Microsoft Garage launches Outings travel companion app on iOS, Android

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
published

Microsoft's experimental Garage division has launched its latest mobile app, Outings.

Microsoft Outings is intended to act as a digital travel guide, offering up a selection of interesting places to visit based on your interests. As first spotted by Microsoft leaker WalkingCat on Twitter, the app is now available on Android (opens in new tab) and iOS (opens in new tab) after having been discovered in testing earlier in 2017.

Upon firing up Outings, you'll be asked to select from a huge range of topics and landscapes you're interested in. After choosing from options like marine life, leisure activities, and night skies, Outings will then serve up a list of places you may be interested in checking out on future trips with a card-like interface. You can save ideas to make a bucket list of places to visit, or just share options with friends.

Here's a look at what to expect, according to Microsoft:

  • Stunning images: Let photos give you an immediate feel for the whole adventure that awaits you.
  • Get inspired to explore: Choose topics that interest you and swipe through travel stories tailored just for you.
  • Save and share with friends: Instantly save your next trip to a folder for safe keeping. Share them with friends and family on social media, so they can be inspired and you can get trips on the calendar.

Outings certainly looks like an interesting option if you're bitten by the travel bug. If you want to check it out, Outings is now available to download for both Android and iOS.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster
Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the Editor in Chief for Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. Got a hot tip? Send it to daniel.thorp-lancaster@futurenet.com.

19 Comments
  • Sounds similiar to google trips.
  • Have any of these garage apps reached a decent number of active users?
  • Microsoft Launcher started as a garage app, and was popular enough to turn into an official MS app.
  • Sign in via Facebook or Google account only on Android. Interesting...
  • Saw that. Can't sign in with Microsoft account. I'll pass.
  • As per usual Microsoft - not available in South Africa!!
  • If it makes you feel better can't be used in the UK to
  • FWIW, The Netherlands neither...
  • Same goes for Groove (and Spotify), Surface products, Cortana. The list goes on
  • Microsoft has no synergy at all.
    Wen on Windows?
  • Microsoft sees no reason for a third platform. They are winding Windows down.
  • US only? Not available in my country, says the Store.
  • This app makes me miss the awesome Travel, Food and Health & Fitness Windows apps that launched with Windows 8. Those apps are some of the best quality Windows apps ever, even though they are now old and gone forever.
  • Agreed, it's such a shame that Microsoft decided to butcher their own apps and services. Now I basically don't have any reason to have a Microsoft account. Cortana is much weaker as a result too. Imagine it would collect all that travel,food, health and fitness data and the wonders it would be able to do. It would be much much much more useful than it is now
  • Microsoft is a software company. Why can't they release software and applications on devices already using their own OS? If Microsoft can't even commit to developing for Windows 10, how are they supposed to expect to get other developers to code for it?
  • First of all this is a garage app. Most of the times these garage apps are made to be tested and if they are well received they usually get taken back and then it either becomes an official app or baked into the OS itself. Microsoft launcher on Android for example originated as a garage app before becoming "official." Whatever the cloud clipboard was called started as a garage app and then was taken back to become integrated into windows 10. Second of all, I forgot what my second point was but will add it if it comes back to me.
  • Not available in Germany? Strange habe app
  • Not available in my region..
  • One of the Garage apps I miss with not having a Lumia now is Sensie.