Microsoft Outlook to roll out controversial change to where it places apps

Outlook Client Hero
(Image credit: Future)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft will soon move the location of apps like Mail, Calendar, People, and To Do within Outlook for the web.
  • These apps will soon appear on the left side of the screen, as opposed to the bottom of Outlook as they do now.
  • Microsoft has tested this new experience with users since March 2022, but it will soon become the default experience.

"This update will provide a consistent experience across Outlook, Teams, and Office.com for switching apps and it creates room in the UI for more apps to integrate with Outlook," explained Microsoft in a Tech Community post. "You can easily launch popular apps like To Do, Yammer, Bookings, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint without leaving Outlook, with more to come. You can also customize which apps you see by right-clicking on your preferred apps to pin them."

Microsoft noted that since the new layout adds functionality, that users will not have the option to revert to the previous navigation experience.

The lack of an option has rubbed some users the wrong way. "I would like to request that you find an option for those of use that don't use those other apps/features and like the fact that having the Mail, Calendar, People, Task at the bottom allows for more room in the active window I am using for mail purposes," said terrygage in the comments section of the Tech Community post. Multiple other people echoed similar sentiments.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.

Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.