Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Outlook for Mac combines email, calendars and contacts in a desktop application. It suits personal users managing several mailboxes and teams working with supported Microsoft 365 or Exchange accounts. This package installs the Mac application; Outlook for Windows, mobile and the web are separate clients with different capabilities.

Mail, calendars and contacts

Add supported Outlook.com, Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo, IMAP or POP accounts, or a supported work or school account. Outlook provides mailbox search, message organization, customizable toolbars, swipe and hover actions, themes and display-density options. The integrated calendar supports meeting invitations, availability and RSVP tracking where the connected service supports them. My Day surfaces an agenda alongside the inbox, and the People view manages contacts.

For supported organizational accounts, features can include Teams meeting integration, information protection and administration policies. Copilot and other premium capabilities depend on eligible licenses, accounts, rollout and administrator settings; they are not included simply because the Outlook application is installed. Account providers also differ in their calendar, contact and synchronization support.

New and legacy Outlook

The current Outlook experience differs from Legacy Outlook for Mac. Feature availability, account support and local data handling are not identical, and adding an account in one experience does not automatically add it in the other. Check Microsoft's feature comparison and migration guidance before switching, particularly for on-premises Exchange and older workflows.

Microsoft states that Legacy Outlook stops working with Exchange Online mailboxes starting October 2026 as Exchange Online EWS retires. Its separate Exchange on-premises timeline extends to October 9, 2029 subject to the stated licensing and support conditions. This does not mean every legacy account type stops on the same day, or that a Mac PKG automatically migrates every profile. Use the current supported Outlook experience for Exchange Online and preserve important local data before migration.

Installation and Mac requirements

Install the microsoft-outlook Homebrew Cask or Microsoft's official PKG. The installer places Outlook on the Mac and can require administrator authorization. An alternative is the Microsoft-published Mac App Store application, whose downloads and updates are managed through the App Store. Distribution and activation conditions can differ; use the licensing instructions for your account and installation method.

Current Microsoft 365 and Office for Mac support the three most recent major macOS versions. Microsoft's published lifecycle guidance requires macOS Sonoma 14 or later for updates after the September 2025 generation, and the current Mac App Store listing requires macOS 14.0. Intel and Apple Silicon are supported, with the application optimized for Apple Silicon. Historical instructions mentioning Mojave describe older Outlook versions and are not the minimum for this current package. Older Cask OS variations can select historical unsupported builds rather than the current installer.

The recorded Microsoft_Outlook_16.113.26091740_Installer.pkg is 1,238,047,924 bytes according to HTTP HEAD. That is the standalone installer transfer, excluding installed application size, downloaded attachments and local mailbox caches; it differs from the App Store package size. The Cask disables selection of the bundled Microsoft AutoUpdate installer component and declares conflicts with microsoft-office and microsoft-office-businesspro because those suites also install Outlook. Do not install overlapping Casks to manage the same application. The standalone Cask is a macOS PKG, not a Linux version despite malformed upstream variation entries.

Personal use and organizational licensing

Outlook for Mac is free for personal Outlook.com, Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo and IMAP accounts under Microsoft's current terms. Optional Microsoft 365 subscriptions provide benefits such as an ad-free experience, storage and advanced security according to the plan. These benefits do not turn every third-party mailbox into Microsoft-hosted storage.

To use the desktop app with a Microsoft 365 organizational address, your administrator must assign a license that includes the desktop Microsoft 365 applications. A plan providing only web and mobile access is insufficient for that organizational desktop use. Supported perpetual Office/Outlook licenses and Legacy Outlook have their own access and lifecycle conditions. Outlook is proprietary Microsoft software; free personal use does not grant source-code or redistribution rights. Check current plan terms instead of assuming a permanent price.

Accounts and privacy

Mail synchronization requires credentials for the selected provider and may use Microsoft's synchronization technology for supported account types. Provider policies, organizational controls and Microsoft's privacy terms apply to mailbox and connected-service data. OAuth, multi-factor authentication or administrator consent can be required. Keep credentials private and review any prompt for calendar, contacts, notifications, microphone or file access according to the feature you use. Outlook is a client and does not create an Exchange server or replace the mailbox service subscription.

Official sources: Mac App Store, Account licensing, Legacy timeline, Mac update requirements, Release notes.