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Microsoft’s OneDrive is leveling up with a wave of AI-driven enhancements, announced during the OneDrive event on Tuesday, October 8, bringing smarter file management, improved productivity tools, and even personal memory organization into users’ hands. Starting in October 2024, the cloud storage service is rolling out new features that bridge the gap between work and home. While business users benefit from Copilot’s integration, the general public will soon experience a revamped OneDrive app.
At the core of this transformation is OneDrive’s integration of Copilot Agents. These custom-built AI assistants will streamline tedious tasks across the Microsoft 365 suite and generate file summaries in different formats.
According to Jason Moore, Vice President of Product for OneDrive, these agents can source documents, files, and data to create a “powerful and tailored assistant that knows all your project details.” Users can easily share these agents within Teams.
Starting this month, the assistant is available to all commercial users. Copilot will soon offer meeting recaps, generating detailed highlights and key points from your documents. Users will even be able to convert Word documents into PowerPoint presentations with a single click, greatly simplifying workflows.
OneDrive’s web experience has also been supercharged for faster file management, both online and offline. Users can now view, edit, and organize files faster, thanks to the revamped interface leveraging Fluid UI design.
Enhanced search functions with new filter controls streamline finding specific files or folders, making organization easier—a change Moore described as a “game changer.” Additionally, Microsoft is also introducing colored folders for a touch of creativity in Windows File Explorer, a feature already available on the web version of OneDrive.
Moreover, a refreshed OneDrive mobile app prioritizes photos, offering better navigation through albums, people, and key moments. In fact, the app now lets users import content directly from other cloud services like Google Photos and Dropbox. Enhanced search in the app powered by natural language processing lets users find images with phrases like “a dog on a boat.” This feature will first be available to Microsoft 365 subscribers, with wider access by summer 2025.
To address privacy concerns, Microsoft has emphasized robust safeguards to protect personal data from being used for AI training.
While many of these features are targeted at commercial users, Microsoft plans to roll out expanded offerings to all users by mid-2025, including AI-powered photo management and integration with Microsoft Designer for effortless editing. Microsoft also announced new storage tiers, expanding OneDrive’s capacity for personal and family use. By the end of the year, users will have the option to purchase 5 TB or 10 TB of storage, a significant jump from the current 2 TB limit.
With features like Copilot Agents, enhanced search functions, and a revamped mobile app, OneDrive is set to transform how users interact with their digital content.
