Keeping track of all your important work files is about to get a lot easier on Microsoft Teams thanks to a significant new update.
The video conferencing service is launching a new OneDrive app for Teams, replacing the existing Files app with a new integrated cloud storage offering that unifies the file management experience across its Microsoft 365 office software
The company says the new OneDrive app will bring a "consistent and familiar file management experience across all of Microsoft 365", taking advantage of a range of recent OneDrive updates including performance improvements, new views, and feature enhancements.
New OneDrive app for Microsoft Teams
"Microsoft OneDrive is at the core of your files experience in Microsoft 365, storing and protecting files as well as powering sharing, collaboration, and discovery," Microsoft's Noga Ronen wrote in a Tech Community blog post announcing the news.
"The new OneDrive app gathers in one place all the files, Loops, dashboards and design boards you need to work on, no matter where they live in Microsoft 365. The app makes it easy to get back to all the content you’ve created as well as those shared with you across Microsoft 365, right from Teams."
The new OneDrive app is rolling out to the latest version of Microsoft Teams now, with a wider launch coming in early 2024 for users of "classic Teams" - although confusingly, those users will not see a change in app name, which will remain as Files. Teams mobile users will not be affected.
Microsoft says the new app will make finding and searching for files a much smarter experience. If users are trying to track down a file but can't remember which exact chat it was shared in, the OneDrive app will now offer a clearer way to browse through your files, with filters allowing search by people, file type, or meetings.
Elsewhere, the new OneDrive app will provide a new home page that shows your recent files and content, no matter where it is stored in Microsoft 365, alongside a "for you" section that shows "AI-powered file recommendations" and file activity updates. There are also options for specific views focused around meetings, specific people, and shared files, along with the ability to mark particularly important files as "favorites".
Users will also be able to integrate third-party cloud storage apps for the new app, but will require the corresponding Teams app for that service. Microsoft says it will display and offer these apps on the Teams home page, and hopes to bring more providers to the service soon.
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