On Monday, a report suggested Microsoft had converted its Outlook on the Web email app for Office 365 users was becoming a Progressive Web App (PWA). Later, Thurrott also reported that the consumer version of the same service, Outlook.com, is also getting the PWA treatment.
Outlook on the Web is for commercial users on Office 365, while Outlook.com is a consumer fronted version.
The PWA trail started when user reports emerged suggesting Outlook on the Web had an “Install” button for a PWA version. Thurrott checked the reports and sure enough, the button was there. A quick look on Outlook.com showed the same install button in place.
It is worth noting the change seems to only be available on the Microsoft Chromium Edge Canary channel. The Beta channel is not yet showing the change. That means it will be some time before the PWA choice comes to Beta.
A PWA is a regular web page that can be used like a traditional or mobile application. They load like a regular page but can offer things like offline support, launching from the home screen, and push notifications.
Google Integration
This is the second piece of significant Outlook.com news in as many weeks. Last week, Microsoft announced full Google app integration on the client.
Specifically, Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Drive will be available directly in Outlook on the web. Users can link their Google Account to Outlook.com, allowing, Gmail, Drive documents, and Google Calendar to appear in Microsoft’s client.
