The Outlook Mail and Calendar apps are finally getting a significant update on Windows 10 for PC and Mobile. The update is now available for everyone running the latest version of the operating system and it brings much needed functionality and user-interface changes and new personalization configurations with dark theme option.
Making Windows 10 better also includes improving its built-in apps, since Microsoft released its operating system, the Outlook Mail and Calendar apps had fall short on features and design. In addition, there are still various problems and inconsistencies, such as email not syncing, crashes, unable to see at glance the number of unread messages when using multiple accounts, and there wasn’t much personalization options.
While previously, the new changes were only available for Insiders, today Microsoft is now rolling out a major update for its built-in Mail and Calendar apps for everyone.
The new update addresses a number of issues in the Mail app around multiple email accounts. Instead having to click Accounts to jump between email accounts, now you’ll see a list of every email account directly in the left pane.
Perhaps the best addition is that once again you can see how many unread messages you have to go through per email account similar to the Mail app for Windows 8.1.
Below the accounts you’ll see the Folders location that houses every folder of the account you have selected, it can be a little confusing at first, but you will get the hand of it.
Microsoft is also adding new personalization options. Now, when you click the Settings button, a new Personalization option appears that replaces the “Background Picture” functionality.
Inside the new Personalization options, you can choose from a variety of custom color schemes, just like you can do in Windows 10, and Microsoft is adding options for you to choose between a “Light theme” or a new “Dark theme” to match the dark theme in the operating system.
Furthermore, the most interesting option is “Background”. In the new update for the Outlook client, you can set a background picture that covers the entire application or like before, you can simply show a background picture when there are no emails selected.
The Mail app currently have to sample images, but you can click the Browse button to choose your own picture.
Additional changes include:
Under Options, now there is a Digital Signature, S/MIME Encryption, and an option to “Automatically download external images and style formats”, which will help to minimize data usage for those with capped internet connections and further enhance security.
Because the Outlook Mail and Calendar are universal apps, the same improvements and more can be found in the versions for Windows 10 Mobile. For example, users will get the dark theme on the mobile version of the apps, which you can change at any time.
There a new menu design changes when clicking the ellipsis menu button in the bottom-right corner, and you’ll find the Settings button here too.
When opening a menu, the bar slides over instead of pushing the canvas to the right. The Forward & Back buttons are now moved to the right, the Compose new email has been pushed to the left, and Search and Select have also been changed.
The Calendar app also has been updated for Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile, but the only change you’re going to notice is the dark theme.
Update September 30, 2015: This article has been updated to reflect that the changes are now available to everyone and not just Insiders.
Via Windows Central
