Update (8/28/19 @ 2:20 PM ET): Microsoft is officially rolling out dark mode in its Outlook email app.

Dark mode gets a lot of people drooling for the sheer improvement it brings to the aesthetics of any app. Google has been building support for a system-wide dark theme, starting Android Q, along with APIs to help developers integrate a dark mode in third party apps. Many of Google's own apps such as Google Keep, parts of the Google app, Photos, Files, and most recently Google Fit have also started receiving inbuilt dark theme toggles. Microsoft, which has been vying to woo Android users by baiting them with promises of Android-Windows sync, has also been working on dark modes within its apps and Outlook, the email client, should be one of the earliest in the line.

As per Windows Central, they were able to dig up official renders pertaining to Microsoft Outlook. These renders show up dark mode in the Calendar feature, the Inbox, and the Search menu inside the Outlook app for both – Android and iOS. The dark theme can be switched on using a toggle button inside the navigation drawer (hamburger menu) or using the dedicated "Themes" option in the app's Settings.

microsoft outlook dark mode

We are not sure about the availability of the dark mode in the Outlook app. Given there's no official word from Microsoft on this yet, we can expect a beta phase before the feature actually arrives for all the users.

Notably, both the desktop application and the web app for Outlook already have a dark mode and so does the Mail app on Windows 10. Since the Windows Phone interface had had the option to switch between light and dark themes right from the beginning, we know Microsoft's inclination towards this flexibility. With Google and Apple both embracing inherent dark modes in Android and iOS, Microsoft appears to have a good chance of vending its apps to users by billing the dark mode as a crucial feature. We also hope that also prevent Microsoft from slipping ads to the users in unusual places outside of their apps.


Update: Rolling Out

After Microsoft's dark mode for Outlook leaked in July, the company is now officially rolling out the update to its Android app. In fact, Microsoft will be bringing dark mode to its entire fleet of Office mobile apps: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePiont, OneDrive, and Planner. It all starts today for Outlook on Android and iOS. You can read about Microsoft's design process, which has taken over a year, in the Medium post below.

Microsoft Outlook Developer: Microsoft Corporation
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Source: Medium | Via: The Verge