Microsoft is preparing for a significant evolution of its OneDrive experience, unveiling plans to introduce an entirely new Windows application next year. This forthcoming version represents far more than a routine update — it will transform OneDrive into a highly visual and interactive hub designed for modern digital life. The redesigned app will incorporate a comprehensive photo gallery, a people-centered viewing mode that automatically recognizes faces, and an array of intelligent tools powered by artificial intelligence. These include advanced slideshow generation and integrated editing capabilities, all aimed at enhancing the way users interact with their photographs and stored files across devices. The initiative forms part of a broader wave of improvements set to arrive in OneDrive over the coming months, such as the introduction of a powerful Photos Agent and AI-driven mobile editing options that extend creative control to smartphones and tablets.
In terms of design, the new OneDrive app for Windows represents a complete departure from the existing desktop experience. Traditionally, OneDrive has appeared only as a small flyout accessible from the taskbar, offering limited browsing and quick actions. Microsoft’s reinvented version transforms this minimal interface into a fully fledged standalone application that closely mirrors the mobile OneDrive experience. Within this more immersive environment, users will find a dynamic gallery view that elegantly displays every image stored in their cloud library. Complementing this is a distinctive people view, which makes use of facial recognition technology to identify familiar faces within photos, allowing individuals to tag and name them for easy organization and retrieval.
Another major enhancement involves tighter integration between OneDrive and locally stored photos. Microsoft plans to enable Windows users to edit their images directly within OneDrive, providing nuanced control over crops, filters, and adjustments. Once edits are completed, users can either retain their enhanced images on a local drive or effortlessly upload them to Microsoft’s secure cloud infrastructure for safekeeping and broader accessibility. This seamless flexibility between local and cloud environments underscores Microsoft’s vision of a harmonized ecosystem where convenience, control, and creativity coexist.
Furthermore, Microsoft is expanding its use of artificial intelligence through a deeper integration of Copilot into OneDrive. Central to this effort is the debut of the new Photos Agent, a specialized feature available to Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft 365 Premium subscribers. Functioning almost like a personalized digital photo concierge, the Photos Agent uses natural language understanding to respond to user requests — for instance, retrieving all photos from a family vacation or resurfacing images from a particular date. The agent can then compile these selections into automatically organized albums, saving time and streamlining digital curation. This conversational interface reflects Microsoft’s commitment to making AI both accessible and highly useful in everyday productivity tools.
The innovation extends beyond Windows as well. OneDrive’s mobile apps for iOS and Android are scheduled to receive significant AI-powered editing functionalities in the near future. These updates will allow users to transform static photographs into animated, stylized renderings with remarkable ease. The intelligent system will also help declutter photo libraries by identifying and suggesting the removal of blurry or duplicate images. Additionally, Microsoft has begun rolling out a refreshed “Moments” tab that highlights nostalgic content — surfacing memories and photos from past years under a familiar “on this day” theme, designed to rekindle personal connections through technology.
Beyond photo management, Microsoft has introduced another meaningful improvement to how OneDrive handles document sharing. Previously, sharing specific files often required generating custom permission links, occasionally causing confusion or access issues. To eliminate this friction, Microsoft has launched the new “hero link” feature. This upgrade allows users to share files simply by copying and sending the document’s regular URL, mirroring the long-established convenience found in Google Docs. Recipients who do not yet have access permissions can easily request them directly from that link, replacing the frustrating experience of encountering a “permission denied” message with a more straightforward collaboration flow.
Altogether, these sweeping enhancements signal Microsoft’s renewed investment in OneDrive as a pivotal component of its productivity ecosystem. By marrying intelligent photo management, refined sharing controls, and robust AI-driven personalization, Microsoft aims to position OneDrive not merely as a storage service but as a comprehensive, creativity-empowering platform that seamlessly bridges local computing and the cloud.
Sourse: https://www.theverge.com/news/797444/microsoft-onedrive-new-windows-app-ai-copilot-features
