Outlook failing to run on on Samsung Galaxy A13

[DavidYorkshire]

We are currently trying to set up the first phones out of a new batch of Samsung Galaxy A13 - these are the first of this model which we have tried to deploy.

We use Intune and several apps are installed by this as part of the deployment, including Outlook. We have found that Outlook will not work - it opens, then two or three seconds later it closes again. The following has been tried:

1) Making sure that the phones are fully patched (Android, 12 build number is SP1A.210812.016.A137FXXS1AVJ1)

3) Trying a different A13

3) Setting up the phone manually (i.e. without Intune) and installing Outlook manually

None of the above made any difference. We have also tested a different recent model, the A03s, also on Android 12 (build number SP1A.210812.016.A035GXXS2BVJ2 - i.e  the same version as on the A13). Works fine on that, so appears to be a model-specific issue.

Anyone have any suggestions? We can't think what else to try - it looks very much like some compatibility issue between the A13 and Outlook.

Thanks

[#2]

Same here.
Samsung A10, Android 10, Android 11, Outlook distributed via Intune.
I spent about 3h trying to get it running- restoring to factory defaults, clearing cache, uninstalling / installing app. Nothing.
Few seconds after openning Outlook it closed down.
App version 4.2243.1.
The weird thing is- this app version is working fine on other mobile devices where the profile is already set and running. It seems the problem only exist if there is no account and you want to add it to Outlook.

[#3]

OK, got an A04s here now - not tried Intune yet, but with a test local account it seems to work fine. Outlook installs, runs and I can connect it to an email account. This scenario didn't work on the A13 (Outlook would just close about 3 seconds after opening).

EDIT: Have now Intuned it and it's fine - so the A04s is not affected by the problem, despite having very similar specifications to the A13 (looks to have the same processor).

[#4]

@DavidYorkshire Yes, same problem. No apparent way to repair, and hoping that Microsoft and Samsung will help the situation. Just started in the last week, not earlier in my particular case.

[#5]

I did the following and worked for me:

First uninstall Outlook app,
Then install the older version of outlook 4.2240.1 that is available from the GALAXY STORE.
Finally turn off autoupdates for Outlook ONLY from the playstore
(here is a link on how to turn off autoupdates for a specific app only https://www.phonearena.com/news/Disable-Android-updates-specific-apps_id102881).

So this works. It is a temporary solution until a proper update is released to fix the problem.

[#6]

More to and from with Microsoft support staff, who are dismissive and extremely arrogant. They refuse to address the issue, and are now trying to close the case because we initially raised one through Intune support before we worked out that it was definitely Outlook. I have pointed out repeatedly that it's definitely an Outlook issuee.

Most recent response is next stage up in the support hierarchy, who reply with bold text telling me that we are already being assisted as another ticket is 'active' (Intune just told us to contact Samsung - so no actual assistance).

I've asked again for it to be forwarded to their complaints department - but they seeingly won't do this (or don't have one), and continue to treat us with ignorant contempt.

If anyone from Microsoft is reading this, you need to get a grip of your support staff - they are utterly dire.

P.s. - I've checked the support portal and they did actually close the case. I've reopened it again.

[#7]

Do those fools know that there are a few dozens of people sharing the same problem and reported it in this forum and https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook_com/forum/all/outlook-app-on-android-keeps-crashing-when....

[#8]

I've again posted a link to this thread in the support case (not for the first time!). A different support operative has emailed to say he is looking at the case...

[#9]

Another reply from MS support again this morning, repeating (yet again) that I need to contact in-app support through Outlook. I have explained repeatedly that it's not possible on an affected device, and even on the unaffected ones the option to contact support which is shown on the screenshot in the link they keep sending is simply not there in the phones I am looking at - there is a 'Help' heading and the only option under that is 'FAQs' and nothing else (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/get-in-app-help-for-outlook-for-ios-and-android-218a22d1-...)

Replied asking yet again for it to be escalated to complaints - they never do this, or even respond to it: it just gets completely ignored as if I'd never written it.

Has anyone else got anywhere with their support cases?

It appears that Microsoft support operates in silos with no communication between them or ability to pass cases across, and if a case ends up with a support line which can't deal with it they will just endlessly try to tell you to contact another support team and ignore all explanations as to why that isn't possible / appropriate.

[#10]

I'm still awaiting an engineer response on my ticket (#‎33885461‎) :(

[#11]

i've messaged the developers in the Outlook app on another device to explain the situation and they are aware of the issue and currently working on a fix.

[#12]

We are having the same problem in our trust with hundreds of A13's and im about to order 700 more. M$ need to get this fixed ASAP. I have a lot of unhappy medical staff based in the community.

[#13]

ok, tested on a Samsung a40 (non intune) and it's updated to ver 4.2244.1. Showing as nov 16th on the app date.

[#14]

So I think we have stumbled across a solution to this issue as we had the exact same on our Intune / Knox Samsung A13's.
You can try the below it's worked for us on 3 phones so far:
1. we install the older working version from the Galaxy app store
2. configure Outlook for our user
3. CLOSE ALL APPS on the phone and power the phone fully off
4. Power back on - update Outlook the latest version appears to be 4.2244.1 but do not load it
5. CLOSE ALL APPS again and Power the phone fully off
6. Power back on, load Outlook and it works !!!!! on the new version (also worked on 4.2243.1)

Good Luck!

[#15]

@DavidYorkshire are you seeing the update on your devices?

[#16]

Only one I have to hand immediately is a non-Intune A12. And no - still on version 4.2243.1, and a check in the Play store doesn't find any updates.

[#17]

In the play store tap on the Outlook app and it should be updatable in there. But if you just choose check for updates it does not find it. However since posting we have had a couple of failures now so our earlier optimism is slightly dashed we are continuing to try different fixes.

[#18]

Just checked on a device and it's not appearing yet. I'll try a force sync in Intune for the managed Google Play account.

[#19]

Not showing at the moment - just the usual open / uninstall options. Looking at further details shows the version in the play store as 4.2243.1.

Possibly not rolled out to all Play store users yet?

Edit: Asked a collleague at the site where the A13s are (I'm not there today) to try on one of them too - no change; it's not showing the later version as available in the Play store yet (this one is set up unmanaged for testing).

[#20]

using the above method we did fix it on 4.2243.1 - literally as we were testing we noticed suddenly the Outlook changed to 4.2244.1 but the version update alone did not fix it. 4.2244.1 still crashed for us.

[#21]

@DavidYorkshire 

I ran into this today, we deploy Microsoft Outlook through Intune on Fully Managed Android devices for a customer.

As a workaround, I created a filter to exclude that device model (SM-A137) from the App Deployment. I then removed the Microsoft Outlook App from the end-users device. I then obtained an APK of a version of Microsoft Outlook (You can search for and find this easily enough) about 2 versions previous, from about 2 weeks ago - downloaded and installed that. It got us back up and running for now.

Hope it helps someone.