Microsoft is building a new chat called Flow initially for iPhone

Microsoft seems to be building a new fast, light-weight, real-time messaging app called Flow, and it will reportedly debut in iPhone first.

iPhone 6 from Apple

Microsoft is currently developing a new mobile app called Flow, which initially will be introduced on iPhone, and works as a complementary app for the Outlook email app.

According to details found by Twitter user h0x0d, the Flow app is being designed to be fast and fluid, offering natural conversation. It will not provide subject lines, salutations, or signatures.

In other words, it’ll be like sending a Tweet or a text message on a phone, but instead of having to create an account with a unique username or using a phone number, Flow will only use an email address for quick communication.

The information comes from an internal confidential Microsoft document, as such the company has yet to officially confirm its new app.

https://twitter.com/h0x0d/status/600728334801055744

The internal document describe Flow as follow:

Use Flow with anyone, it’s email: Reach anyone with an email address and all conversations for you and others are also in Outlook. Together, you can use Flow and Outlook interchangeably to participate in the same conversations.

Fast, fluid, natural conversations: No subject lines, salutations, or signatures. Flow is designed for fast, light-weight conversations in real time.

Focus on what’s important: Only conversations started in Flow and their replies show up in Flow, not your whole inbox. Focus on your most important person-to-person conversations without the noise.

The header of the internal document called the app “Flow by Outlook” suggesting that the app is more an extension of Outlook that it is a standalone app.

Microsoft Flow app
Here is a first look at Flow. (Image courtesy of Neowin)

ZDNet, another site reporting the same finding, points out that Flow is in a way very similar to Skype Qik, a new video chat app for Windows Phone, Android, and iPhone that the software giant released last year. The app was designed to be a lightweight video messaging service that is quicker and simpler than Skype. So, Flow seems to be a faster way to use Outlook email and it will give Microsoft an edge to get into the chat world.

Source Twitter

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.