Microsoft today updated its Outlook.com app for Android with four new features, including server-side search and vacation replies. You can download the new version now directly from Google Play.
Microsoft says this is a “significant update” to the app, that delivers (some of) the features its users have asked for. The company has been collecting feedback and requests for this app since its last update in April, and has made over 150 improvements, plus the new features listed below.
First and foremost, server-side search has been added to let you search through all of your email, even if the messages aren’t on your phone. A new option lets you search Outlook.com if you can’t find them locally.
In the same vein, there is now an option to download all your messages, regardless of how old they are. In other words, if server-side search doesn’t cut it, you can just grab all your emails so you can read (and search for) them offline.
Microsoft has also added support for aliases, meaning you can now send email from all your aliases via the Android app, just like in the Windows 8 mail app or on the Web. There are also new colors (you can pick from 11) and vacation replies, which let you set what to say when you’re unavailable.
The official changelog on Google Play isn’t very representative of what’s actually new, but it does add a bit:
- Support for Android OS 2.2.
- Smaller font size.
- Recipients can see the sender name instead of just an email address in mail sent from the app.
- Various bug fixes.
Microsoft today also revealed that Outlook.com mobile usage has tripled from what it was a year ago, with 68 percent of users accessing the service on mobile devices. The company still has a long way to go: the Android app is very basic, though today’s release is certainly progress.
See also – Microsoft finally adds IMAP and OAuth support to Outlook.com and Microsoft apologizes for three-day Outlook.com outage, says caching issue was to blame
Top Image Credit: Eric Piermont/Getty Images
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.