Microsoft adds a bug to the Outlook update: the reply email is suddenly empty

Microsoft is causing trouble for numerous users with a faulty update for Outlook. Since last week, the latest Mac version 16.110 (build 26061317) has been experiencing an issue that disables a basic feature of the email program.

Disturbance in the usual workflow

When replying to a message, the previous email history is no longer automatically included in the reply. Before the update, the original message appeared in the reply window as usual. However, after installing the new version, this area remains empty. Affected users report that this makes it difficult to understand related email conversations. Recipients can no longer see the previous history, which makes communication considerably more difficult. They are accumulating in the user forums complaints reports the magazine The Register. In particular, several users criticize the fact that such a fundamental error apparently passed through quality control unnoticed. The lack of display of previous messages affects everyday work processes and leads to additional effort in correspondence.

As a temporary solution, a moderator on a Microsoft forum recommends reverting to an older version of Outlook and temporarily disabling automatic updates. For users who manage their devices themselves, this is comparatively uncomplicated. In companies with centrally administered Mac systems, however, the situation is likely to be significantly more complex. IT departments there have to prepare for increased support requests. In some cases, manually copying relevant text passages from the original email can even help to avoid excessively long message chains. Nevertheless, the unexpected change causes frustration because established work processes suddenly no longer work.

Where is quality assurance?

The incident once again raises questions about quality assurance at Microsoft. The fact that such a basic function is affected by a regular update is likely to affect many users’ trust in the company’s software tests. An official statement from Microsoft was initially not available. This is the second piece of bad news for Mac users in a short period of time. Microsoft recently announced that Office 2019 on Apple’s platform will only be usable with a limited range of functions from July. The current Outlook problem also shows that even the latest program versions are not necessarily free of risks.