Microsoft is planning a series of updates to its OneDrive cloud storage service in the coming months. Users can expect, among other things, a new app, better search functionality, and colorful folders.
OneDrive gets all the colors of the rainbow. Anyone who works with color codes for folders in the web version of OneDrive will also see these supported folders appear via Explorer in Windows in the near future. This is the most obvious improvement to OneDrive that Microsoft is planning in the coming months, but it’s certainly not the only one.
For example, Microsoft is significantly expanding its search capabilities. You can access filters to find what you’re looking for faster, whether in your own folders or in shared locations. Search will also become more efficient. Microsoft is rolling out the expanded search capabilities in phases between now and the end of 2024.
OneDrive Vs. Google images
Anyone who uses OneDrive on iOS and Android can look forward to a new app. Microsoft seems to want to compete with Google Photos. After all, photos will take center stage in the new app. You’ll be able to browse through your snapshots faster, and with the help of AI, you can better search for people and content.
Like Google Photos, the OneDrive app will show reminders, for example, from birthdays or trips. In this way different old photos are always treated. You won’t accidentally be able to import photos from other cloud services, including Google Photos.
This post is timely: Google had been enticing customers with free Google Photos storage, but backed away from that decision some time ago. In addition, other things like your WhatsApp backup suddenly started relying on Google storage. Consumers could get a subscription with more storage to solve this problem, but that certainly seems a bit vague for existing Microsoft customers: after all, anyone who’s a Microsoft 365 customer automatically pays for a terabyte of storage.
It remains to be seen if Microsoft can offer a suitable alternative for users looking for a good cloud storage service for their photos. The new app will be rolled out in phases, initially to Android users with a Microsoft 365 subscription.
Co-pilot
Finally, Microsoft will integrate Copilot into OneDrive. However, this upgrade is planned exclusively for business customers. Copilot agents also come to the storage service. This way you can adjust the AI assistant to your needs.
