Microsoft releases new Calendar app for Windows 11

For a long time, the flyout calendar interface that comes with Windows 11 has been considered a huge step back from what we had in Windows 10. While there are some good third-party apps that can help somewhat, Microsoft has remained silent about addressing the missing calendar features. However, now we finally have a new Calendar app for Windows 11 that is developed by Microsoft itself.

On the official Microsoft 365 blog, the company announced the new Calendar app for Windows 11, the newest member of the Microsoft 365 Companion suite. The goal of Calendar companion is to quickly display your schedule for the day through a simple flyout right above the taskbar.

When you click on the app icon, Windows 11 will display a small window that includes your calendar, calendar, search bar, and a few other features. This window allows you to quickly check upcoming meetings, accept invitations, join Teams calls, join in on meeting chats, and more. The idea is simple and quite interesting, especially when you consider that Windows 11's default calendar still lacks basic features, like no options to create events, view schedules, or join meetings.

The Calendar companion app lets users quickly view their Microsoft 365 calendar directly from the Windows taskbar, eliminating the need to switch between apps and lose context. View upcoming events, join meetings, and search for appointments to stay on top of your schedule.

There is one major limitation, however: the new Calendar companion app is only available to Microsoft 365 Enterprise or Business users, similar to the recently launched People and File Search apps. Therefore, users of the consumer version of the subscription cannot use it. Additionally, the Calendar app is currently only available to Microsoft 365 Insiders in the Beta Channel.

Micah Soto

Update 26 May 2025