Microsoft is preparing to make a significant change to the way documents are saved in Word. Newly created files will now be saved directly to cloud storage without requiring any additional steps.

Word files will be saved to the cloud

Currently being tested with Microsoft 365 Insiders, this feature eliminates the risk of losing users’ work. It also allows easy access to documents via a web browser or from mobile devices like Android and iOS.

In the new system, documents are automatically saved with a date instead of a number at the end of the file name as before. Users can specify the default cloud save location for documents or disable this auto-save feature entirely.

This move by Microsoft is seen as part of its strategy to encourage Word users to use cloud-based storage. The company frequently warns users to back up their files to OneDrive.

However, this change makes saving to a local drive a bit more complicated for those who prefer not to use OneDrive or another cloud service. Some users expressed their frustration with this in a Microsoft blog post.

In the previous system, users could manually save a document by selecting the “Save As” option from the “File” menu and then saving the file to their computer’s local drive if they wished. Now, this process is automatically redirected to cloud storage, making saving locally an additional step.

So, what are your thoughts on this? Feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.