology as the Outlook clients across other platforms, making it “fast” and “reliable”.
The new and improved search experience is powered by the same engine that “powers the Office 365 experience”. There are new features in the new mail and event compose functions, letting users easily access the formatting bar, set a location of meetings, and more. Other significant changes include the addition of a unified mailbox, support for add-ins, actionable messages via adaptive cards – akin to what is present on mobile – for quick actions, a revamped People view, and more. There have also been updates to inbox rules and the send button position in recent builds.
The firm is working to bring mailbox delegation – a feature that lets users in an organization manage and edit others’ schedules – and shared mailboxes to the app. It also lists S/MIME support as “coming soon”.
It must be noted, however, that the new Outlook on Mac is available for Office 365, Outlook.com, and users of Google accounts on macOS 10.14 Mojave and above.