Microsoft Adds OneDrive Offline Support

Microsoft has begun to introduce OneDrive's offline mode on the web, allowing users to access their files even without an internet connection.

Microsoft is introducing a fresh offline mode for OneDrive on the web, tailored specifically for work and school users. This update is just one facet of a broader revamp of OneDrive, which includes enhancements such as a sleeker user interface, customizable folder colors, and a host of additional features.

Users accessing OneDrive via the web will now have access to a new offline mode feature. This functionality allows them to open files marked as available offline and browse through favorite files and the home section of OneDrive even when offline. Furthermore, users can perform various actions such as renaming, sorting, moving, and copying files, with all changes syncing up once an internet connection is reestablished.

In addition to enhancing offline capabilities, Microsoft has also optimized performance, even when users are connected to the internet. They claim a remarkable up to 3x faster loading speed when viewing or interacting with files in OneDrive via the web or through the OneDrive app integrated into Teams or Outlook. Andrey Esipov, a principal product manager at Microsoft, elaborates, stating that the improved performance is achieved by utilizing the device's local storage to store essential file information, such as file name, size, author, and last date accessed. This optimization is facilitated by the OneDrive Sync app, which intelligently maintains a cache of file metadata locally.