Today, Microsoft is announcing some new features that are coming to its Outlook app for macOS. First of all, the company shouted out some improvements to Search & People, support for shared calendars, and more that have been in preview since last summer. Microsoft says that over a third of the total user-base is using the preview.
Outlook is getting support for more accounts, which apparently it didn't have before. On Apple's desktop platform, Microsoft's email app will now support Apple's iCloud service, and it will support Yahoo as well. Also, IMAP support is finally here.
And of course, we have shared calendars, shared mailboxes, and delegation. It's no surprise that these are highly requested features. Microsoft also touted new security features like S/MIME support, and support for Microsoft Information Protection.
Another thing that's new is that you can RSVP to events without leaving your inbox. You'll now see an RSVP button in your inbox. Calendar widgets are here too, something that iOS users have been able to enjoy, and if you're on macOS 11 Big Sur, you can use it on the desktop now.
There are more ways to manage contacts, adding favorites and letting you prioritize your messages by who you want to hear from the most. You'll also find a new contact card with panels for emails and files.
Finally, as mentioned earlier, search is being improved. You'll get saved searches in Smart Folders, which dynamically show search results, meaning that they'll be updated with search results over time.
One thing Microsoft didn't say is when this will actually be available. It's still in preview, and it's just getting more improvements. Interestingly, with over a third of users on the preview, it's becoming more like a shipping product.
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