What you need to know
- Microsoft announced several new features headed to Outlook across all platforms.
- New bits include the ability to schedule emails, "Play my Emails" on Android, and more.
- Some of these features are rolling out now, while others are expected to drop later.
As more people are working from home than ever, Microsoft is, apparently, looking to help them keep a more effective barrier between work and life with Outlook. The company debuted several new features across all platforms today. Some, like "Play my Emails" on Android, have been expected for some time, while others are wholly new.
On the mobile side of things, Outlook fans on Android will now be able to catch up on meeting information, including relevant files and email messages, in one spot on their calendar. A new "JOIN" experience in Outlook mobile will also let you join meetings in services like Zoom and Webex with one tap from an invitation.
Meetings can also be set to be automatically created online in Outlook for mobile and the web, so the Teams link will always be available from the invite.
In you calendar, you can now add personal events to your work calendar and have the times for them automatically show you as busy. You'll also be able to see your personal and work calendars side-by-side so you can better schedule meetings.
In Outlook mobile, Microsoft is adding on to suggested replies with options to send your availability or schedule a meeting when someone wants to set up a meeting with you. You'll also now be able to schedule a specific time for your emails to be delivered, allowing you to compose one whenever the need strikes without worrying about bothering the receiver.
On mobile, Microsoft is adding the option to create a task from Outlook and then manage it in Microsoft To Do. Further, the option to highlight part of an email message and add it as a task is also now generally available.
Finally, the "Play My Emails" feature has been available on iOS for some time, and it's now rolling out to Outlook on Android. The feature lets Cortana read your new email messages to you so you can quickly get updated wherever you are without focusing on your phone.
Outlook is a multiplatform email client and calendar app that allows you to send and receive emails through all of your accounts and stay up to date on your schedule.
