Microsoft is making Outlook for Mac free to use today. Outlook is now available for free in the Apple App Store, and you no longer need a Microsoft 365 subscription or Office license to use it. It’s a surprising move that coincides with Microsoft’s push to make its Windows desktop Outlook email client more web-based.
Outlook for Mac supports Outlook.com accounts, Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo, and any email provider that has IMAP support. Microsoft 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 items and native notification center support. Outlook for Mac also supports transfer with iOS, so you can pick up tasks where you left off between iOS and Mac devices.
Microsoft will also soon add a view menu bar option to quickly see calendar items in the main Outlook for Mac app. The software maker also plans to support Apple’s Focus experience with new Outlook profiles coming soon.
Microsoft’s move to make Outlook for Mac free comes just as the company is rebuilding the Outlook for Windows app. Microsoft has been testing a new web version of Outlook for nearly a year, with plans to combine the Windows Mail app and Outlook for Windows into a single email client. The new “One Outlook” app is essentially Outlook.com as a Progressive Web App (PWA). Like Outlook for Mac, this new client will also be free (just like Windows Mail) and will support several email providers.
Microsoft appears to be gearing up to rebuild its Outlook for Mac client in a similar fashion. “There’s more to do and many more features that we’re excited to add to the Outlook Mac experience,” said Jeremy Perdue, a product manager for Outlook for Mac. “We’re rebuilding Outlook for Mac from the ground up to be faster, more reliable, and an Outlook for everyone.”
