Microsoft changes its strategy for Apple users!
Microsoft changes for Apple. The Redmond company has announced that its email application, Outlook for Mac is now available for free through the Mac App Store. Previously, a Microsoft 365 subscription or an Office purchase was required to use the email client.
Microsoft claims that this change would be a useful plugin for Outlook on iOSas it supports actions like sending draft emails to mobile devices, and will also include an upcoming profiles feature that will integrate with Focus profiles on macOS. Thus, in case of receiving personnel while you are working, you will not be distracted, as well as you can disconnect from work when you are outside of your working hours.
No excuses to try Outlook on Mac
Outlook for Mac supports email accounts from several third-party services, including Gmail, iCloud, and Yahoo. In this sense, the company hopes to stimulate the adoption of Microsoft 365 and Office with this measure and improve the performance, reliability and accessibility of the application.
Regarding this update, Michael Palermiti, Associate Product Group Manager for Outlook stated:
The new Outlook for Mac is a native macOS app. Microsoft plans to continue building and maintaining best-in-class native apps on macOS and iOS. Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are not planned for Mac Outlook.”
Microsoft has stood out for its good work in updating Outlook for Mac, especially by adapting the design of the user interface to Apple’s macOS modifications. In 2020, the app introduced a custom toolbar instead of the classic Office ribbon.
Like other Office apps, Outlook for Mac is compatible with the MacBook M1 and M2, as Microsoft has optimized the app for these chips. In addition, the application includes a widget and access to the notification center. Apple’s transfer feature, which syncs apps between macOS and iOS, is also available in Outlook.
And obviously, you can continue working on the classic functions like migrating your emails from Gmail to Outlook and vice versa from Mac.
Although there are few notable email clients for Mac, such as Mozilla’s Thunderbird, the free availability of Outlook might appeal to those who want to try other options.