Microsoft is developing a new version of the Outlook for Windows application and plans to use it to replace the existing mail and calendar applications. However, the specific timing of this plan has caused opposition from users.
Initially, Microsoft sent a message to Microsoft 365 administrators that the new version of Outlook would replace the Mail and Calendar apps starting in September 2024. However, this timing was met with some user dissatisfaction, and Microsoft then sent another message saying that it was “re-evaluating the timeline.
Now Microsoft has posted a new article in the Microsoft 365 messaging center stating that it won’t replace the Mail and Calendar apps with Outlook until sometime “late next year. This vague timeline suggests that Microsoft still hasn’t given a firm date and that it may take some time before a decision is made.
The article also says that while Microsoft 365 and Office 365 subscribers will have access to the new Outlook for Windows app, users without a subscription “will need to manage their email and calendar in the web version of Outlook” after the Mail and Calendar apps are phased out. “. This may seem like an odd decision, as some users may only want to use the Outlook for Windows app as a desktop email client, Microsoft has in fact released the latest version of the Outlook app for Mac computers and does not require a Microsoft or Office 365 subscription.
There’s still a lot of time before all these changes are implemented, so Microsoft may make some additional adjustments to its plans in the coming weeks or months.
