Just weeks after releasing the new Outlook for iOS and Android, Microsoft is giving its new email app an update with some handy new consumer and business-friendly features.
"We promised to deliver updates to Outlook every few weeks and we've been listening closely to your feedback," the Office 365 team wrote in a blog post Tuesday. "Today, we are happy to share some of the features we've added over the past two weeks."
On the consumer side, Microsoft said the update delivers on some of the top feature requests it's received, including the ability to sync mail from other email providers that support IMAP, like AOL.com and Comcast.net. Whenever possible, the app uses IDLE, a feature that allows IMAP email users to immediately receive any mailbox changes without having to click refresh, so you should get a push-like experience with most accounts you sync. If the IMAP server doesn't support IDLE, Outlook will sync every few minutes.
On iOS, you can now turn off the feature that automatically organizes your email into conversations where all messages with the same subject line are grouped together. By disabling this feature, you'll see each email individually in your mailbox. To do so, go to Settings > Organize Mail by Thread and toggle your desired preference. If you're on Android, you'll have to wait a little longer for this capability, but Microsoft said it's coming.
Speaking of Android, those on Google's mobile OS can now customize swipe gestures, a feature previously exclusive to iOS. Just head over to Settings > Swipe Options to configure left and right swipe gestures for easier email management.
"Outlook's swipe gestures make rapid email triage literally a one-touch experience," the team wrote. "You can swipe right or left to take actions like archive, delete, move, flag, mark as read/unread or schedule."
Meanwhile, the update also brings a few new IT controls for business customers, including PIN lock support. Outlook now implements password enforcement using Exchange ActiveSync, so if your company email policy requires devices have a password to sync mail, the app will enforce this at the device level.
Microsoft also made some improvements to allow for quicker remote wipe executions, which can now happen within seconds. Once executed, the app will reset and all email, calendar, contacts, and files will be removed from the device and the cloud. It's not a device wipe, however, meaning it won't affect any of the user's other apps or information.
Head over to Google Play or the App Store to download the latest version.
For more, check out 6 Cool Things in Windows 10 in the slideshow above, as well as Hands On: Windows 10 Technical Preview for Phones.