Microsoft works to ensure a great OneDrive experience on Apple products
Published Jun 09 2021 07:00 AM 95.7K Views
Microsoft

As hybrid and remote work continue, many organizations are giving employees flexibility to choose not only where they work but also the devices they use to get work done. We have been working closely with Apple to ensure were providing a great user experience in OneDrive on Apple products, whether people are using OneDrive to keep their work files synced and protected or to store and share their personal files and photos in the cloud.

Today, were excited to share some of the updates and improvements were in the process of making to OneDrive running on Apple products to help people be more productive no matter where they are.

 

OneDrive support for M1-powered Macs

 

You asked and we listened! :smile:
We are thrilled to announce that later this year, we will be updating OneDrive for Mac to run natively on M1-powered Macs. This means that OneDrive will take full advantage of the performance improvements on M1, making you even more productive on the latest iMac, MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini.

 

Note: OneDrive is currently available using Rosetta 2 on M1 -powered Macs.

 

Known Folder Move

 

We have been actively working to address your request to enable Known Folder Move (KFM) support for macOS, and were thrilled to announce that soon youll be able to roll out KFM for your macOS users and redirect their Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders to OneDrive.

 

This means that people using OneDrive on the latest version of macOS can continue using folders theyre familiar with to do their daily work and be assured that their data is backed up and secure.

KFM will also enable your macOS users to access their most important files across different devices and applications with no disruption to productivity, because their content is automatically synced to OneDrive. In addition, your users will be able to securely share their data within and outside their organization, increasing collaboration.

 

 

Redirect your important Mac folders (Desktop, Documents and Pictures) to OneDrive with KFM for Mac.Redirect your important Mac folders (Desktop, Documents and Pictures) to OneDrive with KFM for Mac.

 

And if you decide to perform a device refresh, you don’t need to worry about losing user data. For new machines, you can configure KFM from the start, so all new files are uploaded to the cloud. This is great for your organization as it increases user engagement with OneDrive, and you can easily protect files with enterprise-level security and compliance that comes built in. IT admins will be able to use preferences to encourage Mac users to perform KFM to keep their files backed up and protected, or they can use a silent property to automatically move content in the Desktop, Documents, and Picture folders to OneDrive.

 

This update will be available to all Mac users, enabling you to also keep your personal files and family photos in your important folders (Desktop, Documents, and Pictures) synced, protected, and available on other devices, and there’s no extra cost for macOS folder backup (up to 5 GB of files without a subscription). So even if your device gets lost or damaged, you won’t lose your important documents and favorite pictures when they are synced to OneDrive.

 

For organizations, KFM should be available for private preview  later this year. To sign up, please enroll here.

 

Note:

  1. Files On-Demand and the latest version of macOS would be required for KFM.
  2. KFM will be available for the Standalone app, followed by the App Store app soon after.

 

 

Files On-Demand and Finder updates

 

Later this year we will be revamping the OneDrive sync experience on the latest version of macOS based on Apples new File Provider  platform to improve the Finder experience for OneDrive. With this update, the OneDrive folder will be visible under Locations in the Finder sidebar, providing easy and quick access to all your OneDrive files.

 

 

OneDrive folder will be visible under Locations in the Finder sidebar providing a native experience.OneDrive folder will be visible under Locations in the Finder sidebar providing a native experience.

 

We will also be updating the Files On-Demand experience. OneDrive Files On-Demand, which is enabled by default, helps you view and access all your files, individual or shared, without having to download them and use device storage.

 

This update will provide refreshed file status iconography in OneDrive:

 

available.PNG

  • Online-only files will be represented by a cloud icon     
  • When you open an online-only file, it downloads to your device as a locally-available file
  • Locally downloaded files that require device space will display the always-available file icon

 

This redesign is aimed at rendering a seamless OneDrive experience that feels native on the latest version of macOS. Deeply integrated with Finder, this refresh anchors on simplicity to improve ease of use while providing all the same benefits and functionality you have with your current version of Files On-Demand in OneDrive for macOS.

 

Updated OneDrive Files On-Demand experience for Macs.Updated OneDrive Files On-Demand experience for Macs.

 

Regardless of which macOS version you are running, OneDrive Files On-Demand helps you:

  • Save space on your device by making certain files available online only and access them just as you would any other file on your device.
  • Set files and folders to be always available on the device for offline access.
  • See important information about files, such as whether they are shared.
  • See thumbnails of more than 300 file types even if the necessary application to access a file isn’t installed.
 

Save space on your device by making certain files available online onlySave space on your device by making certain files available online only

Read more about Files On-Demand for macOS here.

 

Sync Admin Reports support for macOS

 

Last month, we announced OneDrive Sync Admin Reports for Windows in the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center.

We are thrilled to announce that soon we will be bringing the same functionality to macOS as well.

These reports will give IT admins more visibility into macOS users in their organization running OneDrive Sync and any errors they might be experiencing. With an at-a-glance view of OneDrive Sync across their organization, IT admins can quickly and proactively resolve issues to help people stay productive while improving OneDrive adoption and user experience.

 

 

OneDrive admin reports will give IT admins more visibility into macOS users in their organization .OneDrive admin reports will give IT admins more visibility into macOS users in their organization .  

 

Performance and reliability improvements

 

We’ve been working diligently to improve performance and reliability for OneDrive running on macOS. Last month, the team rolled out updates that reduced the amount of CPU usage by 40 percent, helping save battery power and speed up performance for multi-tasking. We’re excited to roll out additional improvements over the next few months that further optimize performance and reliability to improve the user experience.

 

 

Exclude syncing of specific file types

 

Last month, we enabled functionality in OneDrive for macOS that allows IT admins to prevent the OneDrive sync app from uploading certain files to OneDrive or SharePoint. IT admins who are managing macOS devices in their organizations can enable this setting using the prescribed plist file entry to prevent users from uploading specific file types such as .exe or .mp3 when they sync their OneDrive files.

 

When this setting is enabled, the sync app doesn't upload new files that match the specified keywords, and the files remain in the local OneDrive folder.

In Finder, the files will appear with an "Excluded from sync" icon in the Status column, and users will see a notification in the OneDrive activity center explaining why the files aren't syncing.

 

Exclude files notification in Finder and Activity center.Exclude files notification in Finder and Activity center.

 

Offline editing with Office Apps in iOS

 

We are glad to announce that later this month iOS and iPadOS users will be able to edit Office documents that they have marked for offline use in the OneDrive mobile app. When they are offline, they only have to tap Edit or Open in Word or PowerPoint to start editing. When they’re online again, they can pick up right where they left off.

Offline editing will be available with the Office mobile app as well as the standalone Word and PowerPoint apps on iOS and iPadOS.

 

 

iOS and iPadOS users will be able to edit Office documents that they have marked for offline use in the OneDrive mobile appiOS and iPadOS users will be able to edit Office documents that they have marked for offline use in the OneDrive mobile app

   

 

Learn more and stay engaged..

 

We continue to evolve OneDrive as a place to access, share, and collaborate on all your files in Office 365, keeping them protected and readily accessible on all your devices, anywhere.

 

 To learn more about OneDrive:

Thank you again for your support of OneDrive. We look forward to your continued feedback and hope to connect with you at another upcoming Microsoft or community-led event.

 

 Thanks for your time reading all about OneDrive,

 OneDrive Team | Microsoft

40 Comments
Brass Contributor

Great news for all things OneDrive. Awesome work OneDrive team. 

Silver Contributor

Great news and about time on KFM for macOS.

Iron Contributor

good news and cant wait

Copper Contributor
So when will Windows 10 Arm be natively supported?
It's x86, which isn't CHPE yet.
Copper Contributor

Wow, this is tremendous news! I'm wondering if management of Mac devices through MEM is also in the pipeline? Even if a long ways away, KFM is a tremendous update. 

 

@sstrausbaugh - you'll definitely get a kick out of this. 

Copper Contributor

Great! Finally good to hear about progress on M1.

Copper Contributor

Great to see OneDrive for MacOS is getting some love.  I have to say though, it is frustrating that you guys have never implemented the Personal Vault feature on the MacOS version.  It exists on Windows, Android, iOS, but has never been added to the Mac version.  I (and I bet others) would much rather see this feature added first than KFM.

Silver Contributor

@jkbrowne, personal vault is for personal/family OneDrive users and I'd much rather not have that feature for OneDrive for Business but definitely need KFM for my users.

Copper Contributor

@Jeffrey Allen, fair enough.  I use it for both my personal and business accounts.  My point stands.  It's a missing feature on the Mac version that should have been added long ago.

Copper Contributor

Great to see these updates on macOS, thanks for the info.

 

Will there be any change to the sharing process, to make it easier to share *without* allowing editing? Right now, there’s no way to change this as the default for personal users, and it’s a pain point (multiple extra clicks) every time I share. I’m not collaborating — most personal users aren’t — and I just want to deliver files for client download, not editing. This is possible at the enterprise level, but it seems like a basic, simple omission here. 

Thanks again for all your work on this. 

Copper Contributor

This is good news! I hope a good Single-Sign-On experience for Microsoft 365 from MacOS will be announced as well.

Copper Contributor

Great news, especially for macOS!

Copper Contributor

Click bate, if I've ever seen it. I've never understood why "announcements" of new features are all qualified with statements such as "great news," "later this year" and "soon." Either it's ready to release or don't talk about it as such. It's that simple.

Iron Contributor

i agree with this , this is a fortune telling.

Copper Contributor

@mattd6622I like getting news that something is in the roadmap but I don't really like the vague statements like "Later this year" or something like that. If Microsoft is working on the software, the team will have some timelines and I would like to get some real values instead of the vague ones such as by October, November or December.

Iron Contributor

Did anyone with the onedrive preview version created a mobileconfig file to enforce KFM?
I would do this, but cant join to onedrive preview to check the values.

Would be cool to have this prepared before everyone gets the newest version end of 2021..

Copper Contributor

Okay super cool but does anyone know when will this be available? Issues keep stacking up, today I can't login on both my accounts..

Copper Contributor

Would be great to get some timelines on this! We're really eager to get KFM rolled out across our Mac environment.

Copper Contributor

Thank you for the good news! Very much waiting for the timing of the appearance of support for M1.

Copper Contributor

Yes, a timeline would be nice.  I am starting to deploy macs from Intune but past doing some loaner devices i have had to delay the deployment as we need this feature.

Iron Contributor

Timeline? It is now 4 months later

Iron Contributor

Now is M1 pro and M1 max. 

Copper Contributor

ETA? My org is heavily waiting on known folders on Macs. We haven't heard anything about this post

Silver Contributor

@Ankita Kirti, any update on the new native OneDrive with KFM support for Macs???????

Copper Contributor

Good day 

is there any update to this , we really need KFM on macOS 

Copper Contributor

OneDrive for Apple Silicon... end of 2021 in 60 days...

Copper Contributor

@Ankita Kirti How hard is it to at least provide some sort of information on timing, expectations, etc. even if you don't know for sure? Most of us would agree that at least modest transparency would be better than the complete silence we're currently receiving after this initial announcement. We are your customers and deserve better.

Copper Contributor

@jaydash - in fairness, I think if there was an update available it would be posted. Also, Ignite is around the corner, maybe there will be an update then, maybe not, but I have to imagine that will take priority. 

Copper Contributor

For everyone asking: There is a public Microsoft roadmap, Apple Silicon support seems to have been pushed back to Jan 2022. https://www.microsoft.com/de-de/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=&searchterms=82035

Copper Contributor

Screenshot 2021-11-06 at 6.33.16 PM.png

Just saw in their latest blog post.

Iron Contributor

That announcement does not mention KFM (just that it is going to be M1 native)

Copper Contributor

Yeah, it was a poor decision by @LuciferMorningStar to use a screenshot from the article instead of linking the direct article. 

@Sebastian Cerazy - Here is a link to the time line. https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-onedrive-blog/what-s-new-and-coming-to-files-experi...

 

As it related to KFM: 

Known Folder Move

 

We have been actively working to address your request to enable Known Folder Move (KFM) support for macOS, and were thrilled to announce that soon youll be able to roll out KFM for your macOS users and redirect their Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders to OneDrive.

 

This means that people using OneDrive on the latest version of macOS can continue using folders theyre familiar with to do their daily work and be assured that their data is backed up and secure.

KFM will also enable your macOS users to access their most important files across different devices and applications with no disruption to productivity, because their content is automatically synced to OneDrive. In addition, your users will be able to securely share their data within and outside their organization, increasing collaboration.

 

Iron Contributor

Great article. I need to read it twice.  Everyone should read this article before bashing OneDrive on macOS.

Brass Contributor

Hey there,

 

sorry, I am not happy with the current implementation. I can live with the new, opaque folder location. But I need to disable files on demand, like it was possible pre-Monterey.

I spent a lot of money for the convenience of a large SSD, so that I can always access a local copy of my cloud enabled files. I need that button back which disables files on demand.

Can You provide some roadmap when this feature will be back? Also, is the new integration via File Provider here to stay?  From a quick look at the plist file there is still a (theoretical) option to disable it.

Copper Contributor

This update has borked all the git repositories I was hosting in OneDrive.  Every file has been marked as modified so i've completely lost all record of the files I am yet to commit... Not happy!

Copper Contributor

I got the update today!

Copper Contributor

@BobD68 - lol

 

As my previous comment was clearly to strong for some... to reiterate - I'm unsure how you arrive at the conclusion that a local git repository somehow means I am running a production environment from OneDrive.

 

Also, the version of OneDrive I am running is not beta.

Copper Contributor

Why the Pictures folder? Why not mirror the MS version and choose Desktop, Documents and Downloads...

PLEASE INCLUDE SYNCING THE DOWNLOADS FOLDER IN THE KFM UPDATE.

Copper Contributor

Thanks for adding the feature, but offline editing on iOS devices does not work. Yes, I save edit a file in Word that I saved for offline in OneDrive, but once I close it and go back online, it will remain “pending upload”. It does not sync back to OneDrive at all. 

 

Can you please explain how this feature is supposed to work? 

Copper Contributor

I don't know what happened but since our licence was ended I was not able to log back in after a reboot into the OneDrive application on my M1 Mac (which is logic of course) but with that ALL my project documents on my own local machine were gone!!! The "Location" reference of OneDrive was gone but also the ~/Library/CloudStorage/OneDrive-OrgName was empty! After a long search I finally found parts of my documents back in ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.OneDriveStandaloneSuite/OneDrive - OrgName.noindex/OneDrive - OrgName/ but it only contained documents with latest file change of 4 months ago ... 

 

This would mean I lost all my documents, changes, presentations and notes I made the last 4 months on my laptop (after which they should have been synct with the cloud) and for one project that were major steps I took these past months! 

 

Is there any way I can retrieve back my documents on my local machine? Is there some kind of local repository where the documents are stored before they get synchronised to the cloud and if so, how can I retrieve my documents back from that repositiry?

I already had long talks with Microsoft OneDrive (cloud storage) support and they couldn't help me. So I really do hope anyone the development/devops team of the OneDrive application of M1 MacOS can help me out on this one! Thanks!

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