Microsoft Working on 'Flow by Outlook' Lightweight Email App for iOS

Google may soon not be alone in reworking its email app (with Inbox by Gmail), as Microsoft, after launching its Outlook app for iOS and Android, is now also said to be working on a lightweight Outlook email client app called Flow.

The app, which is designed to let users experience "rapid email conversations on your phone with the people who are important to you", is said to be limited to the iPhone for now. Flow will assist the flagship Outlook email app, as mentioned by the download page of the app first spotted by a Twitter user, @h0x0d.

The page also adds that Flow would only show those conversations that users initiate within the app and not the whole Outlook Inbox. The app removes subject lines, salutations, or signatures to offer users a fast conversation in real-time. Microsoft is yet to confirm Flow's existence and its launch date.

As ZDNet points out, Microsoft's "Flow by Outlook" seems to act as a similar app like Qik is for Skype. Skype launched its Skype Qik app for Android, iOS and Windows Phones in October last year. The app is a lightweight video messaging and IM service through which users can send 42-second long video messages more spontaneously that its parent service - Skype. Microsoft after Qik seems to move a step ahead in the mobile messaging segment via Flow.

It is worth mentioning that Microsoft in January introduced its Outlook app first for Apple iOS devices, followed by Android, a case which seems similar with Flow. The firm last month released the out-of-beta Outlook app for Android. The Microsoft Outlook app is based on the popular email app made by Acompli, a startup that Microsoft bought in December.