Microsoft’s classic Mail and Calendar apps will be retired in 2024. These apps are being replaced by the new, web-based version of Outlook that Microsoft offers for free. If you use the basic Mail and Calendar apps in Windows 11, you’ll soon see a prompt asking you to try Outlook.
Understandably, some people are attached to Windows’ Mail and Calendar apps. But these programs are pretty outdated. Outlook gives you a ton of great new features, including a modern interface, phishing protection, AI suggestions, the ability to make calendar appointments from incoming emails, more robust search functionality, and easy syncing between your mobile device and PC.
Microsoft quietly announced this change in a support post. It explains that all Windows computers sold in 2024 will use Outlook for email and calendar functionality. Existing users will, at some point, be asked to migrate their information to Outlook—you just press a button, and the software moves your stuff to Outlook.
If you don’t enjoy Outlook, you can reverse this migration to continue using Mail and Calendar. You can also install these apps from the Microsoft Store. But be warned—Mail and Calendar will be removed from the Microsoft Store by 2025. Presumably, Mail and Calendar will stop receiving software and security updates within the next two years.
While this may sound like bad news, it’s honestly a bit overdue. Outlook is a fantastic email and calendar client. It’s shockingly easy to use, and it integrates with the Microsoft 365 family of applications, meaning that it should make work easier if you use Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other “Office” apps.
Source: Microsoft via XDA Developers
