Microsoft launches Outlook Lite for low-powered Android phones

Microsoft has launched its lightweight Outlook Lite Android app, which is suitable for low-end Android devices and regions with data connectivity issues. The app has a download size of less than 5MB compared to more than 80MB (depending on the device) for the regular version.

The app is currently available in select countries including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Mexico, Peru, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and Venezuela. Microsoft said it will consider adding more countries to the list in the future. The company added this app to its Office 365 roadmap in June, so this launch hints toward a broader release.

Users can access emails, calendars, and contacts for Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, MSN, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Exchange Online accounts.

The firm claims that the Outlook Lite app is suitable to run on devices with less than 1GB RAM, and 2G or 3G network connectivity. It said that the app is also optimized to consume less battery.

“With Outlook Lite, our goal is to make Outlook more accessible to users who are on lightweight mobile devices across the world empowering them to achieve more,” the company said in a blog post.

Microsoft joins a plethora of lightweight apps designed by other companies meant for low-powered Android devices including Facebook Lite, Instagram Lite, TikTok Lite, Spotify Lite, and Pinterest Lite.

Microsoft is also testing a new Outlook app for Windows with a new design and collaborative features.