Microsoft OneDrive is a cloud-based storage and syncing solution that works on only Mac, PC, or mobile device with access to the internet. OneDrive acts much like any other folder on your Mac. The only difference is that the data within it is also stored on remote OneDrive servers.
The original is published on the Microsoft Tech Community. Ignite 2018 Today at the conference, we announced new innovations for OneDrive to better connect you to your personal and shared files in Office 365, from any device. We’re making it easier to share and work together in real-time while using the power of artificial intelligence to help you be more productive. And we’re introducing new security and compliance capabilities to better protect your work.
Access files from all your devices Files On-Demand for Mac Last fall, we introduced, and we’re excited to announce that we are bringing this OneDrive innovation cross-platform to Mac, a top request. Releasing to Office Insiders today, Files On-Demand for Mac makes it easy to have access to all your files, but only have files you need to be stored locally on the device which reduces the amount of storage space consumed. You don‘t have to change the way you work, because all your files can be seen in Finder and work just like every other file on your device. Files On-Demand is available to consumer and commercial OneDrive customers, and works across all your personal, work, and shared files in Office 365. You can see that the OneDrive folder selected in Finder takes 0 bytes of storage on the disk.
New status icons in Finder make it easy to know whether your files are locally available or online files. For files that you need to access when you don’t have an internet connection, you can easily make files or folders always available by right-clicking and selecting Always keep on this device.
As you use your online files, they will automatically download and become locally available. Simply double-click a file in Finder or open it from within an app. Now you won’t have to make tough decisions about which files to sync to your PC if you are low on storage. Double-click an online file and it will automatically download and open. In addition to users, Files On-Demand benefits organizations and IT admins. Previously on Mac when someone made a change to a file in a shared library on SharePoint, that file is synced out to all devices connected to that library.
Files On-Demand for Mac will reduce network bandwidth by eliminating the need to continuously sync shared files others are collaborating on, but you aren’t actively using. IT admins will have the controls they need to manage and deploy with options to enable Files On-Demand by default, select folders or files to always be locally available, and block apps from downloading files. Additionally, Files On-Demand works the same on Mac and PC simplifying end-user training. Files On-Demand for Mac is now available for Office Insiders on macOS Mojave and can also be enabled by running a simple script. Visit our to learn how to enable this. Files On-Demand for Mac will be publicly available in the coming months.
Dark Mode support for OneDrive on Mac Dark Mode is a dramatic new look that helps you focus on your work in MacOS Mojave. Dark Mode works with built-in apps that come with the Mac and is now fully supported in OneDrive for Mac. When Dark Mode is enabled OneDrive will switch to a new gorgeous dark theme across all of the UI (such as Finder Overlays, and the OneDrive Activity Center,) to ensure a cohesive experience. Dark Mode for OneDrive in MacOS Mojave Files On-Demand Storage Sense integration Windows can automatically free up space by getting rid of files you don’t need, like temporary files and content in the recycle bin. Can be set run automatically when you’re low in disk space.
Starting with the Windows 10 release in Oct, Files On-Demand will now be part of that feature. When disk space runs low, Storage Sense will take the oldest files on your computer (that are not marked as “always keep on device”) and move them back to a cloud-only state to help keep disc usage low. Files On-Demand management via Storage Sense SharePoint 2019 On-Premise support OneDrive.exe client- SharePoint Server 2019 leverages the latest OneDrive sync client, providing a fast and reliable experience with the ability to easily see which files are synced and in the cloud. Now you can access all your files across SharePoint on-premises and the Office 365 cloud with a single sync client.
OneDrive Files On-Demand- By bringing OneDrive Files On-Demand to SharePoint 2019, you will now be able to access all your files in OneDrive without having to download all of them and use storage space on your device for users running Windows 10 1609 or above. When you turn on Files On-Demand, you’ll see all your files in File Explorer and get new information about each file. New files created online or on another device appear as online-only files, which don’t take up space on your device. When you’re connected to the Internet, you’ll be able to use the files like every other file on your device. Click here to learn more about.
Sync across organizations We have heard that many customers wanted to sync OneDrive folders shared by users outside of their organization, such as partners, external contractors, and suppliers. We are pleased to announce that you’ll soon be able to sync folders from multiple Office 365 tenants on both PC and Mac.
Cross Org Sync AutoCAD support We announced that we are partnering with Autodesk to add more support for AutoCAD file formats in OneDrive and SharePoint. Enhanced Office Lens experience We made scanning receipts, business cards, and whiteboards easier than ever with our new scan button located directly on the main tab bar of the app. OneDrive leverages the power of Microsoft Office Lens to capture the physical elements around you in easy to read PDF format. Office Lens in OneDrive mobile for Android Office Lens in OneDrive mobile for iOS We’re also adding new functionality to the capture experience on iOS and Android. Now, when saving a scanned document or image to a shared library in SharePoint, users will be able to add metadata that will be uploaded – along with the document or image – to the selected library. This capability helps unlock potential new uses cases and workflows right from your phone. Camera Upload We are happy to announce that Camera Upload, our top request on UserVoice, is now available for OneDrive for Business accounts on iOS and in beta for Android.
With Camera Upload, OneDrive ensures that critical business media captured on a mobile device stays managed and secured by your organization. Camera Upload for OneDrive for Business With this capability, OneDrive automatically uploads all photos and videos on the device Camera Roll to the selected OneDrive for Business account. These photos and videos are automatically sorted and grouped by year and month under the “Camera Roll” folder automatically created in the “Pictures” folder.
Note: only one account may be used at a time for the Camera Upload feature. Share inside or outside your organization Share to Teams OneDrive now makes it even easier to take content on your desktop or mobile device and share it with any team you a member of in Microsoft Teams. One tap and now everyone is in the know. Share to Teams Share to Teams Improved Shared with Me on mobile We’re updating your Shared view to bring you more relevant recently Shared content. This view will now display and allow sorting by important metadata such as “shared by” and “date shared” to make it even easier to stay up to date on files shared with you. Shared With Me on Mobile Collaborate with deep Office integration Meeting note sharing With this new feature, we’re helping users get more out of their meetings. We integrated with Outlook’s calendar information so now when you use the app to capture your notes or whiteboard during a meeting, OneDrive will intelligently prompt you to share the file with the other meeting attendees.
Meeting Note sharing Comments on non-Office files With your files stored in OneDrive, you now have the ability to add comments to files as you collaborate with others. This feature will allow you to work together not just in Office documents but with photos, CAD drawings, PDF’s, or any of the over 320+ file types that we currently support.
Users can easily leave notes, collaborate and get notifications when mentioned to ensure you are always in the loop. Comments on non-Office file types Intelligent sharing Later this year, we will be bringing you some great new features to make sharing not just easier, but more intelligent. First is the option to easily share relevant content with meeting attendees.
For instance, if you just presented a PowerPoint presentation, you’ll be prompted to share it with the other attendees once the meeting is over. If you took a photo of the whiteboard from the OneDrive app, you will be prompted to share it as well. Intelligent Sharing We are also adding new functionality to the capture experience on iOS and Android so that when saving a scanned document or image to a site document library, users will be able to add metadata on that document or image.
The metadata will be uploaded – along with the document or image – to the selected document library. This capability helps unlock potential new uses cases and workflows right from your phone. Photo Metadata Finally, when a user now opens an Office document stored in SharePoint, they can now visit the Info tab in the backstage of Office to see the total number of views and unique viewers of the document If the document is saved in OneDrive, you will see the same list of viewers and view count on a timeline as in the OneDrive apps. This is married with suggestions of people you may want to share with whom have not yet viewed the file.
File Information This type of real-world intelligence allows you to quickly keep everyone informed and move on to your next task and is exclusively available when you store your content in OneDrive and SharePoint. Quickly find files that matter most Enhanced File Analytics on iOS- Real-Time Stats & Views We’re improving the file analytics on iOS so that it’s easier to see how many views your shared files have or who have viewed your file. Check out who is viewing your files from the command bar at the top when you open your file from the Me drawer. Enhanced File Analytics Intelligent search across audio, video and photos, we are unlocking the value of photos and images stored in OneDrive and SharePoint.
Using native, secure AI, we determine where photos were taken, recognize objects, and extract text in photos. This recognition and text extraction allows you to search for images as easily as you search for documents. For example, you could search a folder of scanned receipts for the receipt that mentions “sushi.” Video and audio files also become fully searchable thanks to the transcription services described earlier. Video and audio transcription Beginning later this year, automated transcription services will be natively available for video and audio files in OneDrive and SharePoint using the same AI technology available in Microsoft Stream.
While viewing a video or listening to an audio file, a full transcript (improving both accessibility and search) will show directly in our industry-leading viewer, which supports over 320 different file types. This will help you utilize your personal video and audio assets, as well as collaborate with others to produce your best work. Audio and Video Transcription Video keyword search Leverage intelligent search with the Microsoft Graph in OneDrive and SharePoint to find audio and video that contains specific words or phrases the same way you search across documents. Flow integration triggered by keyword Use keywords found in transcribed audio and video can be used to kick off workflows in Microsoft Flow. For example, any content that contains a specific keyword can be copied to a marketing folder for that product. Time to read and key points Wouldn’t it be great if before you opened a document you knew exactly what the key points were and how long it would take to read the full document? OneDrive to the rescue with intelligence to help you better prioritize and optimize time by showing you how much time it takes to read a document and summarizing the key points all in the hovercard.
We’ve also extended the view analytics to files that are not Office documents and can now show you when a guest or anonymous user has viewed your file. Time to Read and Key Points Protect your work with enterprise-grade security and compliance Files Restore for SharePoint and Microsoft Teams is a complete self-service recovery solution that allows administrators and end users to restore files from any point in time during the last 30 days. If a user suspects her or his files have been compromised, they can investigate file changes and allow content owners to go back in time to any second in the last 30 days. Today, we announced similar protections for shared files in SharePoint and Microsoft Teams. Files Restore for SharePoint Team Sites Admin hold on video and audio via keyword We have heard from customers that they would love to ability to easily search and flag specific words or phrases found in audio or video content being stored in OneDrive and SharePoint as part of compliance processes. By leveraging the transcription services in OneDrive and SharePoint, you will now have the ability to search across audio and videos files and o find media that contain those keywords or phrases that you have chosen to tag for Administrative hold. One-click access approval Now whenever someone is requesting access to an item you’ll be able to approve or reject the request with a single click straight from the latest Outlook desktop app and Outlook on the web.
One Click Approve External sharing integration with Azure AD B2B Last year at Ignite we introduced a new external sharing experience where recipients could access the shared content in a secure way by entering a one-time passcode sent to their email address without the need of creating or remembering passwords. This year, we’re taking it a step further by integrating the one-time passcode sign-in experience with the Azure AD B2B platform.
This enables external users to exist in your Azure AD directory as Guests which can be managed in the way you are already familiar with. This integration also brings the one-time passcode experience when sharing SharePoint sites and lists with an external user. Learn more As you can see, 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. By leveraging Microsoft’s industry-leading investments in artificial intelligence we have made OneDrive and SharePoint the smartest place to store your content. In fact, Microsoft is recognized as a leader by Gartner in both their and reports, as well as Forrester in both their cloud and hybrid report. You can start realizing these benefits and more by moving your content to OneDrive and SharePoint today just as Fortune 500 customers, and have. You can stay up-to-date on when all these features start rolling out by reading our bi-weekly Message Center recap on the. Also be sure to check out the following resources: Thank you again for your support of OneDrive.
We look forward to your continued feedback on and hope to connect with you at Ignite or another upcoming Microsoft or community-led event.The OneDrive Team.
A couple of years ago, my company standardized on Office 365. But Microsoft's cloud-managed service didn't really work on Macs or mobile devices, and about half the people at the company use an OS other than Windows.
Although pretty much everyone works with Office apps and most people use Outlook even on a Mac, no one really opts for the OneDrive cloud storage service. Also, OWA is rarely used on iOS or Android. Apple's and Google's mail, calendar, and contacts clients are darned good, so the awkward OWA app didn't stand much of a chance of adoption, especially given. About the only task requiring OWA use is booking a meeting room. (The can't do that, either.) Still, we all happily use the Exchange back end, regardless of the client that works best on our platforms. Hands-on:. Put to the test:.
- find out which platform provides the security you need. Keep up on key mobile developments and insights with the. Not so with cloud storage - because there wasn't a OneDrive for Buiness client for OS X, Mac users couldn't use our corporate OneDrive storage.
(There was and still is a personal OneDrive client, but it can't access corporate files.) Many of us literally could not use the corporate OneDrive for work, even if we wanted to. The iOS and Android versions of OneDrive for Business have only basic functionality, so users also avoid it on all devices. The truth is that OneDrive for Business is hard to use in Windows, too, especially if you have a regular OneDrive account set up. Instead, most folks juggle a combination of Google Drive (mainly for access via Web browsers to shared resources in Google Apps, not so much for raw storage) and Dropbox or Box, both of which support any platform you're likely to use and don't have all the setup and usage difficulties of OneDrive. I was quite interested in the beta version of OneDrive for OS X that Microsoft released last Wednesday. Maybe I could finally be a good corporate citizen!
I also was intrigued by the unified OneDrive for iOS that Microsoft released that day; it follows in the footsteps of what Microsoft has offered for several months to Android and Windows Phone users. (Until this week, you needed to install separate OneDrive and OneDrive for Business apps on an iPhone or iPad.) OneDrive for Mac: Simple, but easier than in Windows It's shocking that it took this long to get OneDrive for Business out as an OS X beta. But at least it's here, and maybe the real thing will ship soon.
The good news is that OneDrive for Business works like OneDrive: You get a virtual drive in the Finder so that you and your apps can access OneDrive for Business files normally. That means that Office for Mac can now access files in your corporate OneDrive for Business account - which should have always worked. OneDrive for Business for Mac, in its January 2015 beta, provides simple access to your corporate documents via a virtual hard drive. But there are no bells and whistles on the Mac version of OneDrive for Business, as there are none in personal OneDrive. All you get is that virtual drive - no sharing capabilities as Box or Dropbox provide. Even iCloud offers more sharing than OneDrive, though you have to do so from within the apps, not from the Finder as Box and Dropbox allow. Also, I wish Microsoft used a slightly different icon for the menu bar for OneDrive for Business than it does for OneDrive.
They're the same, so you're likely to pick the wrong one when accessing settings. The good news is that the menu bar apps do very little, so you won't open them very often. Though basic, OneDrive for Business for OS X is more usable than the Windows version.
In Windows, you can't set OneDrive for Business as a virtual drive in File Explorer, though personal OneDrive works that way. In Windows 7 and Windows 8.x, you can access OneDrive for Business from within the Office 2013 apps - which confusingly call the service Office 365 SharePoint, not OneDrive for Business. In Windows 8.x, the OneDrive Metro app on the Start screen works with only one OneDrive account, and if you set up your PC using a personal account, you can't use the OneDrive app for your corporate account. (Likewise, if you set up your PC with your corporate account, you can't access personal OneDrive from the File Explorer or Metro OneDrive app.) If you work on your home PC, you may find it frustrating to rely on OneDrive for Business.
I guess that bias to working within Office helps ensure business documents are kept separate from your PC's local storage, but it also means you have to work in Office even for basic file management like organizing documents in folders. The workaround, ironically, will be to use a Mac instead once the final OneDrive for Business ships - or use OneDrive for iOS or Android to manage your files.
Although Mac users have long been frustrated with inferior versions of Microsoft's apps, OneDrive is an example of how Microsoft treats its own Windows user base poorly, too. When Microsoft releases the new Office for Mac late this year, based on the iPad-like touch version being developed for Windows 10, I hope it doesn't move OneDrive access solely into Office for Mac as it has for Windows. That'd really make users look to other cloud storage services instead.
The Windows version should of course be similarly liberated. Access from within Office is nice, but you should be able to work with OneDrive as, um, a drive in the File Explorer or Finder, too, exactly like OneDrive works in iOS and Windows Phone. OneDrive for iOS: Also simple, and now the same as for Android The newly integrated OneDrive app for iOS stays true to the simple functionality of the previous personal OneDrive and OneDrive for Business apps. The unified OneDrive app now works as it has in Android and Windows Phone. What's new is that you can sign into multiple OneDrive accounts, including OneDrive for Business ones, then switch from one account to another. The unified OneDrive app for iOS lets you switch among multiple OneDrive accounts, including business accounts. Files in each account are kept separate from other accounts.
You can create folders, move documents, delete documents, rename documents, view documents, and open documents in their corresponding Office apps - exactly as you could before. What you can't do is move files from account to another, as you can via the Finder in OS X. That separation in the mobile app will make IT rest easier. All in all, both OneDrive for Business for Mac beta and the unified OneDrive iOS app are welcome. But Microsoft still has a ways to go to making its cloud storage service both universal and nicely functional.