Outlook.com Android App Update Brings Full Downloads And Server-Side Search

Microsoft's Outlook.com has been available to mobile users for a while, allowing them to access their Microsoft-centric email from a mobile device. Today the company has rolled out a new update for its Outlook.com for Android app, bringing some features and functionality that Android users have been requesting. This brings the app up to version 7.8.2.

Perhaps the biggest change is the new server-side search functionality, which allows users to search for a message even if it isn't located on the smartphone or tablet. This is particularly essential for those who use Outlook.com as their primary service, with business users and such requiring access to all of their data no matter what device they're using at the moment.

Also added is another much-requested feature — the ability to download all of the inbox's messages on a mobile device rather than a limited amount. Users now have the option to download messages in the following increments: 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, and unlimited. Though the feature is slightly redundant now that server-side searching is possible, it is still handy for offline needs and archival purposes.

Rounding out the update is the ability to use aliases from the Android app, as well as the inclusion of 11 new color options, allowing users to personalize their app. Vacation replies can be managed from an Android device now, functioning in the same way it does on Windows 8 and on the Web. The update is available now from the Google Play Store.

SOURCE: Office Blog