Outlook for Mac is now Free to Use for All Users

Microsoft has made a surprising move by announcing that Outlook for Mac is now free to use without a Microsoft 365 subscription or Office license. The announcement came as Microsoft pushes to make its Windows desktop Outlook email client more web-powered. 

Now, Mac users everywhere can easily add Outlook.com, Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo!, or IMAP accounts in Outlook and experience the best mail and calendar app on macOS. The Outlook for Mac app complements Outlook for iOS – giving people a consistent, reliable, and powerful experience that brings the best-in-class experience of Outlook into the Apple ecosystem that so many love.

Additionally, Microsoft will add a menu bar peek option to enable users to quickly see calendar entries within the main Outlook for Mac app. The company is also planning to support Apple’s Focus experience with new Outlook Profiles coming soon.

Outlook for Mac: What’s New?

The redesigned Mac email client was launched in 2020, with an interface optimized for Apple's latest macOS design changes. The software is also optimized for M1 and M2 chips and has a macOS widget for calendar entries and native notification center support. This means that the app is even more responsive and user-friendly. Moreover, Outlook for Mac also supports handoff with iOS, allowing you to pick up tasks between iOS and Mac devices.

Microsoft has been testing a new web-powered version of Outlook for Windows 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). Similarly, the new client will also be free (just like Windows Mail) and support a variety of email providers.

Outlook for Mac: Free, Fast, and Reliable

The move by Microsoft to make Outlook for Mac free is groundbreaking, especially as the company is currently in the process of rebuilding its Outlook for Windows app. 

“We are rebuilding Outlook for Mac from the ground up to be faster, more reliable, and to be an Outlook for everyone,” says Jeremy Perdue, a product manager for Outlook for Mac. 

As the company continues to make improvements, we can expect a lot more exciting features and functionalities coming soon.

Microsoft's move to make Outlook for Mac free to use without a subscription is an unexpected but welcome development. The app's new features and functionality, combined with the company's commitment to improving its performance, make it an excellent option for Mac users looking for a reliable email client. 

With the new web-powered version of Outlook for Windows in the pipeline, Microsoft's vision for a more user-friendly and accessible email client is finally coming to fruition.