Microsoft first introduced the Contacts app in Windows 8. This was intended to be both an address book and a social application for users. Besides Microsoft accounts (Outlook and Skype), users can also add social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Sina Weibo, allowing them to bring all their connections together and keep up with the latest updates, tweets and images. in one place.

Over time, it lost social media integration due to changes made by Facebook and others. On Windows 10, the program only offered integration with Skype. Starting in 2021, the Contacts app has lost the ability to be launched directly (for example, via the Start menu or the search bar). Users could only launch this feature through the Contacts icons in Mail, Calendar, and other apps. While Microsoft is phasing out the native Mail and Calendar apps in Windows, the company now appears to be working on a new Contacts app.

Today, the installation file for Microsoft’s new People preview program was leaked to the internet. It weighs only 2.6 MB, which indicates that it is just a shell of a web application. Once installed, the new Contacts previewer can be launched from the Start menu and can also be pinned to the taskbar.

Currently the Contacts app does not work with personal Microsoft accounts. However, it works just fine when you sign in with a supported Microsoft business/education account. You will have a contact list, you will be able to view individual contact cards, and the search function will allow you to search for contacts. The Contacts app works very similar to the Contacts (Contacts) experience found in the new Outlook for Windows.

The potential return of a dedicated Contacts app could be good news for Windows 11 users who rely on contact management. It is not yet known whether the leaked app is an old executable that has resurfaced or whether Microsoft is actually working on a new People app for Windows 11 users.