Microsoft is giving its desktop Outlook apps for Mac and Windows computers a major facelift in order to make the productivity software resemble its iOS counterpart more.
The Verge reported Monday that the new design will at long last support multitouch trackpad gestures to make email triage faster with features like swiping to delete messages.
Microsoft admits that “MacBooks are popular amongst key influencers and decision makers,” and that the company “needs to win these users by delivering the best Outlook has to offer.”
Other changes coming to Outlook for Mac include:
  • The ability to insert tables into emails
  • An iOS-like navigation panel with quicker access to folders across multiple accounts
  • Faster and more reliable search, now located in the top-right corner
  • An enhanced calendar with fly-outs of info and a better interface for managing appointments
  • A single-line ribbon and a smaller set of default commands (don’t worry, the ribbon still supports your own choice of buttons)
Among the key aims of the redesign effort, Microsoft wants to reduce complexity and make it easier for new and existing Outlook users to navigate the app.
The Windows maker is currently testing this design internally. They’ll eventually make it available to Office 365 subscribers first, and then in Office 2019 updates.