Outlook for Mac is now free and can be used without a Microsoft 365 subscription

Microsoft announced that Outlook for Mac will be free starting today. That means users won’t require a Microsoft 365 subscription or additional license to use it. The decision comes after redesigning the mail client to take advantage of the power of Apple’s processors.

Outlook for Mac offers the same features as the Windows version, like support for multiple iCloud email accounts, Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook.com, and more. Users can access a unified tray and a general search across all accounts. Key to the calendar, contacts, and files is also provided.

What differentiates the version of Outlook for Mac is that it is optimized for Apple Silicon and integrates other functions, such as widgets for the calendar, reminders in the notification center, and a mini-app to display your schedule in the taskbar. Menu. There is also support for Handoff, where you can switch from the iOS app to macOS to continue working where you left off.

Microsoft confirmed that it is working on other features that will be released in the future. Outlook profiles are one of them and allow you to connect email accounts to Focus. By doing so, you will not receive personal email notifications, so it will be easier to focus on work and vice versa.

Outlook for Mac has a design similar to mobile applications, so it won’t be tough to adapt if you already use them. Microsoft confirmed that Outlook for Mac is a version redesigned from the ground up to take advantage of the features of Apple’s operating system. Judging by today’s announcement, the technology company is committed to positioning its email client to integrate AI-powered functions.

Outlook and other Microsoft apps will embrace AI

The multi-billion dollar investment in OpenAI and Bing’s debut with ChatGPT are just a glimpse of what Microsoft is planning. The technology is testing the GPT model in various Office suite applications. In the case of Outlook, the idea is to improve search results based on the context provided by the user in the search bar.

According to The Information, integrating ChatGPT in Outlook would help us compose an email without much effort. It is enough to say, “Write an email explaining that I am on vacation,” the AI ​​will do its magic, similar to what we currently see with other texts. Artificial intelligence will also be able to suggest responses to emails based on the content of the email.

While having an AI assistant to compose emails or filter spam sounds appealing, implementing it has several challenges. The first of these is privacy, as Microsoft needs to ensure that its artificial intelligence operates without compromising the personal data of its users.

Apple is an obstacle for apps with ChatGPT.

The second challenge is Apple, which recently blocked an email client with ChatGPT. The Wall Street Journal reports that those in Cupertino delayed approval of the latest update to BlueMail because it featured the popular chatbot. The reason? Apple believes that it might display content that is inappropriate for children.

BlueMail uses ChatGPT to compose emails, add calendar events or chat with its AI. Apple offered as an alternative that the app would increase the age restriction to 17 years or older. Otherwise, it would have to include a content filter. Given this, the developer assured that they already had a content filter and declared that restricting the app would limit its distribution.

Apple has always stated that it must ensure the security of its products in the App Store. The idea of ​​delaying the approval of apps with ChatGPT, like BlueMail, will make sense if we consider the controversy of Bing and its AI that lost control. However, some believe that this brake would also affect the development of this technology.

While the AI-powered version of Outlook is coming, users can download the client for macOS from the App Store.