The Mail metro app somehow still works for me

By TheBlindGuy07, 2 April, 2025

Forum
Windows

So I was basically on a site where the contact link was just a mailto:// ..email@domain. When I launch the mail app normally it forces the new outlook, which fun fact doesn't work for me because it can't install webview runtime or something like that, I know I'll be reseting my laptop... probably before 2026 and I blame the mac for my laziness. So yeah the app is still there, and if I write mailto://email@domain (not just mailto://) in the run window it still opens as usual with the compose window and I just tab a couple times to get to my mailboxes and it still works fine for the moment. I am very very frustrated how Microsoft is forcing the change that horrible way on everyone, but hope that this can help someone out there.

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Comments

By TheBlindGuy07 on Thursday, April 3, 2025 - 04:32

I am not sure but mail and calendar were very good apps on windows 10 and even 11 before this very brutal switch ms is imposing on everyone now with some privacy concerns because of the new protocol that basically gives microsoft access to mails from the provider you log in with, as far as I understand it.

By Brian on Thursday, April 3, 2025 - 22:32

Agreed. I actually liked the Mail app in Windows 10, prior to all this web application nonsense.

By SeasonKing on Friday, April 4, 2025 - 06:32

Microsoft needs to learn from Google. Some of Google's web apps come very close to matching a desktop app like experience.
Or, why emulate a desktop app. Why introduce all this mess of custom keyboard shortcuts, focus/browse-modes, when our screen-readers have gotten so good at navigate web-pages. Just have each email in list view marked with an HTML Heading or a link, we will jump through items using standard screen reader navigation keys. Only place where focus-mode is unavoidable is the Email compose box, as it involves text editing. But what do I know, even Gmail wants us to use focus mode and remember it's own keyboard shortcuts these days.

By Sebby on Saturday, April 5, 2025 - 02:32

Boris ("Bozo") Johnson was a total chancer, but I love this epithet because it describes modern-day web apps. Trying to turn web pages into applications is the single stupidest advance in our industry, but here we are. Ironically it can be seen that VoiceOver had a head-start in this regard because the interaction model lends itself rather nicely to a paradigm where the UI is essentially a tree structure under the control of the developer, but of course Apple then duly squandered that advantage by sitting on its hands, so this is clearly a selling point of Windows screen readers except that they (and app devs) now have to work twice as hard to make web apps feel native whilst providing rich text editing and reading controls. So that inevitably, ChromeVox is arguably the most underappreciated screen reader ever, and doesn't work on Windows. Ho hum!

By Brian on Saturday, April 5, 2025 - 09:32

We all just need to move over to the Google ecosystem, and hang our heads in shame for thinking we know better.
Iā€™m talking ChromeBook, Android smart device or devices, Google Home, ChromeCast for the streaming enthusiasts, etc., etc.
Hey, donā€™t laugh! Remember that one time, on that one day, when Steve Jobs said something like, ā€œIt just worksā€? Well, Google has pretty much taken that over with their ChromeOS.
And donā€™t even get me started on the whole build quality debate. Ever see that one PixelBook Go, from like five or six years ago? Weā€™re talking Apple hardware quality, here.

By TheBlindGuy07 on Saturday, April 5, 2025 - 23:32

Yeah and now chromebook plus is pushing this even more in terms of minimum standards.

By Sebby on Sunday, April 6, 2025 - 01:32

That's what I call it, in jest. Because yes, you could take it on your honeymoon, and who cares if you step on it. Fact is, if you fully embrace the radicalism, it really is very utopian; all you have to do is give everything over to mother Google, and live your life your way, without all that pesky local state. Even the most important use case of virtual Linux is already accounted for. Not saying it will happen to me necessarily, but it could, and Apple would only have itself to blameā€”if it cared.

By Mert Ozer on Monday, April 7, 2025 - 05:32

Iā€™m not sure why Microsoft changed it, but the mail app was great. I recently heard that the command we used to bypass the network or Microsoft account requirement has been removed by Microsoft. So, we can no longer use bypassNro. These changes are one of the main reasons Iā€™m switching to macOS. Iā€™m tired of Microsoftā€™s endless issues. Now, weā€™re dealing with Appleā€™s accessibility issues, which is great.

By Brian on Monday, April 7, 2025 - 14:32

Your idea of great, and my idea of great, are 2 separate things. šŸ˜€

By Sebby on Tuesday, April 8, 2025 - 04:32

That is how I read both of the immediately proceeding comments. :)

Certainly, it's been my feeling that while accessibility is important, it's not everything, and while I deeply resent Apple's neglect, Microsoft provides a very clear demonstration of this principle in action. Apple aren't saints but, let's be honest, their business priorities simply make more room for privacy. So if you care about that, macOS is (for now, anyway) the clear choice.

By Brian on Wednesday, April 9, 2025 - 14:47

Dear Sebby,

You are wonderful. Never change.

~Brian