Word to autosave new docs to the cloud before you can even hit Ctrl+S

Feature rolls out to Microsoft 365 Insiders, stashing unnamed files in OneDrive by default

Ever get that sinking feeling when Word crashes before you've made your first save? An application update is set to save the day by automatically enabling autosave to the cloud for new documents, before you've even given them a filename.

The feature, currently available to Microsoft 365 Insiders, adds an option to Microsoft's productivity application that automatically saves new documents to the cloud. It uses either OneDrive "or your preferred cloud destination." More on that later...

The company reckons it is "modernizing the way files are created and stored in Word for Windows." The new functionality is certainly convenient.

In the previous version, the AutoSave switch atop the Word window is off until the first save is performed. The update adds an option to "Create new files in the cloud automatically" in the Save tab in Word's Options menu. If checked, which it is by default, then Word will save the newly created file to a default location selected by the user. Rather than the usual Document n naming convention, Word will instead put a date on the filename.

The name and location can be changed upon saving, and Word will also nag the user if any changes have been made before a new document is closed.

Unsurprisingly, Microsoft is also keen to point out that once a file is saved, Copilot can access and analyze it (assuming the user has a Copilot Chat or Microsoft 365 Copilot license).

There are a few known issues that will hopefully be resolved before release. Users with the "Show the start screen when this application starts" setting disabled won't have their first file automatically saved. Additionally, starting a new Word session while a current Word session is running will result in the new file not being saved automatically.

We should also note that, right now, not everyone is getting the new feature as advertised. The Reg US editor is in the Beta channel for Microsoft 365 Insider and has build 2509, the version that Microsoft says has this feature. However, it hasn't appeared in his copy of Word.

The feature will be available in Excel and PowerPoint for Windows later this year.

Users who have gone all in on the company's ecosystem will find the feature useful (and it can be turned off for users who don't want it). However, Microsoft has not been clear about what it means by "your preferred cloud destination." We asked, and a company spokesperson promised to get back to us. We'll update this piece if a list of supported cloud storage services that aren't OneDrive is forthcoming.

One company definitely not on the list is Nextcloud, which had previously fired off complaints to the EU over Microsoft's bundling of OneDrive with Windows.

Frank Karlitschek, Nextcloud founder and CEO, told The Register: "Microsoft is further pushing user data into its cloud, boosting its control and monetization opportunities.

"To placate regulators, it allows a few big competitors as alternatives, but excludes decentralized options such as Nextcloud." ®