Microsoft Outlook’s new email client for Windows, the so-called “One Outlook” project, the company has been working on for some time, seems almost ready for prime time. Some users first managed to download the new app spotted before Windows Central, although it appears to only work for work and education accounts at the moment. Those who can get in find… well, it’s exactly what you’d expect.
We’ve been hearing for a long time that the future of Microsoft’s mail clients will look a lot like the Outlook web app, and in fact, the new app seems to be just that. It’s much lighter and simpler than previous versions of Outlook for Windows and much more powerful than the built-in Mail app that it’s also set to eventually replace. The entire app is hosted online as well, as Microsoft continues to move its services to the web rather than running them exclusively as native apps. (Microsoft did not respond to a request for comment.)
Microsoft’s new One Outlook email client has leaked. It’s a web-based version that will eventually replace the built-in Mail app on Windows and even win32 Outlook itself. I expect a public beta in Build and a complete replacement of Outlook in a couple of years. Photo: Timmy pic.twitter.com/6c3aqxC7L9
– Tom Warren (tomwarren) May 6, 2022
The app was reportedly supposed to be in testing in 2021, with plans to eventually replace other customers this year. Now, it seems likely that Microsoft will officially announce the new app at the Build Developer Conference at the end of this month and will move on to replace Mail, Calendar, and eventually other versions of Outlook after that. As for how it works? We’ll have to wait to get our hands on the new app to see, but it’s safe to say that desktop apps that serve as web app shells have a bit of a choppy history. But with Microsoft’s long-running push for progressive web applications, the future seems to be coming one way or another.
The transition won’t be easy since many Outlook users have a long history of the way the app works, and a cleaner, more consistent web app-based experience will feel like a huge departure. Which means, at least for a while, that Microsoft will likely continue to provide multiple versions of Outlook to users. But her way forward is clear: In the future, there is only one look. It starts with the web.
“A fan of social media. A researcher passionate about pop culture. analyst. Cured meat. Wicked lover of food.”