Making Mac OneDrive Faster and More Reliable
OneDrive on macOS is getting a major update to how it syncs! The Native Sync Engine is rolling out to Insiders today with version 26.098. It's up to 2x faster on initial sync and on-disk state changes, uses less CPU, memory, and battery, and removes the hidden cache folder that's been the source of most reliability issues since 2022. It's the latest in an ongoing effort to make OneDrive feel native on Mac. Earlier this year we shipped a redesigned Activity Center with Liquid Glass and native dialogs, and the Native Sync Engine is a major step in that journey. The cache folder problem When we moved OneDrive to Apple's File Provider platform in 2022, we needed a way to bridge the existing sync engine with how File Provider expected things to work. Broadly, there are two parts to OneDrive sync: the sync engine itself, and the code that OneDrive uses to work with files. To support File Provider, we had to change how OneDrive interacted with the file system. However, to reduce risk, we decided to use a hidden cache folder that mirrored your OneDrive contents, so the sync engine could remain largely unchanged. That cache folder solved the immediate problem and unlocked features like Known Folder Move. Over time, however, feedback and telemetry showed us that it was root cause of many of the reliability and performance issues users have reported since. The Native Sync Engine removes it. What’s changed Over the past several years, we’ve been working behind the scenes on the Native Sync Engine. Building it required us to completely rebuild large portions of our code and build a new sync platform that allows OneDrive to work better with the File Provider system. The Native Sync Engine provides the fastest, most reliable experience we’ve ever delivered on the Mac. It has a simplified architecture, eliminates entire classes of errors, and integrates more deeply with macOS. In our performance testing, the new system is about 2x faster for initial sync and on-disk state changes. It also uses fewer system resources, helping preserve your Mac’s battery life while improving overall responsiveness. We’ve also put the new system through multiple tests that simulate usage well beyond what the average user would ever do, and it has held up extremely well in those scenarios. It’s a massive improvement, and one we are very excited to bring to you. On the surface, the Native Sync Engine looks and feels very similar to what we had before, but there are a few important changes. Let’s walk through a few of them. Hidden folders no longer hold data OneDrive's hidden folders now contain metadata only. Your file data only lives in the OneDrive folder you interact with directly. There are a few cases where a copy of file data will exist in the hidden folder: Files you've created or changed that haven't uploaded yet. The copy is removed once the file has fully synced to the cloud. OneNote shortcuts and similar "link" file types. These are typically a few hundred bytes at most, and we retain them in the hidden folder indefinitely. Some kinds of macOS packages, such as GarageBand files, .app bundles, and certain older iWork files. Copies of these files are retained for longer than most files. Files and folders are always browsable Files in a folder used to be created on disk only the first time the folder was accessed. That led to Finder showing "Loading..." while you browsed and apps hanging while they waited for folders to materialize. Now, every folder and file is always browsable on disk. Navigating your OneDrive folder feels like navigating any other folder. It’s snappy, responsive, and just works. Note that Files On-Demand is unchanged with the Native Sync Engine. Files you haven't opened remain online-only unless you either open them or mark them Always On This Device. External drive support The Native Sync Engine also supports external drives, such as USB drives you can plug into your Mac. If your system and your external drive meet the requirements, all of your files and OneDrive's metadata folder will be placed on this drive. On older versions of macOS and on drives that don't meet the requirements, your files and OneDrive metadata will be stored on the home volume. Syncing shared folders and libraries If your organization has disabled the “Sync” button on SharePoint and your users are using “Add shortcut to My Files”, you can skip this section, as you are already in the ideal state! If you are still using synced libraries, each synced library now appears as its own root in the Finder sidebar, instead of nested under a single tenant entry. Add shortcut to OneDrive remains the modern way to access shared content. Admins can hide the Sync button via aka.ms/HideSyncButton. Identifying the Native Sync Engine You can identify whether your Mac is using the Native Sync Engine by inspecting the OneDrive version in the Preferences dialog: If the version ends with a value such as "(26K)", you are running the Native Sync Engine. If the version ends with the version of macOS, you are not yet running the Native Sync Engine. Rollout Starting today, we’ll be gradually rolling out this new experience to our Insiders audience. This rollout will take several weeks to complete. If you aren't already in Insiders and want to try the new update, simply open OneDrive preferences, click on the About tab, and check the box to join the Insiders program. Your Mac will upgrade to the Native Sync Engine automatically when it receives the update. It might take a couple of minutes for OneDrive to complete the upgrade, and a little while longer for File Provider to finish with the upgrade, but you can still use your OneDrive while this is taking place. We would love to hear your feedback, good or bad. Just click “Send Feedback” in the OneDrive Activity Center and share your thoughts! To learn more, watch the latest Sync Up podcast below:NOW ON DEMAND | OneDrive Office Hours | June 2026
Get ready for the June OneDrive Customer Office Hours! This session creates space for open conversation around the latest updates and how they support the way you use your files every day. In this month’s session, we’ll walk through what’s new and open the floor for questions, feedback, and shared experiences.NOW ON DEMAND | OneDrive Office Hours | May 2026
Get ready for May’s OneDrive Customer Office Hours! This session creates space for open conversation around the latest updates and how they support the way you use your files every day. In this month’s session, we’ll walk through what’s new and open the floor for questions, feedback, and shared experiences.Innovations in OneDrive for collaboration, intelligence, and control
Last year, we made a promise: your files should work for you, not the other way around. That meant reimagining OneDrive not just as a place to store files, but as an intelligent layer that surfaces what matters, eliminates busy work, and enables seamless collaboration across your organization. OneDrive became smarter, more collaborative, and more central to how work flows across Microsoft 365. This spring, we're delivering what's next. As OneDrive brings together intelligence, collaboration, cross-platform experiences, and enterprise control and governance, it helps you move work forward from the first file to the final outcome. That’s the idea at the center of this year’s innovations: helping individuals and teams move from file to finished faster, with greater clarity and confidence that their work is protected and ready wherever it happens. Let’s take a look at what you can benefit from today with OneDrive. Understand and act on your content Agentic AI for files in SharePoint document libraries Late last year, we introduced the AI Actions button in document libraries, giving you faster ways to find content, get answers, and take action on files with AI. In March, our AI in SharePoint release made it possible to use natural language not just to understand content, but to build and manage the systems around it, from pages and lists to libraries and structured document workflows. Today, we’re building on that foundation with new capabilities that help organizations capture shared context, create reusable skills for multi-step workflows, and generate documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and other structured outputs from content already stored in SharePoint. Together, these capabilities help you find the right content, understand it more quickly, organize it more effectively, create new deliverables from it, and share it with greater confidence. Ask SharePoint to create documents from files saved on your site AI experiences at work in OneDrive Currently generally available, OneDrive brings AI directly into your everyday file experience. With the Copilot icon in OneDrive, you can instantly summarize documents, presentations, PDFs, and images, ask questions about your files, compare versions to spot what changed, recap meeting recordings, and extract key details from whiteboard images. Across capabilities like PDF review on the web, OCR on mobile, semantic search, and Ask Copilot in File Explorer, AI is helping users get to the right content faster, understand it more quickly, and take action without leaving the flow of work. Markdown support in OneDrive and SharePoint Now rolling out to general availability, Markdown file support is now in OneDrive and SharePoint, making it easier for you to create, view, and edit .md file content alongside the rest of your documents, without leaving your browser. Learn more in our blog here. Review PDFs with Copilot in OneDrive and SharePoint for the web Copilot is now generally available in the OneDrive and SharePoint PDF viewer. Select text, right-click, and use AI actions from the context menu. You can also write your own prompt if you have a specific question. OCR for PDFs in OneDrive mobile Optical character recognition (OCR) is now built into OneDrive for Android and iOS mobile apps to help you reuse information, speed up document workflows, and make content easier to find. Learn more here. Offline search on OneDrive mobile With offline search on iPad, you can quickly find files you’ve made available offline by searching by filename, even without an internet connection. Whether you’re reviewing documents on a flight or between meetings, you no longer need to manually browse through downloaded folders to locate what you need. Semantic search in File Explorer on Copilot+ PCs With semantic search 1 on Windows, OneDrive users can now find their files by describing what they're looking for rather than remembering exact file names, whether those files are stored locally or in the cloud. OneDrive makes this possible by surfacing both semantic photo results and lexical document matches from across your entire OneDrive library, right from File Explorer. Ask Copilot in File Explorer With the new Ask Copilot hover icon on File Explorer Home, now available in public preview for Windows Insiders, you can get AI insights on any of your recent OneDrive files. Your local and cloud OneDrive files show up natively in File Explorer Home, so Copilot is ready to summarize content, pull key details, or draft an email when you need it. Simple and secure collaboration Hero Links Last year, we announced the Hero Link, a single link that controls access to your files, so you can quickly share content and clearly understand who has permission to view, edit, or reshare. Coming this summer, this updated sharing experience makes collaboration easier and gives you more control with a single, unified experience to both share and manage permissions. Transfer ownership improvements New updates to the transfer ownership experience help teams maintain continuity when someone leaves the organization. Rolling out to general availability in the coming weeks, managers can filter files by shared status, move content while retaining existing permissions, and take action using an updated email notice. Updated document library experience in SharePoint We've refreshed the SharePoint document library to make it easier to find, organize, and act on your files. Custom views and filters are now readily available, and a simplified command bar puts your most-used actions within reach. View customization, including conditional formatting and metadata-based organization, lives in a single, streamlined menu. Stay in the flow of your work, wherever you are Sync support for up to 1 million items on Windows Now in public preview, OneDrive Sync now supports syncing up to 1 million items on Windows devices, helping teams manage large document libraries and shared content at scale without compromising access across devices. This preview requires the OneDrive Insiders ring, additional hardware requirements², and recommended configuration settings. Devices that don't meet these requirements continue to sync at the existing 300,000-item supported limit with no disruption. Visual refresh for macOS We introduced a refreshed OneDrive sync experience on macOS, with a redesigned activity center and updated system dialogs that feel native on Mac. Built with technologies like SwiftUI, it aligns with modern macOS Liquid Glass design language and provides a cleaner, more responsive way to check sync status, recent activity, and issues that need attention. A simplified layout surfaces the essentials first, with more detail available when you need it. Read more about the new experience here. File previewer refresh for iOS With the new file previewer in OneDrive for iOS, users can view Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files in app - no downloads required - with Microsoft 365 security and compliance enforced. OneDrive command to move a local-only folder to OneDrive You can now right‑click a folder in File Explorer and move the entire folder to OneDrive, preserving its structure and making it easier to back up large sets of files. Custom OneDrive folder name GPO to help address max path issues To reduce Windows file path length issues, IT admins can now set a custom name for the local OneDrive sync root folder on users’ devices. Now generally available, this policy lets organizations define a shorter, organization‑specific folder name while keeping the OneDrive experience consistent for users. The display name shown in File Explorer and the OneDrive Activity Center remains unchanged. There are other max path improvements on the way, so stay tuned! Keep everything protected and in control File-level archive in SharePoint File-level archive in Microsoft 365 Archive lets organizations archive individual files in active SharePoint sites, moving inactive content to lower-cost storage without disrupting the site, now in public preview. Admin policy for expiring “People in your organization” links Security and usability must go hand in hand. With the new admin policy for expiring “People in your organization” links, you can now enable your users to collaborate and ensure that access gets cleaned up automatically. Configure expiration timeframes that align with your organization's data governance requirements, whether that's 30 days, 90 days, or a custom period. Built with the OneDrive community The updates shared here reflect our continued investment, shaped by years of partnership with our community, in making OneDrive the solution for your Microsoft 365 files needs, enabling individuals and teams to work and collaborate with confidence. Thank you to our customers, partners, and community members who continue to share feedback and shape what comes next! Stay in touch with the team: Check out OneDrive’s sessions at the Microsoft 365 Community Conference 2026 Join our monthly OneDrive Office Hours with our product teams! https://aka.ms/OneDriveOfficeHours Engage with our community. https://aka.ms/OneDriveCommunity Listen to our SyncUp podcast – Sync Up by Microsoft 365 (libsyn.com) Footnotes 1. This feature is rolling out for Windows Insiders on Copilot+ PCs with Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses. 2. Hardware requirements: OS: Windows 11, Windows Server 2022+ RAM: 16GB (32GB preferred) Storage: SSD Processor: Intel i5/Ryzen 5 or better, Snapdragon X PlusIntroducing Markdown support in SharePoint and OneDrive
Today, we’re introducing native Markdown support in SharePoint and OneDrive, now rolling out to general availability across both consumer and commercial audiences. As AI and agents increasingly create and update Markdown files to carry out work, teams need a reliable place to manage that content. SharePoint and OneDrive make it easy to view and edit these files in the browser when precision, intent, or changes are required, with built‑in versioning and governance. Markdown files are now fully integrated into the Microsoft 365 file experience, behaving like any other file in your workflow.NOW ON DEMAND | OneDrive Office Hours | April 2026
Get ready for April’s OneDrive Customer Office Hours! This session creates space for open conversation around the latest updates and how they support the way you use your files every day. In this month’s session, we’ll walk through what’s new and open the floor for questions, feedback, and shared experiences.OneDrive at the Microsoft 365 Community Conference 2026
The Microsoft 365 Community Conference is the ultimate Microsoft 365 community event—and the perfect place to expand your skills and knowledge in Microsoft 365 and Copilot. Come connect with the OneDrive team to learn what’s new, what’s next, and how to work smarter with AI. With over 200+ expert led sessions and 20+ workshops designed for practical, real-world application this year’s conference is packed with fresh content to help you transform the way you work.
OneDrive Photos Restyle with AI-now rolling out on mobile and web
Photos capture real moments. With AI Restyle in OneDrive, you can reimagine them in fresh new styles-right where your photos already live. Meet AI Restyle Photos capture real moments. With AI Restyle in OneDrive, you can reimagine those moments in expressive new styles-right where your photos already live. With just a tap, transform everyday photos into cinematic posters, hand‑painted artwork, pencil sketches, anime‑inspired scenes, and more. Choose a style, watch a new version appear in seconds, and keep exploring until it feels just right. Through it all, the people, places, and memories you care about stay unmistakably yours-just seen in a fresh new light. Your photos stay private When you use AI Restyle in OneDrive, your photos remain under your control and are processed only to generate the style you choose. For more information on how AI Restyle works, its intended uses, and limitations, see Transparency note for AI Restyle in OneDrive - Microsoft Support. What you can do with AI Restyle Create something beautiful instantly. Choose from a rotating set of one‑tap styles designed to match the content of your photo-so it’s easy to get a great result right away. New styles are added regularly, giving you fresh ways to reimagine your photos. Add a personal touch when you want. Include an optional prompt to guide the look-no design skills required. Explore until it feels right. Try multiple restyles, undo or redo changes, and keep experimenting until you find the look you love. Share in just a few taps. Go from viewing to restyling to sharing with your favourite apps-without ever leaving OneDrive Photos. Availability AI Restyle is rolling out on OneDrive for iOS, Android, and web for customers with a Microsoft 365 Premium subscription. Availability may vary by region as rollout continues. What’s next We’re continuing to expand AI-powered photo experiences in OneDrive-bringing AI Restyle to additional platforms and investing in new editing capabilities that help you create with confidence while keeping your photos authentic. Try it today Open OneDrive on iOS, Android, or web, sign in with a Microsoft 365 Premium account, open a photo, and tap on ‘AI Restyle’ to start exploring new styles. Have fun creating something new today! Try it on the OneDrive mobile app. iOS: Download Microsoft OneDrive from the App Store Android: Download Microsoft OneDrive from Google Play We’d love your feedback-use 👍👎 to help us improve AI Restyle. #Microsoft #OneDrive #Photos #iOS #Android #Web #AI * This blog was updated on April 7, 2026 to inform how AI Restyle in OneDrive protects users’ privacy and ensures their photos remain secure and under their control.NOW ON DEMAND | OneDrive Office Hours | March 2026
OneDrive Consumer Office Hours are back! Creating space for open conversation around the latest updates and how they support the way you use your files every day. In this month’s session, we’ll walk through what’s new and open the floor for questions, feedback, and shared experiences.OneDrive Sync Up Episode 22: File Archive with Trent Green
If you've been using site archive to manage cold data, you know the value of moving inactive content to cheaper storage. But sometimes you don't want to archive an entire site — you just need to archive specific files that haven't been touched in years. That's exactly what file archive lets you do. On this month's episode of Sync Up, Trent gave us a live demo showing how simple the experience is: Select your files, click archive, done. He also walked through the 7-day instant undo window (in case you archive something by accident) and shared how file archive can improve your Copilot experience too! File archive is coming to public preview in March 2026 for SharePoint sites. Admin-driven archive policies are on the roadmap for later this year. Listen & Watch Catch this episode on your favorite platform: aka.ms/SyncUp Apple Podcasts Spotify RSS You can learn more at Overview of Microsoft 365 Archive. Got questions or topic ideas? Email us at syncupquestions@microsoft.com. Now go hit play and let us know what you think!
