Microsoft Updates Outlook for iOS With Redesigned Navigation, Conversations and Search

[MacRumors]

Microsoft today announced some major changes to its Outlook app for the iPhone and the iPad, introducing a redesigned conversation experience, improved navigation, and smarter search features that are coming in the near future.

The enhanced conversation design displays more of a conversation on a single screen, and there's clearer separation between each individual message. When opening a conversation to read more, Outlook will bring you to the first unread message, and there's a new quick reply feature that makes it easier to send an email without leaving the main conversation view.

As for the navigation improvements, Microsoft has made it easier to switch between accounts and browse through their folders. The account and folder menu has been tweaked so you can swap accounts with a tap, and the Help and Settings buttons have been relocated to the sidebar to make them easier to access.

In the near future, Microsoft plans to introduce an intelligent search feature (powered by Microsoft Graph) that will make it easier to find specific conversations. A search box will be added to the app's tab bar, so it'll be accessible from anywhere in the app, and People and Files will both be integrated into the search experience.

Microsoft plans to provide proactive suggestions for content, and when searching for a name, your most frequent contacts will pop up first.

The redesigned Outlook app is available today for all iOS users with Outlook.com and Gmail accounts. Support for Office 365 accounts will roll out "in the coming days." As for the search feature, Microsoft says it is "coming soon."

Microsoft Outlook can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Microsoft Updates Outlook for iOS With Redesigned Navigation, Conversations and Search

 

[Pirate515]

Yet it's missing the most crucial feature to me, which is Notifications for Subfolders. The way it is currently set up, it only notifies you for messages landing in Focused and/or Inbox. As far as messages filtered into other folders, no go. Have been asking Microsoft for this since the day Outlook for iOS came out, which is more than 2 years now, and still nothing. Stock iOS Mail app has this from almost very beginning.

 

[itsmilo]

Its pretty ironic that mobile devices are actually capable enough at this point, yet everything is just writing on a white background nowadays

 

[Der Keyser]

I still don't get why they hold on to the serverbased model where they collect all your exchange passwords (if you have more than one) and store those to login to your various exchange servers and fecth your mail to their server.
I'll be damned if I'm ever going to put all my passwords out there waiting for some hacker to grab ALL the passwords for every outlook for IOS user in the world - or even more obvious... have NSA along on everything I do.

 

[JorgTheElder]

I still don't get why they hold on to the serverbased model where they collect all your exchange passwords (if you have more than one) and store those to login to your various exchange servers and fecth your mail to their server.
I'll be damned if I'm ever going to put all my passwords out there waiting for some hacker to grab ALL the passwords for every outlook for IOS user in the world - or even more obvious... have NSA along on everything I do.

You need to do more research before you spew... the passwords are encrypted and the only key to unlock them is stored on your device. If someone gets your device, they only have the encryption key and if they hack the data on Microsoft's server, they only get the encrypted version of the passwords. The unencrypted versions are never anywhere but in memory during authentication.

Outlook for iOS and Android - Info for IT Pros

 

[DrumApple]

Crazy how much more well designed and advanced this app is compared to Apple's native Mail app which is a nightmare - especially for work/Exchange use.

 

[DocMultimedia]

I'll be honest, it's not a bad app when you are forced to use Exchange mail.

 

[dmylrea]

I hope the conversations actually are improved...as it is now, it's sometimes nearly impossible to follow an email conversation due to missing emails.

 

[tkukoc]

Its a good app but the hand holding of passwords is what turns me off from using it for all my email accounts. Only my hotmail account is tied to this. Not much in that one anyway. I love the design of the application and would use it full time for everything otherwise.

 

[btrach144]

Works great with my outlook.com email.

 

[apfelbaum]

Still no setting to block downloading content from external servers, something that EVERY basic email client has, including Outlook on Windows and macOS. No idea why STILL they are unable to put it into the iOS app, but an email client that just loads content from every server and lets every potential spamer know, that the email has been opened is an absolute no-go and should be for everyone.

 

[JorgTheElder]

Its a good app but the hand holding of passwords is what turns me off from using it for all my email accounts.

Every email client needs your auth info to access your data. Their method of storing an encrypted version in the cloud and only storing a unique key on your device is better than makeing your type it ever time or actually storing it on your device.

 

[Jimmy Bubbles]

It’s still garbage. Now it’s just shiny garbage.

 

[tkukoc]

It’s still garbage. Now it’s just shiny garbage.

lol I think it's a bit funny how many times they've revamped the interface to date. It's not that old of a program on IOS but they keep tinkering. In a way it's a good thing but in others.. not so much.

 

[Pirate515]

You need to do more research before you spew... the passwords are encrypted and the only key to unlock them is stored on your device. If someone gets your device, they only have the encryption key and if they hack the data on Microsoft's server, they only get the encrypted version of the passwords. The unencrypted versions are never anywhere but in memory during authentication.

My ex-employer got spooked by this. The day Outlook iOS and Android apps came out, we received e-mail from Corporate Security stating not to use it for Exchange access and those caught doing so ran risk of being fired on the spot.

 

[HaywireTX]

By far the best email app out there!

 

[lunarworks]

Its pretty ironic that mobile devices are actually capable enough at this point, yet everything is just writing on a white background nowadays

It's pretty ironic that printing technology is capable enough yet books are just writing on a white background nowadays.

 

[itsmilo]

It's pretty ironic that printing technology is capable enough yet books are just writing on a white background nowadays.

I dont get it

 

[DeepIn2U]

When will Apple re-emphasis iWork and not kill those like Aperture?

When the HELL will Apple update MAIL for iOS on iPhone/iPod touch vs just the iPad!!!!

Crazy how much more well designed and advanced this app is compared to Apple's native Mail app which is a nightmare - especially for work/Exchange use.

Apple's Native Mail app is horrendous on Mac OS X/MacOS and it's a nightmare to NOT have been updated in years for iPhone!!

I hope the conversations actually are improved...as it is now, it's sometimes nearly impossible to follow an email conversation due to missing emails.

I was hoping to disable conversations!
Even online when you delete an email or all in a conversation should someone reply back ALL come back tot he inbox ... completely stupid!

 

[Glockworkorange]

Microsoft today announced some major changes to its Outlook app for the iPhone and the iPad, introducing a redesigned conversation experience, improved navigation, and smarter search features that are coming in the near future.

The enhanced conversation design displays more of a conversation on a single screen, and there's clearer separation between each individual message. When opening a conversation to read more, Outlook will bring you to the first unread message, and there's a new quick reply feature that makes it easier to send an email without leaving the main conversation view.

As for the navigation improvements, Microsoft has made it easier to switch between accounts and browse through their folders. The account and folder menu has been tweaked so you can swap accounts with a tap, and the Help and Settings buttons have been relocated to the sidebar to make them easier to access.

In the near future, Microsoft plans to introduce an intelligent search feature (powered by Microsoft Graph) that will make it easier to find specific conversations. A search box will be added to the app's tab bar, so it'll be accessible from anywhere in the app, and People and Files will both be integrated into the search experience.

Microsoft plans to provide proactive suggestions for content, and when searching for a name, your most frequent contacts will pop up first.

The redesigned Outlook app is available today for all iOS users with Outlook.com and Gmail accounts. Support for Office 365 accounts will roll out "in the coming days." As for the search feature, Microsoft says it is "coming soon."

Microsoft Outlook can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Microsoft Updates Outlook for iOS With Redesigned Navigation, Conversations and Search

My problem with the app is the way it handles addresses when typed into the "to" field. I experience an awful lag---can almost type the entire address out before anything shows on the screen. Also, searching was always very slow for me.

Not sure if this is due to something server side. Anyone else have these problems? Perhaps this update will fix those issues.

 

[Tozovac]

More blinding white, more hard to read gray.

More low contrast light blue. Oh yay.
[doublepost=1499901342][/doublepost]

It's pretty ironic that printing technology is capable enough yet books are just writing on a white background nowadays.

Well...where justifications could be made regarding things like ink conservation (and its direct effect on cost) as well as bleed-thru if vast swarths of colored images and large varied text/fonts were used in books (and their direct effect on cost if thicker paper was needed), I'll personally never understand the continued fascination with borderless regions of hard-to-read low contrast light gray or light blue thin fonts on overly bright white backgrounds. Seems Microsoft isn't strong enough to break away from following the fad and just sticks to what the cool kids are still doing instead of really introducing something new and actually improved.

 

[SoundJudgment]

Outlook STILL Doesn't have native-support for @icloud.com email addresses???
Are they seriously pushing an Email Client for iOS that can't work with iCloud email-users?
And yet adding @icloud on the Windows Outlook Desktop App is easy as silk. Even Blue Mail handles that with ease on iPhone.
KICKED TO THE CURB AGAIN!

 

[r03dz]

Outlook STILL Doesn't have native-support for @icloud.com email addresses???
Are they seriously pushing an Email Client for iOS that can't work with iCloud email-users?
And yet adding @icloud on the Windows Outlook Desktop App is easy as silk. Even Blue Mail handles that with ease on iPhone.
KICKED TO THE CURB AGAIN!

Definitely does.

 

[Aquaporin]

Do iCloud calendars work in it? That's my biggest holdout from using it. That and I don't mind the mail app.

 

[PizzaBoxStyle]

Use this app as a partition to keep my work exchange email out of my personal email.

Makes it easier to turn the notifications off on vacations and weekends.