Microsoft wants you to stop using the UWP Mail app and switch to the new Outlook as soon as possible, but there’s a catch – the new Outlook doesn’t work offline properly. In our tests, we noticed that the new Outlook web app doesn’t come with most of the features people like and always needs an internet connection.
Microsoft has noticed these shortcomings and is working on bringing full-fledged offline support to Outlook Web. As spotted by Windows Latest, Microsoft’s roadmap page confirms that the new Outlook will soon let you access your emails even when your PC isn’t connected to the internet.
The Outlook web app will locally maintain a copy of your emails, calendar events, and contacts on your device. This will allow you to access all the existing conversations and data without connecting to the internet. Key actions like flag, move, delete, and compose messages are also available in the offline mode.
All these new features will begin rolling out in June 2024, and it could be a while before you see them on your PC. Microsoft says the update will be rolled out gradually, but nobody knows when the rollout will be finished.
The new Outlook app is still not as good as classic or legacy Outlook or even the Mail and Calendar apps.
The roadmap doesn’t list any upcoming support for COM add-ins or fix the missing POP3 support.
Microsoft will add support for the .PST file, as mentioned in its official document, but there isn’t a specified date for it. The old Outlook app appears more useful if you need all these Outlook features.
Mail and Calendar app will disappear soon.
The new Outlook app will soon replace the UWP Mail & Calendar apps. We highlighted Microsoft’s intentions when it started forcing people to use the new Outlook when they launched the UWP Mail & Calendar apps.
The official end date for the Mail and Calendar app is 31 December 2024. After that, the Redmond giant will permanently remove it from the Microsoft Store. Windows 11 24H2 ships without Mail & Calendar apps.
If you don’t want to ditch the Mail and Calendar app, save a copy of the existing version, but remember, it’s likely some features will eventually stop working in the UWP version.
Microsoft is also introducing add-ins for Outlook’s Android app and Copilot to simplify text generation.
What makes you dislike the new Outlook? Let us know in the comments below.
