Microsoft has been working publicly on the “new Outlook” for a good year now, internally the project is of course taking much longer. Now the mail app for Windows 10 and Windows 11 is slowly being prepared for its farewell.
Simple, but functional – this is how the Mail app could be described to do justice to both perspectives: Some people like to use it because it serves its purpose, for others it is something of a symbol for the fact that Microsoft’s “universal apps” never had the potential to build really “mature” software with it (the OneNote UWP, although also buried in the meantime, is certainly good as proof to the contrary).
The “new Outlook”, already available as a preview under Windows, is largely web-based and the Outlook web client was the inspiration for the design of the new Windows version. The mail app will also be replaced as part of this project, and more and more users are currently being given the opportunity to try it out. As with the “big” Outlook, you can use a switch to switch to the new version (via FireCube, MSPU)
Switch to One Outlook toggle in UWP Mail app suggests One Outlook will be new default Mail app#Windows11 pic.twitter.com/wsk0Rg0ma8
— FireCube (@FireCubeStudios) January 20, 2023
However, the test works a little differently than with the Outlook client. If you activate the preview switch in the mail app, it will still be available and usable, instead the new Outlook app will be installed, which is essentially a progressive web app and is currently missing a few functions – such as the option to to store a third-party mail account and to use the app “offline”. According to Microsoft, however, it is already working on this and other features.
It’s not certain yet, but as in the case of the OneNote Universal App, I assume that the Mail App can still be used after its official replacement until October 2025 (end of support for Windows 10).
About the author
Martin Geuss
I’m Martin Geuß, and as you can see, I feel at home in the Windows world. For 15 years I’ve been letting the world know what’s on my mind about Windows and other Microsoft products, and sometimes it’s interesting. The most important motto of my work is: From me – for you!