Outlook for Android and iOS streamlines task switching while composing emails

Streamlined Task Management in Outlook Mobile

Microsoft is enhancing its Outlook mobile application with a practical new feature designed to facilitate seamless task transitions while drafting emails. This innovative update allows users to minimize their ongoing email drafts, transforming them into a discreet icon at the bottom of the screen. This functionality enables easy switching between various areas of the app, such as emails, calendar events, or contact details, without the need to interrupt the drafting process.

Improved User Experience

In the past, users had to close their emails, save them as drafts, and navigate back to the Drafts folder, which disrupted their workflow. The upgrade introduced by Microsoft significantly reduces this friction, making the process of writing emails on mobile devices not only more intuitive but also “less disruptive, ”according to Microsoft’s announcement.

How to Use the New Minimize Feature

The following steps outline how to utilize this new feature effectively:

When composing an email, locate the minimize button in the upper-right corner of the screen—it resembles the familiar minimize icons found in both Windows and macOS.
By tapping this button, your email draft will condense into a small circular icon positioned at the bottom-right corner. If multiple drafts are minimized, a counter will appear on the icon, indicating the number of drafts.
Feel free to navigate to any part of Outlook as needed; when ready to return to your draft, simply tap the minimized icon to restore your email.

Availability and Rollout

This feature for minimizing draft emails is currently being rolled out gradually to users in the Stable Channel for both iOS and Android devices. It had previously been available to beta testers, and Microsoft is now expanding access to all users. Keep in mind that, as part of their deliberate strategy, new features may take some additional time to appear for everyone, ensuring a stable rollout and minimizing the potential for widespread issues.