Microsoft is set to retire its built-in Mail and Calendar apps for Windows 11 at the end of 2024. Starting January 1, 2025, users must switch to the new web-based Outlook app, as the classic Mail and Calendar apps will no longer support sending or receiving emails or managing calendars. Microsoft has been signaling this change for some time through pop-ups in the apps.
The company aims to streamline email, calendar, and contact management within the Outlook app, which will be accessible across all Windows devices. While there’s an option to disable the “New Outlook” setting to temporarily continue using the older apps, this will likely only allow limited access, such as viewing emails and contacts without the ability to send or receive messages.
Although the new Outlook app does not yet offer offline access, Microsoft plans to implement this feature soon. Until then, users may notice that the web-based Outlook lacks the seamless integration and offline functionality they’re accustomed to in traditional desktop apps.
For those who want to keep their saved emails, contacts, or events, an export option is available in both the Mail and Calendar apps to transfer data into Outlook or a third-party app.
While Microsoft hopes the new Outlook app will unify user experience, some users find it lacks the cohesive feel of other Windows 11 apps, which could pose a challenge in attracting more people to the latest operating system.