Microsoft Word will soon start auto-saving your documents to the cloud by default

Microsoft is rolling out a significant shift for Microsoft Word in Windows, now saving new documents to the cloud by default through the Microsoft 365 Insider program. While users previously needed to enable AutoSave or select cloud storage manually, Word will now store files automatically on Microsoft OneDrive or another chosen cloud provider. The company says this change is supposed to minimize the risk of data loss and let users sync their documents across multiple devices, so they’re always available not just on Windows but also on Android, iOS, web browsers, and basically anywhere the Word app is supported.

Word will generate new file names based on the current date, instead of appending numbers, and the app will also prompt users before closing documents that have not been named or manually saved. Users can choose a different cloud storage location or switch back to local saving, but since the feature is enabled by default, opting out requires going to File Options Save, unchecking 'AutoSave files stored in the cloud by default in Word,' and checking 'Save to computer by default.'

The cloud-saving default will be available in Word for Windows 11 version 2509 and above. Microsoft also says similar changes are planned for Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint, raising the question of whether Microsoft will clearly explain how to disable these changes or if users will only notice when their files no longer show up where they expect. For everyone else looking for a fully offline and free alternative, you can always give LibreOffice - Writer a try 😉