Microsoft to develop OneDrive app for Windows 11

Microsoft to develop a dedicated OneDrive app for Windows 11 with a focus on media viewing, editing and file management.

It’s apparently hidden as a separate executable named OneDrive.app.exe. Launching the new app adds a OneDrive icon to the Taskbar and opens a window displaying the OneDrive photo library.

The Windows Central reports that the new OneDrive is completely web-based and uses a unique design language. It also features more aesthetic, rounded menu bars and drop-down menus.

The OneDrive website offers an interface for organizing files stored on Microsoft’s servers. The app version includes this existing organizational mode, along with a new gallery mode that allows you to switch between the two quickly.

The file management system mirrors that of the OneDrive website, but it also features a new Copilot tool that appears when you hover over files. This tool opens a chat with Microsoft’s AI assistant, allowing you to ask questions about the file, such as requesting a summary without needing to open it.

In gallery mode, there are five tabs: Moments, Gallery, Albums, People and Favorites.

Moments is a memory feature that highlights pictures taken on the current day in previous years. It is similar to the one available in the mobile OneDrive app.

The Gallery tab is newly introduced and features a floating menu bar when you select a photo for editing or organizing. However, the app has some built-in editing tools that resemble the Windows Photos app.

Microsoft has not officially announced a new OneDrive app, so it is not clear if this will replace existing OneDrive features. Windows 11 already integrates OneDrive into the File Explorer and Photos app.

Perhaps a dedicated app is designed to consolidate those features, and the app does look appealing. Microsoft is hosting a Copilot and OneDrive showcase on October 8—perhaps this new app will be unveiled then.