OneDrive is getting a complete makeover soon
OneDrive has come a long way since its inception. It has now evolved into the nucleus of your files experience within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Beyond being a repository for files, OneDrive powers sharing, collaboration, and file security for individuals and organizations worldwide.
With trillions of files hosted and nearly 2 billion files added daily, the new OneDrive is gearing up to meet the evolving needs of the modern work landscape as Microsoft teases a new OneDrive Experience for work and school.
New OneDrive aims to be the answer to all your needs
As the way we work continues to evolve, our files are no longer confined to a single location. They span across OneDrive, extend into SharePoint document libraries, circulate as attachments in meeting invites, and flow through Teams chats.
What's needed is a unified platform where you can effortlessly locate all your files, be it Loops, dashboards, or design boards, irrespective of their storage location.
The new OneDrive aims to be that solution, bringing forth new file views, governance controls, creation tools, and the Copilot AI to streamline your file-related tasks.
Moreover, these enhancements extend beyond OneDrive, reaching Teams and Outlook for a consistent and enriched file experience across Microsoft 365.
Effortless file management
The new OneDrive is designed to make file management a breeze. With its intuitive interface and AI-powered features, accessing and managing your files has never been easier. Let's explore some of the key features that make OneDrive a game-changer for efficient file management.
OneDrive Home
The home experience in the new OneDrive for Web has been redesigned to provide swift access to your files, regardless of their location within your organization.
As soon as you log in, you'll be taken to your personalized new OneDrive home page, where you can easily navigate through all your files and folders.
AI-powered file recommendations
The "For You" section at the top of the new OneDrive home page uses artificial intelligence to offer file recommendations precisely when you need them.
This feature ensures that you have the right files at your fingertips, saving you time and effort spent searching for the files you need.
Meetings view
The Meetings view neatly organizes your upcoming and past meetings, along with associated files and meeting recordings, whether they were shared in chat or through meeting invites.
This feature makes it easy to find all the files related to a particular meeting in one place, eliminating the need to search through multiple locations.
Organizing files by collaborators
If you remember the person who shared a file with you but not the file's name, the People view is here to help.
It organizes your files based on the individuals you collaborate with, making it easier to find files shared by specific colleagues or team members.
Shared view
Any file shared with you, regardless of the method or person, now appears in the Shared view, making it your go-to place for all collaboration-related files.
This feature simplifies file collection for projects, allowing you to quickly access all shared files in one location.
Keep important files handy
Keep track of important files by marking them as favorites, which you can access across OneDrive, Teams, File Explorer, Microsoft 365 apps, and more.
This ensures that your most critical files are always within reach, no matter where you are or what device you're using.
Quick access to shared files
Create shortcuts to quickly access files shared with you or stored in shared team locations, simplifying file collection for projects. With shortcuts, you can bypass the need to search for files or navigate through multiple layers of folders, saving you time and effort.
Colorful folders
With OneDrive, you can personalize your files by choosing folder colors, allowing you to organize your files your way.
This feature adds a touch of fun and creativity to your file management experience while also helping you distinguish between different folders and files.
Effortless file sharing
Sharing files and copying links has become more user-friendly and streamlined with the new OneDrive. You can easily share files with others, both inside and outside your organization, using a simple sharing interface that eliminates confusion and saves time.
Upcoming enhancements in the new OneDrive
The journey of OneDrive's improvement continues with several upcoming features that aim to make file management more efficient and user-friendly. Here are some of the exciting enhancements that are expected to roll out soon.
Open in app
Soon, you'll be able to open any file in its desktop app, edit it, and have changes synced to the new OneDrive. This feature is expected to roll out worldwide by December, eliminating the need to switch between apps and streamlining your workflow.
With the "Open in App" feature, you'll be able to access and edit files in their native applications, making it easier to work on your files across different devices.
OneDrive in Teams
OneDrive's integration with Teams is getting a makeover in December, providing seamless access to all your files across SharePoint and OneDrive right from Teams.
This enhancement will enable you to easily share files and collaborate with team members directly within Teams, simplifying team collaboration and eliminating the need to switch between apps.
Files On-Demand for Web
The capability to make files available for offline access on your device will soon be available directly from the new OneDrive for Web, eliminating the need to navigate to Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder.
With Files On-Demand for Web, you'll be able to access your files even when you don't have an internet connection, making it ideal for working on the go or in areas with limited connectivity.
Offline mode
As we covered in our writing Microsoft is working on an offline mode for OneDrive, once your OneDrive files becomes available offline, you can work on them in your browser even without an internet connection, and changes will automatically sync back to OneDrive when you regain connectivity.
This feature ensures that you can continue working on your files without interruptions, regardless of your location or internet connection.
Creating files simplified
Creating new files within OneDrive will become more convenient with a "Add new" button, allowing you to launch blank documents or choose from templates.
This will save time spent searching for templates or creating files from scratch, making your workflow easier and allowing file creation a breeze.
Media view
A new view will organize all your images, videos, and media in one place, providing a visual way to browse your content. The Media View feature will enable you to quickly locate specific files using visual thumbnails, making it easier to find what you need when you need it.
Copilot is landing
The integration of Copilot AI into OneDrive promises to transform how you interact with files in Microsoft 365. Copilot in OneDrive allows you to ask open-ended questions related to individual files or get a summary of their content, all without opening the file.
This feature is expected to be available in December. Additionally, Microsoft 365 Chat will allow you to search through your entire Microsoft 365 data, including OneDrive and SharePoint files.
Improved search at your fingertips
For personal users of OneDrive, exciting photo features are on the horizon:
- Search for people: Easily find photos based on the people in them, improving the way you search for cherished memories
- Natural language search: Type natural language queries to search for specific places, settings, objects, and people within your photos
These AI-driven photo features are set to roll out in limited preview on OneDrive for Web and the OneDrive Mobile app, with public preview expected in early 2024.
The future of OneDrive is brighter than ever, offering a unified, efficient, and secure platform for managing your files and photos.
Featured image and video credit: Microsoft.
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