Microsoft is building a new Outlook app for Windows and Mac powered by the web

Microsoft is building a universal Outlook client for Windows and Mac that volition as well supercede the default Post & Calendar apps on Windows x when ready. This new client is codenamed Monarch and is based on the already available Outlook Web app available in a browser today.

Project Monarch is the finish-goal for Microsoft'south "One Outlook" vision, which aims to build a single Outlook client that works across PC, Mac, and the Spider web. Right now, Microsoft has a number of different Outlook clients for desktop, including Outlook Web, Outlook (Win32) for Windows, Outlook for Mac, and Mail & Calendar on Windows 10.

Microsoft wants to replace the existing desktop clients with i app built with web technologies. The project will deliver Outlook as a unmarried product, with the same user experience and codebase whether that exist on Windows or Mac. Information technology'll too take a much smaller footprint and be accessible to all users whether they're free Outlook consumers or commercial business customers.

I'm told the app volition feature native Os integrations with support for things like offline storage, share targets, notifications, and more. I empathise that it's 1 of Microsoft's goals to brand the new Monarch client feel every bit native to the Os as possible while remaining universal across platforms past basing the app on the Outlook website.

Over a twelvemonth away

Microsoft volition begin to preview its new Monarch client towards the end of this yr, with plans to replace the Mail & Calendar apps on Windows 10 sometime in 2022. Microsoft besides wants to supplant the legacy Win32 Outlook client, but that is a goal which appears to be much farther out and will exist a gradual procedure as the legacy client is a mammoth that is not easily replaced.

Those curious nearly how this experience will expect and feel can install the Outlook Spider web app via your web browser today. Of grade, that won't provide yous with all the integrations Microsoft has planned for the Monarch client, but it does requite a general idea of the kind of experiences you can wait to accept when using information technology.

The Mail & Calendar apps on Windows 10 are in maintenance manner betwixt at present and when the Monarch client is ready to replace them. I'm told that the existing apps will go a minor UI update later this year to bring them in-line with other UI updates going on with Windows 10's big Lord's day Valley update, but the apps themselves volition eventually exist replaced by Monarch.

It's worth noting that these plans are still over a year away from coming into upshot, so things may alter between now and and then. In the meantime, what are your thoughts on Monarch? Let usa know in the comments.

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