New Writing Canvas shows up in Windows 10 Mail app, while Focused Inbox stops working for Insiders

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Published onJanuary 7, 2020

published onJanuary 7, 2020

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Windows Insiders may have noticed some changes after installing the latest update for the Windows 10 Mail app. As spotted byWinbuzzer, the version 16005.12427.41000.0 of the app introduces a new Writing canvas feature which appears, but doesn’t seem functional as of this writing. Writing Canvas can be found after selecting “Draw” in the top Menu bar, as a new option next to the existing Drawing Canvas.

If Drawing Canvas lets you draw anything with mouse, touch or pen in a new email, Writing Canvas will apparently allow users to use their digital pens to handwrite text that should automatically convert into digital text. This new feature may be in preparation for Microsoft’s Surface Neo dual-screen device, which should put a greater emphasis on pen use.

Another change in this latest Insider update is that Focused Inbox has apparently stopped working. The feature is designed to help users separate important emails from the rest, and it’s usually turned on by default for Outlook.com and Office 365 accounts.

It’s not clear if a bug made Focused Inbox non-functional in this latest update, or if Microsoft plans to remove the feature at some point. Focused Inbox is also present on Outlook for iOS and Android, though just like on Windows 10, it’s not always able to correctly identify important emails.

Windows 10 Mail is one of the few UWP apps that gets frequent updates on Windows 10, and it should play a much bigger role on Windows 10X. We wouldn’t be surprised to see more touch and pen-friendly features appear in the app ahead of the release of Surface Duo.

Radu Tyrsina

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time).

For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web.

Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they’re looking for.

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Radu Tyrsina

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New Writing Canvas shows up in Windows 10 Mail app, while Focused Inbox stops working for Insiders