Microsoft Outlook email app becomes free to use on Mac

Microsoft said Outlook for Mac is free to use now. Users can download Outlook from Apple’s App Store on their Mac computer and start using the app without requiring a Microsoft 365 subscription or a license key to unlock features. The Outlook app is a part of the Microsoft 365 subscription. Both Windows and Mac users can install the Outlook.com Progressive Web App to access the email client for free, but it does not support native features that you otherwise can access using the Outlook app.

You can access your Microsoft account, including Outlook, Hotmail, and Live, Gmail account, iCloud account, Yahoo account, and account with any other email service provider that supports IMAP — all for free on a Mac. Microsoft had redesigned the Outlook app for Mac in 2020 to make it look in synergy with macOS changes.

Microsoft has also optimised Outlook for Mac computers using M1 and M2 chips. There is a new macOS widget for calender schedules and native support for macOS’s notification centre. Microsoft’s email client on Mac also supports iOS handoff, allowing you to resume working from where you left off between an iPhone, an iPad, and a Mac.

Outlook for Mac will soon get the Profiles feature to let you connect add email accounts to Apple’s Focus options. This will help you minimise unwanted notifications at the wrong time so you can stay focused on what you set the profile for. The app would also let you quickly take a peek at calendar entries using a menu bar.

Microsoft told The Verge that it will “continue building and maintaining best-in-class native apps on macOS and iOS.” That means Microsoft is not planning to introduce Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) for Outlook for Mac. “We are rebuilding Outlook for Mac from the ground up to be faster, more reliable, and to be an Outlook for everyone,” said Microsoft in a blog post.