Why is the “Play My Emails” feature being removed from Outlook for iPhone in June 2024?

The decision to remove the Play My Emails feature is in my opinion a very poor and insensitive decision by Microsoft! This was an important assistive technology feature and stripping it away makes it all the more difficult for individuals with visual impairments, reading disabilities, cognitive disabilities and motor disabilities to manage and listen to their emails.  This is honestly backwards and irresponsible. Just think of all the people with these disabilities and how they will be affected because of this feature removal.

Not to mention it has hands down one of the best voices and TTS capabilities IMHO - the Cortana voice is so realistic and reads with such excellent pronunciation and tenor; I’ve tried many TTS voices and the Cortana voice is one of the best ; it does not read URLs, mentions lists in text before they are read, never inadvertently speaks with an accent of another language (like when a Spanish or French word is in text). 

I like others used this daily to read long emails and it saved me hours each day.

DONT DISCONTINUE!

Best feature in outlook. Bring it back!

Dear Eben,

Thank you for your response and the suggestion to post feedback in the community forum. I will indeed follow through on this recommendation. However, I must express my deep frustration with Microsoft's decision to remove the "Play My Emails" feature and the broader issue of how user feedback is handled.

In my experience, Microsoft often makes decisions based on arbitrary data and assumptions, which can lead to the discontinuation of highly valued features. The "Play My Emails" feature is a prime example. I discovered this feature serendipitously and found it to be incredibly beneficial. It significantly enhanced my productivity by allowing me to manage emails efficiently while multitasking. Unfortunately, Microsoft's marketing efforts failed to highlight this feature effectively. Had there been better promotion, more users might have recognized its value, potentially influencing its retention.

The removal of this feature has made Outlook much less user-friendly. Outlook is already challenging to navigate, especially when searching for previous emails. "Play My Emails" was the one feature that made the experience somewhat bearable. Now, without it, my frustration with Outlook has only grown. The justifications provided for its discontinuation lack substance and fail to acknowledge the tangible benefits it offered to users like myself.

I hope that Microsoft will take this feedback seriously and reconsider the decision to remove such a valuable feature. Listening to and acting upon user feedback is crucial for maintaining trust and satisfaction among your customer base.

Sincerely,

Jamie O'Donnell

I am extremely disappointed that this feature was removed. The loss greatly impacts my ability to use the app productively. Major misstep by Microsoft. Seems to be the opposite of where technology can and should be going.