Microsoft Will Soon Nudge Office Users to Use OneDrive

Are you a OneDrive fan? If not, and you prefer alternatives like Google Drive or just saving files to your desktop, using Microsoft Office might start feeling a little more frustrating soon. Microsoft has announced plans to push more Office users towards OneDrive if they aren’t already using it.

What’s Changing?

Microsoft has confirmed it will begin sending notifications to users who aren’t utilizing Dropbox’s Known Folder Move (KFM) feature in OneDrive. According to Bleeping Computer, Microsoft shared this update through its Microsoft 365 Message Center, detailing how the notifications will work:

The message, which reads “BACK UP THIS DOCUMENT: Share and work with others in this and other files using OneDrive,” will appear while using desktop apps. After clicking the Open OneDrive button, users can select the folders they want to back up.

Users already enrolled in KFM or businesses that have blocked KFM will not receive these notifications. However, everyone else will be prompted to use OneDrive. It’s unclear whether the notification will appear just once or repeatedly, but knowing Microsoft, repeated reminders are a strong possibility.

Why Is Microsoft Doing This?

Microsoft’s official reasoning might be that it wants to ensure users keep their files backed up to avoid data loss. But let’s be honest—the move is likely driven by revenue goals. Encouraging more OneDrive usage increases the likelihood of users paying for additional storage, which Microsoft would be happy to see.

The Bigger Picture

This isn’t Microsoft’s first attempt to generate more revenue from Office. Just recently, Microsoft tested an ad-supported version of Office with fewer features, which it described as a trial run.

It seems that despite steady subscriptions to Microsoft 365, the company may not be satisfied with its current profits from Office. If the OneDrive notifications and the ad-powered Office experiment don’t deliver the results Microsoft is hoping for, users can probably expect new strategies to nudge them into spending more. Stay tuned for how these changes might impact your workflow if you’re a Microsoft Office user.