Insiders can now try Outlook’s all new search experience
Published Sep 13 2017 09:00 AM 13.9K Views
Microsoft

Update Feb 28, 2018 - The new search experience is now fully rolled out to iOS and Android

 

We’re releasing a preview of our new, more intelligent search in Outlook for iOS and Android, announced in July, to Outlook Insiders. This update is designed to help you find the information you're looking for more quickly and efficiently.


We've made search front and center, giving it its own tab in our new simplified navigation bar. No matter where you are in the app, whatever you're looking for will be just one tap away: the venue of tonight's concert, your flight's exact departure time, or that file your boss needed in her inbox 5 minutes ago.

 

To get an invite, please join the Outlook Insider program. In a few days you’ll receive an email from TestFlight with a link to the pre-release app. We can’t wait for you to try out the new experience and let us know what you think! You can reach us anytime through the in-app support channels.

 

Here's an overview of what’s new.

 

Let us do the searching
The new search experience provides you with contextual information right away, without the need to first type in a search box. As soon as you tap on the Search icon at the bottom of the screen, you will have access to your top contacts, upcoming travel itineraries, package deliveries and recent attachments.


Pro tip: Tap on a contact’s picture to quickly search for messages from that person or access their contact card.Zero Query.pngA universal search
With the updated search experience, you can search for emails, files, and contacts in a single search box at the same time. This covers all your accounts, from work to personal, so you can rely on one location to find what you need fast.


Pro tip: You can jump directly to typing in the search box by double tapping on the search icon in the tab bar.

 

Results.png

  

Improved filters
To help you narrow down the search results more quickly, we introduced filters in the search results. If you have multiple accounts connected to Outlook, you can focus your search a single account. You can also filter your results to only show emails with an attachment.


Pro tip: If you have a specific account selected in Mail, Search will auto filter your results to that account

 

Results.gif

 

New location for Contacts and Files
We’ve simplified and streamlined your experience in the app so that you can find content you care about quickly, and from one place. The Contacts and Files experience have been integrated into the Search tab, so that with a same number of clicks or less, you can get to emails from a contact, details about a contact or create a new contact.


Pro tip: If you want to browse your full list of contacts or files, simply tap the headers of those sections.

 

We want to hear from you!
Please give the new experience a try and let us know what you think. To share your feedback with us, go to Setting > Help & feedback > Contact support.


Don’t forget to sign up to our Insider program for access to our TestFlight build. Once you submit the form, we’ll get you enrolled and in a few days, you’ll receive an email from TestFlight with a Microsoft invitation link to the pre-release build. Let us know in the comments below if you run into any issues.


Thanks!
-The Outlook team

8 Comments
Brass Contributor
I have an Android phone
Brass Contributor

Signed up, looking forward to checking it out! 

Brass Contributor

Do I just sign up for the linked Apple Trial?  I just did let's see what happens now

Copper Contributor

(s) 

Copper Contributor

Signed up, looking forward to checking it out too!

Bronze Contributor

When is this coming to Android?

Gold Contributor

Has this gone live now?  If/when so, a pointer from here to that article will/would be ideal.

Copper Contributor

Oulook for ios does not allow for search an email on specific folders.... ¿Who designed this non-feature?

Version history
Last update:
‎Jul 26 2018 09:05 PM
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