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Microsoft is cleaning house by shutting down some of its smaller services. We've already seen the demise of Lens and the Editor add-on for Chrome and Edge. Next on the chopping block is the Outlook Lite app.
Outlook Lite is an alternative email app for Android that first launched in 2022. It was designed to be simple and lightweight, allowing quick access without draining a phone's battery.
As spotted by Neowin, Microsoft has now announced the app will be deprecated by Oct. 6, 2025. In the US, the app is no longer live on the Play Store; PCMag editors in the US and UK are seeing the same removal notice on Google's store.
If you have the app downloaded, Microsoft says it will continue to function after Oct. 6 "for a limited time before full retirement." That means you should switch over to the full Outlook app or find an alternative as soon as possible.
“The Outlook Lite app is being retired so we can focus our investments on the Outlook Mobile app, our flagship Android experience, which provides better functionality and user experience. We recommend transitioning to the Outlook Mobile app, where ongoing development and support will continue," Microsoft says.
That’s a change of tone from last year, when Redmond celebrated over 10 million downloads of Outlook Lite and said it feels a "great responsibility to help you stay connected, stay organized, and accomplish your tasks."
A lot can change in a year. Microsoft might be trying to encourage more users to engage with AI services that are not available on Outlook Lite.