Yahoo! Mail for Windows 8 Review

very good
key review info
  • Application: Yahoo! Mail for Windows 8 -
  • Reviewed on:
application features
  • Stay on top of your new messages with notifications
  • (6 more, see all...)

Yahoo! is one of the companies that have already embraced Windows 8, Microsoft’s new operating system that comes with an integrated Store to allow users to download apps with just a few clicks.

Even though Yahoo! is quickly losing ground in the fight with tech giants Google and Microsoft, Yahoo! still has millions of users, most of them addicted to either the Messenger app or the Mail service.

Since so many people are using Yahoo! Mail, a dedicated solution to allow them to access the service on the newly released Windows 8 was a must-have, especially since the Sunnyvale-based company can’t afford losing more users.

Yahoo! Mail for Windows 8 takes full advantage of the Metro/Modern interface and is completely optimized for the touch, which means that you should be able to use all it has to offer without actually entering the desktop mode. In addition, thanks to its touch support, Yahoo! Mail is also aimed at those currently owning a Windows RT tablet, including Microsoft’s very own Surface RT.

The app has a very straightforward interface and beginners shouldn’t need too much time to discover how to use it.

Basically, Yahoo! Mail for Windows relies on a three-column layout with dedicated sections for each folder of your email account (e.g. inbox, drafts, sent, spam and trash), available messages and their content.

The top of the screen holds buttons that allow users to manage their emails, such as “Mark as Spam” and “Delete,” but also to write new messages, reply or forward a specific entry.

As we’ve told you, the app provides full touch support, so simply swipe up or down on each of the three aforementioned columns to check out additional content. A simple tap on a specific folder or email message is enough to access its content.

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The center column, the one which displays the emails in a given folder, lists a reasonable amount of information, such as sender’s name and email address, email subject, date and the first line of the text message. Once you open an email, you can view detailed information, as well as the whole email content, this time in the third column we’ve told you about.

After you successfully open the message reading screen, you can easily reply, forward or delete it using the buttons at the top, but also to mark the email as read/unread and star/remove star using two additional options.

The app doesn’t provide too many configuration settings, which should be good news for beginners, so the only thing you can do is to change the email signature. Of course, this is possible via the Settings Charm available in Windows 8 by swiping left from the right side of the screen.

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And speaking of Windows 8 integration, sharing is not supported, but Yahoo! Mail uses the Search Charm to quickly look for a specific email message in all your folders.

Basically, the app can open all types of email messages, regardless of whether they contain plain text, videos or photos but, in some cases, it needs a few more seconds to load the content. In case the received email comprises more than 5 photos, the program might fail to display the message, leaving you with a big blank screen.

Since it’s trying to make the most of the Windows 8 features and of the Metro UI, Yahoo! Mail comes not only with support for the built-in notification system, letting you know whenever a new message has landed in your inbox, but also with a live tile to display the subject of the latest email right on the Start Screen.

The app works like a charm on Windows RT tablets and it needs just a few seconds to load, regardless of the number of email messages in your inbox. Except for the mails that include attachments, it’s a very fast software solution, and with a high-speed Internet connection, chances are you will be very pleased with it.

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The Good

Yahoo! Mail for Windows 8 is clearly a very powerful email client that comes exactly with the options users need the most when it comes to sending, receiving, and managing email messages.

The app looks great and is very easy to use, with full support for the Modern interface available in Windows 8. It’s perfectly optimized for the touch and it’s very responsive, regardless of whether you’re trying to write a new email or simply access the messages stored in a specific folder.

Even though there are no configuration settings, it bundles a great feature package, so both beginners and more experienced users should be very satisfied with it.

The Bad

Sadly, there are moments when the app fails to load the selected message, which usually happens when several attachments are included. We’ve discovered that this problem occurred when the email message contained more than 5 photos, with the app showing just a big, white screen.

In addition, Yahoo! Mail supports just a single email account at a time, so in case you’re using two or more Yahoo! IDs, you have absolutely no chance to access them at the same time with this app.

The Truth

Yahoo! Mail for Windows 8 is an excellent app, that’s for sure. It’s the kind of email client that you can fall in love with, especially since it comes with such a great feature package that made some people ask Microsoft to provide similar goodies through the built-in Windows 8 Mail app.

It has basically everything you need to easily send and receive messages using your Yahoo! email account, including a pretty neat interface and full touch support.

Big buttons to make tapping a breeze, a good-looking interface and easy to use features, all make Yahoo! Mail for Windows 8 an almost perfect solution.

Except for the aforementioned issues with mail attachments, it’s the right tool for all those who wish to send and receive messages using their Yahoo! account without leaving the Modern interface of their Windows 8 device.

user interface 5
features 4
ease of use 4
pricing / value 5


final rating 4
Editor's review
very good
 
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