Microsoft is working on a beautiful new redesign for the Outlook desktop app

Microsoft is finally working on a new look for the Outlook desktop app. Outlook 2017 is a powerful email client for both Windows and Mac, but the user-interface of the app is quite cluttered across the two operating systems. The app doesn’t share any resemblance with the modern Outlook mobile apps on Android and iOS. It also doesn’t have the modern user-interface that’s coming to Outlook.com.

At Ignite 2017 last month, Microsoft quietly showed off what the company is working on for the Outlook desktop app. Microsoft showed off a new screenshot of the refreshed user experience for Outlook on Windows, which you can see above. There’s a new ribbon design which is completely customizable, and the overall design of the app looks much cleaner and a lot more beautiful than Outlook 2017. The new design also makes the user-interface of the app similar across all of your devices, especially with the new sidebar which was introduced on the Outlook mobile apps a few months ago.

Microsoft is also working on a refreshed experience for Outlook on the Mac, and the redesigned experience here looks a lot different from the classic Outlook desktop design. The design does look similar to a lot of the other email clients that are available for the Mac, and Microsoft says the new design is “authentically Mac”. Here’s a screenshot:

Microsoft didn’t share a lot of details about the upcoming redesign for Outlook on the desktop, and it’s not clear when the company is planning on shipping the new design. It’s possible the new Outlook will be part of Office 2019, which is set to arrive next year.

Thanks for the tip, Will Wilson!