Mac Users Can Now Get Outlook for Free

Email has become a critical part of nearly every person's daily life. From sending correspondence for work and business to receiving personal emails from friends and family, reliable email access makes a difference in how you live. Recently, Microsoft gave macOS users more access to Outlook, the well-known email app used by millions. Not only can those users access the program, but they can get Outlook for free. It's a change that could be useful for many Apple users.

Get Outlook for Free for Your Mac

In the past, most users have expected to have to pay to access Microsoft programs, whether as a suite or standalone apps. You could either buy an Office license to get Outlook and the rest of the productivity apps or pay for a Microsoft 365 subscription to get Outlook.

Now as Microsoft adjusts the way it approaches its apps, the native macOS Outlook app will be available for download for free, with no extra subscription required. It is important to note that reports say the free version will be ad supported. If you wish to get rid of the ads, you may need to pay a fee to upgrade or get a Microsoft 365 subscription. With or without ads, the majority of essential features should be available.

The free macOS Outlook update comes as Microsoft works on changes to its Windows' based email programs as well. There is an effort to transition those to Progressive Web Apps that can be run on more devices while still offering a more native-like experience for every user. They can also work offline.

According to Microsoft officials, this is only happening with the programs for Windows. When you get Outlook for free for your macOS systems, users will still work with a traditional app. Microsoft doesn't have plans to make the Mac version of Outlook a PWA anytime in the near future.

Best Features of Outlook for macOS

With the new availability of Outlook for Mac users come many useful features that could make it easier to manage emails. The app supports accounts from Outlook, Yahoo, Gmail, iCloud and other IMAP accounts. This means you could integrate several mailboxes for both work and personal use and manage them all in Outlook. Improved functionality has been introduced to make this easier.

Outlook Profiles

A big update planned for Outlook on Mac is Outlook profiles. Users can connect Outlook to Apple's Focus tool. This allows you to customize how you get notifications for emails. As an example, you could load all of your email accounts and designate which are work accounts and which are for personal use. With Profiles and the Focus tool, you can choose to only get notifications from the most important accounts. This reduces interruptions and helps you prioritize the most valuable communications.

Handoff

To make things easier for multi-device users, Microsoft has also introduced the Handoff feature. It improves the connection between macOS and iOS, Apple's operating system for its phones and mobile devices. With Outlook for free installed on both devices and registered properly, users can easily access their accounts anywhere.

This makes it easier to work, especially for people who may not spend most of their day in the office. They can check out documents or other information at their desk, start composing emails there, then seamlessly pick up their work when they leave the office. The same draft emails are available thanks to Handoff, so users get more time and opportunity to work on communications.

Focused Inbox

The macOS Outlook app also gives users greater control over the messages in their inboxes. You can decide which messages are priority and pin them to the top of your inbox. You can also decide which emails aren't worth dealing with immediately and snooze them. This feature makes it easier to stay organized and address the most important tasks first in your day.

The Focused Inbox also has an interactive calendar built in. Called the "Open My Day" tool, this feature opens in the task pane and can show you scheduled meetings and invitations, allowing you to see what's planned for the day at a quick glance.

Other Improvements

In addition to these tools and the benefit of being able to get Outlook for free for Mac, Microsoft has also made some other upgrades to the program. The app has been rebuilt to be faster and sync more quickly, utilizing Apple technology for maximum compatibility. Outlook reminders can now be displayed in the Mac Notification Center, making it easier to stay organized. There are also plans to integrate support for previews for calendar event previews soon.

Expect more improvements to come in the future. Microsoft has said it is rebuilding the Outlook for Mac experience with the goal of making it better for every user. More work will likely happen to ensure better reliability, faster speeds and increased accessibility. Once you adopt Outlook for Mac, make sure to keep your systems updated to access the latest upgrades as they come out.

Be More Productive with Outlook for Free for Mac

Collaborating and managing different email accounts can be a challenge, especially when you deal with different devices and operating systems. The availability of Outlook for free for macOS can help with this, allowing Mac users to access their email in the Microsoft environment easily. Once you add all of your various accounts and start exploring the new tools in the app, you will probably find faster and smarter ways to work.

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