No more Outlook Lite

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This is your two week warning. Microsoft confirms that “starting May 25,” the Outlook Lite app for Android users “will be fully retired and will no longer provide mailbox functionality.” Time is now fast running out for millions of users.

Microsoft’s advice is simple: “To continue enjoying a secure and feature-rich email experience, we recommend switching to Outlook Mobile.” That means no more access to the lightweight version of Outlook specifically designed for Android.

“Switching to Outlook Mobile” will ensure your secure access to your email accounts continues uninterrupted. But beware any emails that suggest clicking links or downloading new apps. The Outlook Lite deadline is well known and can now be exploited by attackers. Follow Microsoft’s official link instead.

Microsoft watcher Neowin describes this deadline as the “final death date for Outlook Lite on Android." As an alternative to “finding Outlook Mobile manually” in Google’s Play Store, “there is also an Upgrade option inside the Outlook Lite app which will send you off to the Play Store to get the latest update.”

This forced retirement will ire millions of users, but in reality the lightweight version of Outlook was always likely to time out at some point. Designed for under-powered Android phones, this has been battling the increasing complexity and security requirements that now come as standard with email clients.

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As of October last year, Outlook Lite was already semi-retired, with "existing users (able to) continue using the app for a limited time before full retirement.” The impact will now be felt by those with phones unable to tun Outlook Mobile. Accounts won’t delete on deadline day, but email will stop working.

When you switch to Outlook Mobile, Microsoft says, “all existing email, calendar items, and attachments will remain accessible when users sign in.” This consolidation ensures tighter security for all mobile users.