• Microsoft Outlook receives an update on iOS and Android platforms.

Microsoft Outlook receives an update on iOS and Android platforms. (Photo : Reuters )

Even though, Google has upgraded the address book with Android 5.0 Lollipop update, it still lacks efficiency. The new update for Microsoft's Outlook app aims to solve this problem by offering a full featured address book.

Microsoft rolled out the latest version of the Outlook app on Android and iOS platforms. The latest version introduces some unique features including select all option, additional local languages and better accessibility. However, the most important feature is the contacts view which is now a list of card entries that unifies the name using multiple sources. The app will automatically find similar names across the Android device, the web as well as Outlook contacts database to bring them under one roof, Android Central reported.

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When users click on a particular contact, it will open up a detailed page where they can call them, send them a text message, e-mail or even share files with them. The ability to do a lot of actions in a convenient interface may convince users to start using Outlook contacts for all their requirements and move away from Android's default contacts view.

Similar features have been rolled out to the iOS version of Outlook which also integrates a better search directory. It makes it easier for people on iPhones to type and search a name which will be retrieved from their local contacts or even from their previous e-mail messages. The search feature is no longer restricted to Outlook contacts. 

The app has also received a feature where users will be able to undo bulk operations. In case they have archived or deleted a large number of mails at the same time, it can now be retrieved. The update now allows users to permanently delete content from the trash folder, according to the official Microsoft Office blog.