How to install Microsoft Outlook on iPad

Sorry to disappoint you but you can’t install Microsoft Outlook on iPad.

When I posted this short and sweet answer to such simple question I didn’t realize that this post would become an instant hit ;)

Now this post appears Top of Google search for “How to install Microsoft Outlook on iPad”, Outlook for iPad, “Outlook iPad”, “iPad Outlook” and other related phrases. Seeing that millions of iPad lovers across the globe for looking for a way to use their beloved Desktop PC e-mail client – Outlook – and they have no clue how to install Outlook on iPad, I decided to add more into this post to give those lost soul a complete guide on outlook on iPad.

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No Outlook on iPad

Once I was given a daunting task to install Microsoft Outlook on brand new shining iPad and I had to waste a lot of time to find out how to do it.

I’m not Mac person. I even don’t own anything which has Apple logo. So it was quite a challenge for me to find a solution to install outlook on iPad.

I did some Google-ing and couldn’t believe that it is not possible to install Outlook on iPad. I didn’t give up and try to do more Google-ing but to my dismay it was not possible. Then I tried to find if there are any hacks to allow installation of Outlook on iPad but I found no hacks either.

Having given up to find more solution for impossible task I decided to post this short and sweet answer so that other people in similar situation don’t have to waste time on Google-ing.

Now I’m glad that with a single search you can find short and sweet answer ;)

The reason why you can’t install Outlook on iPad is that Outlook application has not been developed for iOS operating system. Microsoft has to develop Outlook for iPad which they would probably never do as Apple is Microsoft’s rival. However I’m sure that if Microsoft develops Outlook for iOS then it will generate more money however there is catch that people will not be interested in Windows if they can get everything on Apple devices.

Another solution is to use Apple’s Mail program.


Comments

43 responses to “How to install Microsoft Outlook on iPad”

  1. LOL!!!
    I searched for outlook for ipad, found your post and I was excited that I finally knowhow to install outlook on ipad.

    I like the way you have posted the answer ;)

    It is shame to Steve Jobs that he can’t support Outlook on this overpriced and over-talked gadget called iPad….

    1. It’s not Steve Job’s fault. Apple’s in-house software (eg. Mail)has Exchange support. iOS is an open software platform and anyone’s free to develop for it. It’s down to Microsoft to develop an iPad version of their software for distribution.

      1. TJ,
        Truly said. However it is not so simple.
        Apple and Microsoft are rivals, it is very unlikely they would allow cross compatibility for their bread and butter so easily.

        1. If they can make programs to run on MacBooks, they should be able to make one for iPads. Just saying.

          I’m quite disappointed that I will have to continue to use my windows based laptop for email/calendar to keep up to date with our busy family schedules.

          1. Remember the good old mobile phones? They were brick. Then came pagers. Then we wished why not combine both and put pager inside mobile phone and get rid of that little thingy. Viola then we got SMS in mobile phones. Then we wished for video, value added services, fast Internet.. our expectations will never stop.

            It is a wish list. Our wish list is money for manufacturers. It is old, tried and tested, trick in marketing which states that leave something for next “upgrade”. If they put everything in first version itself then there will be nothing to market for next upgrade and they will loose money.

            I’m sure that in near future Apple will put Outlook on iPad, or some one will do it. It is not so impossible task.

            Till then it is pain and frustration as usual.

            Not sure if iPad 2 has outlook or not, if not then wait for iPad 3 ;)

    2. The internet Avatar
      The internet

      Why would they, you sound pretty stupid. they have imail thats like people saying O pc will let pc users use iMail one day, ur a dumb. Quit the internet.

    3. Mohammed Avatar

      Dear all

      I bought so many programs from apple store in order to use the outlook email but no one of them satisfied me so I need your help I want outlook same as the windows

  2. does anyone know an alternative?
    I’m trying to replace my lap-top with my iPad. But ifI can’t build an e-mail archive (locally on the iPad) then it’s never going to work.

    I get my corporate e-mail on outlook and have a 150Mb mailbox. I store my e-mail locally on my laptop. Is there a workaround with the iPad?

    thankx!

    1. The comments stating MS and Apple are competitors is silly… they are also here to make $$$. MS already came out with MS Office 2011 for Apple/Mac and it has included Outlook. So it IS here… now.

      My take is, it’s simply a matter of time, and hopefully and very short time, and Outlook will be available for iPad and iPhone.

      1. You can either have Apple or Microsoft. How many use both? Lets say how many people are having MacBook and a Laptop with Windows? If you want to buy a laptop you have to make decision, either MacBook or Windows on xyz laptop model.

        If both of them make their proprietary software available for each other’s platform then they are killing their own market.

        Think of Browser war, didn’t Microsoft tried hard to keep other browsers away from running on Windows?

        1. Ryan Kramer Avatar
          Ryan Kramer

          It’s worth pointing out you CAN run Windows on a Mac. Just use boot camp or Parallels.

          1. running in circles Avatar
            running in circles

            this is bad solution… takes forever and if you call bootcamp for issues they will say its a window problem or a mac problem or vice versa. apple has nothing for contact managment, amazing!

        2. Ryan Kramer Avatar
          Ryan Kramer

          Also, Apple made iTunes and Quicktime available for the PC market and in effect was able to steal market share from Microsoft in the process by getting people who liked Apple’s products, (IE the iPhone and iPod Touch) to then buy into their other hardware… their laptops and desktops. So sometimes making software for the competition can not only pay off, it can pay off well. (Not all of their software though. I’ve yet to spot Final Cut Pro in development for Windows. ^_^)

    2. Marie-Louise See Avatar
      Marie-Louise See

      I also bought an I pad to travel to Europe with but on my Mac my E-mail goes via yahoo to entourage now I do not receive my Emails on my I pad.

      I did open up a new E-mail address with G-mail and let my friends and family know to use that during my stay in Europe

    3. Diane C. Avatar

      The workaround I use is Dropbox on the Ipad and on the MacBook. I generate lists and calendars on the MacBook and print them to Dropbox. Then they are accessible on Ipad.

      If Outlook is available for the Mac, I would think it could be developed in a condensed form for the Ipad. Limited outputs, perhaps.

      I refuse to have my schedules on several different locations/apps. Outlook is proven right now.

  3. There is a new app for the iPhone and iPad, that will let you read emails stored in Outlook .PST files. Check for “Pst Mail” in the App Store or iTunes.

    1. This is true….you can use it to read the pat files, but not open an email/calendar & invite people to our appointment.

      Just dumb…IMHO.

  4. Deleuzean Avatar
    Deleuzean

    I’ve got an ASUS EP121 Eee Slate, and I was using it at work today in a walk-and-talk meeting with some people from other departments. I was checking something in one of the several dozen Outlook Calendars I help maintain, and one of the other folks looked over my shoulder and, thinking that the EP121 was an iPad, asked in a very surprised voice, “Is that OUTLOOK!?” I just grinned and said, yes, but this is NOT an iPad. I’m glad I waited for a real computer to be produced in the form factor of these slate gadgets like the iPad which I have no use for (at least not at the prices they charge for them).

    1. nice one ;)
      Not having outlook on iPad is now becoming Apple’s nightmare.

      Outlook has become an integral part of every computer user and it should be made available on all devices.

  5. It is amazing in this day and age that they cannot get office on the ipad. This is the exact reason why I never owned a MAC!

    1. Gulfbreezey Avatar
      Gulfbreezey

      I suppose you know by now that you can get Outlook, Word, Excel and Powerpoint on Mac. I am new to Apple products and would also like Outlook on my iPad but the Outlook on my iMac runs in IMAP and keeps my internet account synched with what I do on my iMac. All I need now is for my email host company to support the iPad so I can run their mail program in my iPad browser and I’ll be good to go!!

  6. Lynda Avatar

    Not a techie. Actually dislike computers. However got a iPad for a gift. Thought it would be a great tool for my real estate business. Not so. I use it as my photo album. Disappointed it and mac products are not compatible with my industry.
    Love the big bright key board and crystal clear resolution just not the right fit at this time. Everyone tells me they are working on a mac version of the programs I use haven’t seen them yet.

    1. You have a point Lynda. Computers are amazing as long as they work. Once they stop working your life becomes a living hell. glad that you are out from the mad computer world, life must be easier for you ;)

      All Apple products use Mac Operating System which is different from Windows normally used on rest of Computers. Well basically either you use Windows or Mac. Some techie use Linux or other variants of it.

      Next comes running various programs on these operating systems which may or may not be supported on all of them. And this is the point where trouble starts. Someone has to write the program to work on Mac operating systems. The big question is who will bell the cat ;)

  7. so you can sync outlook with your I phone – but not and I pad?

  8. Of course Outlook is available for mac, I have it on mine! Also available is Entourage which works just aswell.

    1. Who said it isn’t?
      We are talking about iPad and not about Mac

      1. Ryan Kramer Avatar
        Ryan Kramer

        Outlook doesn’t specifically exist for iPad but you can easily sync to an Outlook exchange server and use the built in E-mail app. Even your Outlook calendar will automatically sync to iCal. While not an all in one stop like having a dedicated Outlook app, the workarounds are quite painless, work well, and have been around since it’s launch.

  9. D. Lukow Avatar
    D. Lukow

    They have it for MAC why not the ipad?

    1. As pointed out by other posters, the iPad is *not* a computer but a glorified iPhone. An iPad2 runs 512 MB of RAM — which means the cheapest netbook you can find can run circles around its memory. Same reason Office for Mac 2011 doesn’t run on an iPhone or iPad either. There are apps that allow you to get some of your Outlook capability on your iPad, but you really shouldn’t expect the same results as a laptop running 2 GB RAM or more. The iPad just isn’t designed to run programs like Outlook, period. That may change over time, but it would help A LOT if the iPad had at least 1 GB RAM, whioh Apple could clearly make happen.

  10. Becouse mac is a computer. IPad is an enlarged phone. It is a completely different arhitecture, different type of processor (arm vs normal processor), and programing it for an ipad would require the same effort it required to program it for a mac, meaning making a good portion of the programming from scratch. Add to that that u also need to add some more programing since u need to make it work without a keyboard, mouse and such, and u have a massive business endeavour to make it available, while at the same time u have a very limited userbase becouse u need to charge all that work in your sales.

    1. Gulfbreezey Avatar
      Gulfbreezey

      I might add, in typical Microsoft fashion, Outlook is huge and a hog of all sorts of real estate – memory and disk space. If you can do your traveling email via webmail at your email host then you can sync up to your iMac when you get home :>)

      1. “hog of all sorts of real estate – memory and disk space”
        Count brain too.

        You spent (read waste) rest of your life trying to figure out how to solve those bloody errors which keep on popping up all the time for no reason.

  11. Robert Avatar

    Can’t you just have outlook push a copy of all your outlook emails to say gmail and use gmail on the ipad?

  12. I agree, it should work, I love my ipad but its a-shame that this cannot work. Outlook works on my MacBook so I dont see why it dont work on Ipad.

    Oh well..

  13. Alfred Norris Avatar
    Alfred Norris

    Thank you for answer g this question for all of us frustrated with the current situation.

    I’m REALLY ANGRY at the fact that there is no perfect solution for my current problem – a problem others share – I want one app that:

    1. Is optimized for iPad AND has a robust pc desktop program
    2. Has a robust note-taking feature that allows text formatting
    3. Integrates a calendar and to-dos that feature tasks within tasks
    4. Integrates with a respectable email client

    See here’s the state of things:

    EVERNOTE is great!!! The notes are sophisticated and it has a great app/desktop program. You can even make to-dos. But it does integrate a calendar. FAIL

    MOBILENOTER has a terrible interface and no calendar.

    AWESOMENOTEis a great app…but no desktop app and the tasks are simple – I.e. One task per note and not capable of nesting. Also the interface is childlike. Also does not integrate contacts.

    There is no perfect solution for organizing one’s life via iPad …and it sucks!!!!!!!

  14. laoinjo Avatar

    “Microsoft has to develop Outlook for iPad which they would probably never do as Apple is Microsoft’s rival.”

    But they have already developed Microsoft Office for OSX, which using your logic could never have happened……

  15. Edério Pereira Avatar
    Edério Pereira

    I bought a ipad, but this is a big mistake I made.
    ipad it’s a toy and I want and I need a tool to work.
    Mac, Apple, iphone and ipad are great but don’t work as we need, so…
    I bought a mac pc to my boy and kow he knows that same game could cost double of price to mac, comparing with same game to windows pc.
    I will keep the ipad as a toy, a very expensive toy but only a toy.

    1. There are many people out there who don’t know what to do with the iPad. They just buy this toy because everyone else is buying. And there are brainless dumbs who would stand in the queue for days to get the first hand on the gadget on the first day of launch. It’s just pathetic.

      you are lucky that at leas you know what to do with it ;)

      1. Oleg (Novokuznetsk, SFO, RU) Avatar
        Oleg (Novokuznetsk, SFO, RU)

        Hi guys, as a 1/2 year passed may be MS/Apple done smth to integrate Outlook into iOS?

        1. Unfortunately there has been no progress at all and no one has released Outlook for iOS.

  16. Apple Crumble Avatar
    Apple Crumble

    Plenty of angry Apple customers here! I will join them. I wish I had not wasted my money on this overpriced toy. It may be good at photos, but that is not why I bought it. Perhaps I should have done more research and discovered how useless it actually is when you cannot connect to the net. Without Outlook, for example, the way it deals with emails is just plain lousy. No net = no emails, more or less. For those who still think Apple stuff is the Holy Grail, just try using an iPad with the net connection switched off for a week, and then see how you feel. I will be surprised if you last a day. It is so frustrating. Please, everyone, write to Tim Cook about it.

    1. It has nothing to do with Apple. Outlook is Microsoft’s product and it is up to them to develop outlook app for iPhone.

      You can’t expect Apple to develop skype app or Facebook app, can you?

      Apple develops phone and they develop their own Apps, they can’t develop apps which is proprietary software of other companies.

      So write to Steve Ballmer instead :) who will not listen anyway. If they would listen to customers they could have developed something better than shitty Windows OS.

      Conclusion, live with it.

      Or develop an alternative app which can fill the gap get rich overnight ;)

      Believe it or not, I prefer checking mail on laptop rather than on mobile phones. It might sound strange that a person who had been involved in developing mobile phone software for over a decade wouldn’t be the end user of his own innovations but that’s life :)

  17. Has anyone tried Mailbox yet? Sadly, I think I enjoyed waiting in the queue more so than the application itself. Innovative, but it forces a paradigm shift in terms of how you navigate and manage your inbox that I just wasn’t ready for.

    That said, I’ll still take Outlook 2011 over any other OSX mail application. I just wish they’d give us native full screen support already.

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