Will Microsoft never learn? Leaked OneDrive app sparks fears of more pointless bloat in Windows 11

• Microsoft apparently has a new OneDrive app in the works
• The software was leaked and comes with a slick modern design
• However, it's proving divisive in terms of what the point of the app might be – but maybe we're not seeing the full picture yet

Microsoft is seemingly working on a new OneDrive app for Windows 11 with a clean and modern interface.

Windows Central reports that it has seen this creation, which was leaked from Microsoft's own servers. It appears to be a dedicated app for OneDrive, Microsoft's cloud storage service, but is a web-based piece of software rather than one natively coded for Windows 11. As ever, we advise caution around leaks, but it certainly sounds intriguing.

Windows Central assures us that, despite being a web app,. this fresh take on OneDrive isn't a sluggish piece of software (unlike the new Outlook app, which is also a web app, but suffers on the performance front).

The new OneDrive app starts by presenting you with your photo library, although it has a switch to flick back to its file management panel, where you can view everything (images, documents, all your files in the cloud).

In the photo panel you can easily access your 'Moments' – pictures from past years taken on the current date – as well as photo albums, and a gallery view.

Windows Central observes that the gallery view is "new, and not currently available on the normal OneDrive website", but there is a gallery view with the OneDrive site. I presume that our sister site means it's 'new' as in 'tweaked', and the main difference appears to be a new floating menu bar that appears when you select a photo - although that carries much the same options as the top menu bar that's summoned on the current OneDrive site.

At any rate, the new gallery view does look slicker, as does the whole interface here, which is it's all very nice, shiny and modern looking. (Again, remember that we should take all this info with an appropriate dose of seasoning).

Analysis: what's Microsoft driving at here?

So, yes, this is a nice-looking take on OneDrive in a neat app package for Windows 11, and the fact that we're told it runs smoothly and in a performant way sounds good. It's nice to have the 'Moments' (historical photos) functionality easily accessible too. It's part of the phone app, and I get notifications on my Windows 10 PC for moments linking through to the OneDrive website, but they're strangely sporadic.

Overall, though, there's not much here which is all that different to the OneDrive website – not as far as this leak shows, anyway. Of course, the leaked software here may somehow be an older version of the app, or there might be more to reveal – and further info could be coming soon.

Why do I say that? Because, funnily enough, Microsoft has its 'Annual OneDrive Digital Event' on October 8, so that might be a fitting time for an unveiling. Interestingly, the blurb for that event mentions "OneDrive's latest advancements in AI" quite a bit, so perhaps this app will have some AI infused in there, too - that would hardly be a surprise.

This purported new OneDrive app is a bit of a head-scratcher in some ways, though, given that you can already access Microsoft's cloud storage locker directly through Windows 11's folders (File Explorer) - or the Photos app for that matter. OK, so those methods aren't as neat and tidy, but still, because of this, there are folks reacting to this leak with confusion. They're questioning why Microsoft would even bother with this new app – given that, as noted, it doesn't appear to do much different.

Maybe Microsoft will explain all next week, and we'll just have to wait for the official revelation and details of what the OneDrive app can really do.

Meanwhile, there are already groans from a number of Windows 11 users on social media and the usual forums about how this is just going to be another unwanted default app in the OS that they have to strip out. That chatter is combined with cries from the cynical that this is just another way for Microsoft to try and push OneDrive (and subscriptions therein – something the company has been keen on doing in the past, it must be noted).

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