Having a tool that works for you and keeps working for you is the best kind of tool. That’s how OneDrive is built from the ground up (into the Cloud 😊). And it delivers a consistent experience to you for all your files in Office 365 – across all your devices. OneDrive is the files app for Microsoft 365 enabling people to access all their shared content across Microsoft 365, inclusive of SharePoint and Microsoft Teams, in addition to their personal files.

 

“Access, share, and collaborate on all your files from anywhere." – OneDrive.

 

 

OneDrive gives you access to your personal work files and files shared across your team in SharePoint and Microsoft Teams (OneDrive on iOS [left], OneDrive web in Office 365 [right]).

You can easily share files inside and outside your organization and work together on them at the same time (co-authoring FTW!). Intelligent search and recommendations help you find files quickly, so you can spend more time getting things done rather than recreating work. OneDrive also integrates with Microsoft Flow to help with review cycles, PDF conversions and more. As part of Microsoft 365, your files are protected from accidental loss and malicious attacks.

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Let’s boost your OneDrive into overdrive. Let’s dive into the top five tips!

 

Boost #1 | Use the OneDrive sync client to its fullest potential

OneDrive sync client (PC & Mac)

With OneDrive, you can sync files between your computer and the cloud, so you can get to your files from anywhere. You can work with your synced files directly in File Explorer and/or Finder – including being able to access your files when you’re offline. Whenever you’re online, any changes that you or others make will sync automatically.

 

Control the amount of space OneDrive files take on your computer and conserves bandwidth during sync processes. And select which folders sync per device.

Enable Files On-Demand (FoD) to save storage space across your devices and improve visibility to all files.

Microsoft invests heavily to bring robust sync value and with Files On-Demand technology, people  are able to work with all their files in the familiar experience of Windows Files Explorer and Mac Finder without taking up storage space on their PC or Mac. You will see all the files you have access to, and they take up 0 storage space until you commit to opening the file (where it is then brought down locally from the cloud) or select “Always keep on this device” to have a file or folder always in sync and available offline. Files On-Demand works with files and folders across your OneDrive content, and those files and folders you choose to sync from SharePoint and Microsoft Teams.

 

Files On-Demand (FoD) allows people to browse and manage their files in OneDrive and SharePoint Online team sites without always using up disk space.

Learn more about sync, and download the right app for your device(s).

Learn more about OneDrive Files On-Demand for the enterprise + video to help people.

 

Boost #2 | Use Office Online to create, view, edit (co-author) Office documents from within OneDrive

Co-author in Word, Excel or PowerPoint to work together on the same file in real-time. This is a game changer for improving teamwork. OneDrive supports co-authoring documents using the Office Online AND Office mobile apps AND desktop Office clients for Windows.

You can create files and folders in OneDrive to help you organize your files. You create Office files directly in OneDrive Web or from Office desktop and mobile apps. And you can easily share OneDrive files as links via Outlook and @mention people in Office documents to bring them into the action.

 

Create, view, edit and co-author Office documents directly from within the OneDrive user interface.

And no matter whether your collaborators have Office, or not, they can view and work on your files via the Web without worry when you share with them. Office truly is integrated with OneDrive to offer you the best productive and collaborative experiences.

Learn more how to create files and folders in OneDrive.

 

Boost #3 | OneDrive mobile app (Windows, iOS & Android)

Our top-rated mobile apps give people access to files while on the go - including capture scans, photos and documents from the world around them. Use the Office mobile apps to stay productive and work together, no matter where you are. The OneDrive app for Windows, iOS & Android lets you easily work with your personal and work files when you're on the go – keeping context and security intact as you switch between.

 

Wherever you go with Microsoft OneDrive, get to and share your documents, photos, and other files from your devices.

Learn more about the OneDrive mobile app. Install for Windows, iOS and Android.

 

Boost #4 | Find your files at the speed of sight using 300+ file viewers

We offer the ability for people to preview over 300+ different file types including Adobe formats, 3-D and DICOM Medical Images to name a few all without needing an installed application.  And we continue to add more. See and find what you’re looking for much fast – both as a thumbnail and as a preview in Web when you click into a file.

 

OneDrive thumbnails and preview via the browser help you quickly scan through files and find what you are looking for without needing to download and open files.

Learn more about file types supported for previewing files in OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams.

 

Boost #5 | Further secure and backup your desktop with “Known Folder Move” (KFM)

Protect your important known folders. Known folders are global pointers in Windows representing a location on a person’s drive. They help organize important files and access them across different applications. Known Folder Move (KFM) helps you move your Documents, Desktop, and Pictures folders into OneDrive – into the cloud. Even the Screenshots and Camera Roll folders are included when the Picture folder has opted into KFM. And for IT, it is possible to include KFM in group policy to help smooth the overall move of files off desktops and into the cloud. And once in the cloud, the files experience of all the capabilities above become available. Thus, allowing you to access them anywhere from other devices, even if you lose your PC. The user experience on your desktop remains intact, now with extra boost from OneDrive.

User content is automatically synced with no disruption to productivity when moving content from the Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders to OneDrive.

Learn more about securing and backing up your desktop files to the cloud. 

 

Bonus boost | Powerful sharing options to control how you share your files and folders

You can use OneDrive to share photos, Microsoft Office documents, other files, and entire folders with people. The files and folders you store in OneDrive are private until you decide to share them, and you can stop sharing at any time. Microsoft has invested to make the sharing experience consistent wherever you may be sharing from. Today, this includes OneDrive, Office desktop and mobile apps, SharePoint document libraries, desktop Files Explorer and Finder – with more to come. As much as we are rationalizing the files experience across Microsoft 365, we, too, are working to ensure the sharing experience and options are consistent across devices and platforms.

 

If enabled, you can create anonymous external sharing links with choices to allow editing, expire after a certain date you choose, require passcode, or to block download.

As you decide how you wish to share a file or folder, you’ll see options to change who can access the link and whether people can edit the item you’re sharing. Beyond the anonymous option in the image above, people can decide to configure the sharing link for people in your organization, people with existing access, or specific people who are specified. If people forward the sharing invitation, only people who already have access to the item will be able to use the link. The last choice is if you wish to send the link as an email – which provides a thumbnail preview plus description and a note you wish to include; if not, you can simply copy the link and use it across email and chat apps to share the link – knowing the smarts you’ve programmed into it will be adhered to. And it’s not static – you remain in control – you can adjust or revoke any permissions at any time.

 

Learn more how to share files and folders from OneDrive and SharePoint in Office 365.

 

In the end…

The easiest way to ensure you’re getting the value, security and ability to work from any device, with anyone, from anywhere, requires you to first get your content into OneDrive. To make that easier we created a new OneDrive landing page within docs.microsoft.com. And after deployment, we have helpful user training as well as developer guidance. And then, it’s boosting time!

 

You’ll find a ubiquitous experience no matter what platform you are using from Mac and Windows to iOS and Android. One experience for all your files across viewing, sharing, co-authoring, syncing and more.

 

And keep up-to-date with what’s coming next for OneDrive via the Microsoft 365 Public Roadmap (filter on “Microsoft OneDrive for Business”).

 

Thanks,

Mark Kashman, senior product manager – Microsoft 365