NEW YORK: Microsoft has updated Android and iOS Outlook email apps to add an array of new features including unified address book and search directory, Calendar improvements and more.
One of the most notable features making it to the update list is the improved People’s section which now serves more as an address book. The updated People section shows a unified view of all contacts from all email accounts in the app, as well as those stored only on the device. Users can click on a particular contact to email them, start a phone call, map their location, or see previous correspondence.
Using Office 365 or Exchange Server email for work, users can search for contacts in the company’s full organizational directory, also known as the Global Address List. They can even search for conference rooms, distribution lists and Groups using the new Search Directory feature.
“Just type in the name of the person you’re looking for in the search bar and then select Search Directory. We’ve also integrated this same capability into the email compose experience so email within your organisation is easier than ever,” notes Allen Filush, Product Manager, Outlook team.
Outlook’s Calendar section now shows a three-day view in landscape mode, as well as features support for zero-length meetings, ability to remove cancelled appointments and an improved calendar day picker when creating and editing meetings. The update also adds an option to permanently delete messages and brings accessibility and localization improvements.
Furthermore, the iOS Outlook email app now allows users to select all messages in a folder for bulk operations, and highlights search terms in results. The same feature will be coming in an update to Outlook for Android soon.
Microsoft has also announced that it is currently working to add mobile device management support for enterprise users and the ability to read Information Rights Management protected email.
The updated Android and iOs Outlook apps are currently available for download in the respective app stores.
