Microsoft has made Outlook for Mac available for free today. Outlook is now available for free in Apple’s App Store, and you no longer need a Microsoft 365 subscription or an Office license to use it. It’s a surprise move that falls in line with Microsoft’s push to make its Windows desktop Outlook email client more web-powered.
Outlook for Mac includes support for Outlook.com accounts, Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo, and any email provider with IMAP support. Microsoft has redesigned its Mac email client in 2020, with a user interface optimized for Apple’s latest macOS design changes.
Outlook for Mac is also optimized for M1 and M2 chips and has a macOS widget for calendar entries and native notification center support. Outlook for Mac also supports handoff with iOS, so you can pick up tasks where you left off between iOS and Mac devices.
Microsoft will also add a menu bar peek option soon to quickly see calendar entries within the main Outlook for Mac app. The software maker also plans to support Apple’s Focus experience with the new Outlook Profiles coming soon.
Microsoft’s move to make Outlook for Mac free comes as the company is in the midst of rebuilding the Outlook for Windows app. Microsoft has been testing a new web-based version of Outlook for nearly a year, with plans to combine the Windows Mail app and Outlook for Windows into one email client. The new “One View” app is Outlook.com as a Progressive Web App (PWA). Like Outlook for Mac, this new client can also be free (like Windows Mail) and support different email providers.
Microsoft appears to be preparing to rebuild its Outlook for Mac client in a similar way. “There’s more to do and more features that we’re excited to bring to the Outlook Mac experience,” said Jeremy Perdue, a product manager for Outlook for Mac. “We rebuilt Outlook for Mac from the ground up to be faster, more reliable, and to be an Outlook for everyone.”