- Microsoft’s next OneDrive experience features Copilot integration, a new Photos Agent, unified photo features on Windows 11, and hero links.
Microsoft is set to release a new OneDrive app for Windows 11. The company is announcing the app shortly after a leaked version showed up for download from the company’s servers.
The new app introduces a more modern experience and AI features, including a new Photos Agent that acts as a personal assistant for your photo collection. The company says the updated app will begin rolling out next year as part of its broader plan to bring OneDrive on desktop closer to its mobile experience.
Unlike the current experience with File Explorer and the Taskbar’s flyout interface, the new OneDrive offers a fresh take with a full-fledged desktop app featuring a clean, refreshed design. The app offers a dedicated photo gallery with people view for grouping pictures by detected faces, and built-in photo editing tools.
It’s a major change that puts the Windows 11 version on par with the iOS and Android apps, which have long featured richer photo and sharing capabilities.
AI-powered OneDrive experience
Microsoft is also bringing deeper Copilot integration to OneDrive with the new Photos Agent. Available for Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft 365 Premium subscribers, this AI assistant lets you interact with your photo library using natural language.
You can ask Copilot to show “holiday pictures from last December,” “photos of your cat,” or even to create an album of family trips, and the AI will automatically find and organize the images for you. Or at least that’s the idea, as usually features don’t always work as advertised.
Local photo support and mobile improvements
In addition to cloud integration, Microsoft plans to include support for local photos. This means you will be able to browse, edit, and enhance pictures stored on your computer, and then choose to either keep them locally or upload them to the cloud. Of course, you also have the Photos app to perform the same and more video and photo editing tasks.
Also, there’s a File tab that mirrors the familiar web version of OneDrive for managing documents and other content, but with a new twist, Copilot integration.
On mobile, OneDrive is getting even more intelligent editing features powered by AI. The mobile editing tools can turn photos into animated styles, clean up blurry shots, and remove duplicates. The app also includes a new “Moments” tab that highlights old memories and “On This Day” moments, similar to other popular photo platforms.
Easier document sharing
Microsoft is also introducing a new method for sharing OneDrive documents, known as “hero links.” Instead of generating unique sharing URLs, you can simply copy and paste a file’s standard link. Others can then request access directly, streamlining the process and eliminating the common “access denied” issues that used to appear when sharing documents.
The experience mirrors how Google Docs handles sharing permissions, making it far more intuitive for business as well as for regular consumers.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert and founder of Pureinfotech in 2010. With over 22 years as a technology writer and IT Specialist, Mauro specializes in Windows, software, and cross-platform systems such as Linux, Android, and macOS.
Certifications: Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), VMware Certified Professional (VCP), and CompTIA A+ and Network+.
Mauro is a recognized Microsoft MVP and has also been a long-time contributor to Windows Central.
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