Microsoft Word will now automatically save new documents to the cloud

Microsoft has announced a major change to Word for Windows: all new documents will now automatically be saved to the cloud — specifically to OneDrive or another service of your choice. The new feature is already being tested by members of the Microsoft 365 Insiders program.

According to product manager Raul Muñoz, the goal of the changes is to relieve users of the worry about saving files: "You don’t have to worry about losing your work – creation in the cloud means your document is automatically saved for you as you go and are instantly available on your Android or iOS device, or in a web browser."

Documents will receive the creation date in the name by default, and users will be able to change the save location or disable automatic cloud saving.

But the changes have already sparked controversy, with some users unhappy that they now have to take more steps to save files locally. Microsoft has been aggressively promoting OneDrive in recent years, even using pop-ups to convince people to enable cloud backup.