Microsoft is releasing a new smaller and faster Outlook Lite app for Android this week. The lightweight version of Outlook is designed to have a smaller app size, faster performance, and lower battery usage, all while including the core features of the regular Microsoft Outlook mobile app.
Outlook Lite is approximately 5MB in download size and says Microsoft “uses extremely low storage on your phone.” It has been optimized to run fast on all Android devices, even those with only 1GB of RAM. As it is a bit lighter, it uses less phone resources and will save battery usage. More importantly, it is designed to work well on all mobile networks, including the 2G and 3G networks that are still used in many countries worldwide.
Microsoft makes Outlook Lite available in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Mexico, Peru, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and Venezuela . Outlook Lite will support Outlook.comHotmail, Live, MSN, Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Exchange Online accounts.
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Meta was one of the first major tech companies to create a thin version of its original Facebook app for Android. Facebook Lite appeared in 2015 as just a 1MB app, aimed squarely at developing markets. Google followed with the “Go” series of lightweight Android apps, including Gmail Go in 2018.
Microsoft says it’s introducing Outlook Lite to make its mobile email app “more accessible to users using lightweight mobile devices around the world,” according to Pradeep Elavarasan, Microsoft’s senior product manager.
Microsoft is also continuing to test a new Outlook app for Windows. The new app is in testing and is based on Outlook on the web. It will eventually replace the Outlook app for Windows in the coming years.
