Including OneDrive in Windows Explorer is incredibly helpful because you can save work from any application to your cloud storage directly, without having to go to a website. I then created a new folder in the OneDrive app, which appeared a couple seconds later in the Mac's OneDrive folder. Apple and Google's cloud services don't offer either at any plan level, without workarounds or third-party add-ins.įor a quick test of cross-platform syncing, I installed OneDrive on both an iMac and a Windows desktop. Paid OneDrive users can password-protect shared files as well as set expiration times for sharing. You can share any files or folders stored in the OneDrive cloud with either viewing or editing privileges. You can now upload files of up to 250GB in size-larger than most people will ever need, but not as big as Google Drive's 5TB (though for some file types (Opens in a new window) the size is much smaller). When you place a photo, document, or other item in the created OneDrive folder, it automatically uploads to the cloud and then appears in any of your other OneDrive clients on any of your other computers. Setup also places a cloud icon in your system tray, from which you can open your synced folder or change settings. The setup shows how your OneDrive folder will appear in Windows Explorer (or Finder), with its little blue cloud icon instead of the traditional yellow folder icon. The desktop syncing app is quick to install, with a setup wizard that lets you create an account if you don't already have one. It's also available in the Amazon AppStore for Kindle Fire. The OneDrive mobile app runs on Android 6.0 or later and iOS 14.0 or later. There are workarounds for using it on Linux, but no first-party client app. The OneDrive desktop syncing runs on Windows 7 through Windows 11 and macOS 10.12 or later. Apple, Dropbox, and Google all charge $9.99 per month for 2TB of storage. Another option is to add 200GB of storage to OneDrive for $1.99 per month, though you lose the just-mentioned benefits. A $9.99-per-month Home subscription includes 6TB (1TB each for six users). Microsoft 365 users get a terabyte more with their $6.99-per-month Personal subscription, along with features like expiring and password-protected share links, ransomware protection, and downloadable Microsoft 365 programs. Other smaller players like Mega and pCloud also offer more free space but fewer features. Google Drive gives you 15GB, though that's shared with Gmail. For comparison, iCloud offers 1GB free, unless you bought an Apple device, which gets you 5GB. You can also sign up with any email provider.įree users get 5GB free storage space, and some smartphones and PCs add free OneDrive storage. Recent OneDrive feature adds include online photo editing and the ability to cast photos to a TV via Chromecast, to organize photos by date or source, and to filter by folder.Īnyone with a Microsoft account already has a OneDrive account, and that includes everyone who's ever signed up for a Hotmail, Live, or email account. Apple's competing iCloud has no app for Android (the most popular OS (Opens in a new window) in the world), and its website lacks basic functions like search. OneDrive integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 apps and includes rich photo-management features. Everything it stores is also available in any web browser you log in to. OneDrive has apps not only for Windows PCs, but also for macOS, Android, iOS, Kindle Fire, and Xbox. The service's deep integration with Windows and Microsoft 365, alongside its completeness, maturity, and polish, earn it not only an Editors' Choice award, but also a rare five-out-of-five rating. OneDrive has attractive and capable web and mobile interfaces, photo AI tagging, real-time collaborative editing, and powerful search. It has a rich feature set, online office apps, and wide platform support. OneDrive's functionality and design have reached a point of slick usability and reliability. Well, that's not entirely accurate, since OneDrive preceded those cloud storage and syncing services by at least five years. OneDrive is Microsoft's answer to Apple's iCloud and Google Drive. How to Set Up Two-Factor Authentication.How to Record the Screen on Your Windows PC or Mac.How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP3 Files.How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill.How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad.How to Block Robotexts and Spam Messages.
0 Comments
|