Microsoft is working on a new version of Outlook, may replace built-in Mail and Calendar apps

The company is also said to be hosting the full web version of this new Outlook online.

Microsoft Windows. (Unsplash)

Recently we heard that Microsoft is planning to bring a major change to its Windows 10 operating system by overhauling the start menu and other UI elements. However, that's not all. The company is now said to be testing a new Outlook app that will probably replace its built-in Mail and Calendar apps on Windows 10.

The app is being codenamed as “monarch” and One Outlook, and is a new version of “Outlook designed for large screen experiences” according to a leaked version of the app, mentioned by a Twitter user (via The Verge).

It has been mentioned that the leaked app is not functional without a full internal Microsoft account. The One Outlook app is said to replace desktop (Win32 and UWP) versions of Outlook, Outlook Web Access and the Mac OS desktop client.

Not sure which
laptop to buy?

Hmmm pic.twitter.com/iY2QUJKNs1

— Richard Hay (@WinObs) January 4, 2021

The company is also said to be hosting the full web version of this new Outlook online.

Needless to say, the leaked app is in early state and even Microsoft warns employees that it's currently designed for “brave dogfooders” and does not include an offline mode. For those unaware, “dogfood” is a term used by the companies to test early versions of their own code. 

It is not for sure when exactly this final version of Outlook will arrive to the masses. However, Windows Central reports that this will enter a bigger testing program by the end of 2021, which means it might reach every Windows PC in 2022.

In a separate report it has been mentioned that Microsoft is testing a new feature “voice launcher” that will allow users to interact with apps and files using voice commands. The feature is not available to all users.