Back in September last year, Microsoft revealed that it was adding certain features that would work without the internet. At the time, the company introduced offline support for mail actions and compose.
Microsoft seemingly hinted at that time that more offline features would be added in future updates, as it stated, "The first set of offline capabilities in the new Outlook for Windows. Mail, calendar events, and contacts will be stored on your device, so you can view them even when you're not connected to the internet."
For some reason, though, the ability to locally store Mail, calendar events, and contacts was delayed until the company finally reiterated it earlier this year in June. The entry was the same under Microsoft 365 (M365) feature ID 178030. However, Microsoft never really disclosed why the release date was pushed back.
Regardless, fast-forward to today, and the company is adding more offline features, which was Microsoft's original intention. The latest entry on the Microsoft 365 roadmap is related to offline Outlook application booting, which is a welcome addition, especially for those who still prefer Classic Outlook.
The entry says:
Outlook: Offline app boot
This introduces the ability to open or restart the new Outlook for Windows when not connected to the internet. Previously, you needed a connection to the internet to open or restart the new Outlook. Offline access is only supported when the app is already running and then goes offline. Opening and restarting the app while offline will be introduced with this rollout.
The entry is listed under ID 414516, and Microsoft states the feature will begin rolling out this month in October 2024. However, do note that it has already been slightly delayed, given that it was initially added on September 3, 2024.
The message has also been published on the Microsoft 365 Admin Center dashboard under ID MC907098.
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