Microsoft Outlook users may have mixed feelings about this update.

Microsoft has announced that it has begun to send out the new performance-focused version of its Outlook email software to personal account users. Previously available solely to business users. The new “One Outlook” desktop software, codenamed Project Monarch delivers a clean, minimalist visual consistent with the Windows 11 design, as well as associated programs such as Calendar and Contacts. Importantly, the program includes the option to handle Gmail, Yahoo, and other inbox feeds from Outlook. It is a bonus for anyone who has numerous email accounts with different service providers.

Ads come to Outlook

Although many Outlook users, particularly those on less capable hardware, will enjoy the slick new version and added capabilities, their joy may be dampened by other developments. According to the technology news website – The Verge, Microsoft is starting to include more advertisements in the Outlook inbox feed across iOS and Android apps.  Outlook users could avoid ads on mobile previously. Now they are disguised as genuine emails to promote clickthrough by combining all the mails for the single inbox experience over the tab option (old version). The tab option is used to separate the most essential emails from other messages.

However, in recent months, Teams parent company has begun to insert advertisements into the single inbox feed as well. It means that customers will have no option except to subscribe to Microsoft 365 if they wish to avoid advertising. Users have flocked to Twitter and Reddit to express their displeasure with the move, as well as leaving one-star ratings on the Apple App Store listing. Overall, Outlook users are conflicted about the service’s direction. On one hand, Microsoft appears to be attempting to create a more consistent inbox experience across all devices, but it also appears that the corporation is no longer ready to offer a free ride to anyone reluctant to pay for a full subscription.

Over these last couple of months Microsoft is rolling the dice on various products and not all of them are a complete hit; adding ads to the inbox is one of them. With so many amazing improvements to Microsoft products, it’s time that we accept the ones that we don’t like, as the software giant will make it up on this with another much-needed capability to its products.