Is the Outlook app for IOS and Android really free?

If you’re a 365 user you should definitely try the native Outlook mobile app for Android or IOS. It comes packed with great features which trump the pre-installed mail reading apps in both the Apple and Google operating systems. Not to mention the most surprising fact that Outlook for mobile is free, well kind of…

You can download Outlook from the Apple app store or from the Google Play store and not pay any money for it. However, if you read the licensing terms and conditions (which you agree to at the time of installation), it clearly states:

You may install and use one copy of the software on an iOS-based device that you own or control for non-commercial use purposes, unless you have commercial use rights under a valid commercial Office 365 subscription or as may be otherwise licensed.

Basically, what the above translates to is that Outlook for mobile requires a eligible 365 license for legal commercial use. So it’s free for non-commercial use, which is great for all students, teachers and housewives; for the rest of us who actually work with Outlook (no offense intended to the aforementioned demographic groups) we are required to have a proper 365 license in order to use it legally.

For more information please see the Outlook for IOS/Android FAQ page.

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