Outlook Lite surpasses 10 million downloads globally in under two years

Outlook Lite, Microsoft’s “lightweight” email and calendar app, has gained quite a following in just under two years. In a blog post, the Redmond-based tech giant announced that the application, designed for users with less powerful devices, such as those in developing countries, has now been downloaded over 10 million times.

That’s a tremendous achievement if you consider that Outlook Lite reached 5 million users just eight months after its inception. It doubled that number in just eight months, and we think we know why.

The Outlook Lite app, available on Android, is just 5MB. This makes it easier to install on devices with lower storage and uses less data—useful in regions where data plans are more limited.

Microsoft says it’s also worked to ensure Outlook Lite runs smoothly on devices with less processing power — something that can’t always be said for the more extensive original Outlook app.

The app was updated earlier this year with multi-account support and SMS integration, which added basic text messaging features to the email app. The app now supports a range of email providers, including Google and Yahoo, and can be used with or without a Microsoft account.

As we wrote then, Microsoft’s strategy with Outlook Lite seems to be twofold. The company hopes to attract users in growth markets like India, where smartphone ownership is increasing rapidly. But at the same time, it’s also trying to win over users in more developed markets who are fed up with heavy, cluttered email apps.

Microsoft hasn’t said whether it plans to bring Outlook Lite to other platforms like iOS. Still, if the app’s performance on Android is anything to go by, it seems like a solid alternative to other email apps, even if you’re not using a budget device.

Have you tried Outlook Lite? Let us know what you think in the comments.