OneDrive users will soon be able to access their files offline

Microsoft is planning a major improvement for OneDrive that will allow you to work fully with all your files offline. In an update to its Microsoft 365 roadmap, the company revealed a OneDrive option known as Offline mode.

Slated to be available for preview this November and then start rolling out for general release in December, Offline mode will let you access your files via your browser when offline and then sync any changes when you’re back online.

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“This feature will allow you to launch OneDrive in your browser and view, sort, rename, move, copy, and delete files even without internet access,” Microsoft said in its roadmap. “Additionally, for locally stored OneDrive files (those that are marked as ‘always available offline’) you will be able to open and work on these in your browser even if you are offline. All of the changes you make offline will be automatically synced back when internet connection is restored.”

Currently, OneDrive’s offline capabilities are limited. Without internet access, you can’t sign into your OneDrive online storage or work with your files via the browser. You can retrieve your OneDrive files in Windows but only if you’ve opted to always keep them on the device. Letting you more easily use and manage your files offline will help anyone who needs to work in a remote location that lacks an internet connection.

OneDrive is one of those tools that does its job in the background and so doesn’t always get a lot of love and attention. Even Microsoft hasn’t launched any major enhancements for the platform, opting instead to dole out minor updates from time to time. But now it looks as if OneDrive will be the focus of some much-needed improvements.

Last week, Microsoft teased an online event scheduled for October 3 at 1pm ET. Dubbed “Microsoft OneDrive: The Future of File Management is Here,” the event will spotlight new features for the file storage service and provide a “sneak peek” into how AI will fuel new search, sharing, and queries for your files.

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Amid all the buzz around artificial intelligence, Microsoft has been enhancing many of its core products with AI smarts. Now it will be OneDrive’s turn to feed at the AI trough.

Following the event, Microsoft will allow for questions in a live chat-based Q&A. Interested participants can add the OneDrive event to their calendar and follow a link to join the event via Microsoft Teams when it kicks off.