Microsoft says its Outlook for Mac email and calendar client is now available for free, and it will no longer require an Office license or a Microsoft 365 subscription to be used.
Outlook for Mac comes with support for Microsoft 365, Outlook.com (including Hotmail and MSN), Gmail, Yahoo Mail, iCloud, IMAP, and POP accounts, according to its Mac App Store page.
It’s also been redesigned to match the macOS user interface, and it will take advantage of all the power that comes with Apple’s Arm-based chips.
“The new Outlook is optimized for Apple Silicon, with snappy performance and faster sync speeds than previous versions,” said Outlook PM Jeremy Perdue.
“With our new Handoff feature, you can pick up tasks where you left off between iOS and Mac devices, so you can get up and go without missing a beat.”
Outlook for Mac also lets you keep track of your reminders via the macOS Notification Center and comes with a dedicated widget to help you view your daily agenda.
However, some features, like Handoff, require you to log into your iOS and macOS devices using the same Apple ID.
​Microsoft introduced the new redesigned Outlook for Mac in November 2019 when it was made available for testing to Insiders in the Fast ring, with updated Mail, Search, and Calendar experiences and improved performance.
In July 2020, the new Outlook for Mac reached the Insider Slow ring, allowing testers to use a “New Outlook” toggle in the window’s top right corner to enable the new experience.
Almost two years later, in mid-February 2022, the new Outlook for Mac became the default experience for new and existing users.
“There is more to do and many more features we are excited to bring to the Outlook Mac experience,” Perdue said today.
“We are rebuilding Outlook for Mac from the ground up to be faster, more reliable, and to be an Outlook for everyone.”