Microsoft will set Word to save to OneDrive by default, supposedly in the name of simplicity.
Microsoft will change the behavior of the Word desktop app. New documents will automatically be saved to OneDrive with AutoSave enabled. Microsoft says the change increases simplicity: users automatically get a (kind of) backup of their documents and can share them more easily.
Own Services First
On the flip side, Microsoft is tying its own cloud service even more aggressively to Word. Desktop app users who aren’t interested in OneDrive will need to put in extra effort to keep documents from being saved to OneDrive. If you’re not careful, your document will be shared to the cloud automatically.
For most users with a OneDrive account, the difference will be barely noticeable and perhaps even welcome. Still, the move raises questions: Microsoft is increasingly tightening the integration of its Office suite with the Windows operating system and its OneDrive cloud service. Those uninterested in the cloud, or who prefer Dropbox, are still subject to Microsoft’s growing preference for its own services. Integrating services isn’t inherently bad. Making those integrations the default is more debatable.
Microsoft is currently testing the system with Insiders. It’s not yet clear if and when the behavior will roll out to regular Microsoft 365 and Word users.