Microsoft announced some important updates for its OneDrive cloud storage service today. The first new feature that the company highlighted today is the ability to add shortcuts to shared folders in your OneDrive, something we already covered last week.
“With Add to OneDrive, not only can you bring all your shared content into one place, but you can also work with the shared content with the same power and flexibility as if they are files you own. This means that the added content can be synced, shared, and collaborated on—and that it retains all existing security and compliance policies,” the company explained. Add to OneDrive will be gradually rolling out in late July and it will be available worldwide by the end of September 2020.
Another important new update for OneDrive is the ability to upload up to 100 GB files. Microsoft has acknowledged that the previous 15GB restriction was a bit limiting for business users working with very large files, so it’s nice to see the cloud storage service becoming more flexible. OneDrive also recently received support for differential sync, which can save bandwidth by only syncing the parts of large files with changes, rather than uploading the entire file all over again.
Later this month, OneDrive for the web will also support Family and Group sharing, which will make it easier to share files, photos, videos, and albums with a predefined group of people. The OneDrive web app is also getting Dark Mode support, which will work on both consumer and professional accounts. Microsoft didn’t share an ETA for Dark Mode today, but it should be a welcome addition for those of you who already enjoy Dark Mode on OneDrive for iOS and Android.
Last but not least, Microsoft also announced today that the sharing experience that’s currently available across OneDrive, Outlook, and Office will soon makes its way to Microsoft Teams. “Soon, when you go to share a file from within Teams, you’ll have the option to create sharing links that provide access to anyone, people within your organization, people with existing access, or specific people, including those in a private or group chat,” Microsoft explained. You can see how it will work on the GIF below:
If you’re looking to learn more about the new updates coming to OneDrive, the team will hold a free webinar on July 28, 2020 at 9:00 AM PDT. The event will also cover new admin features including Sync admin reports and enhanced file protection and governance.
