Microsoft has begun rolling out several updates to OneDrive, notably introducing dark mode for personal accounts on the web. Users whose systems default to dark mode will find that OneDrive automatically adapts, providing a consistent viewing experience across Windows, macOS, and mobile devices. However, users can manually select Light, Dark, or Follow system options in the settings, allowing for customized visual preferences including a new toggle for a dark background when viewing photos.
Revamped Photo Viewing Experience
The update also brings a redesigned Photos gallery, aiming to consolidate and simplify the photo viewing experience. This new gallery includes a header featuring Moments, Gallery, Albums, People, and Favourites, allowing for better organization and navigation. The Gallery layout is the default view, providing a seamless photo browsing experience enhanced by smooth animations and a floating search bar. There's also a new upload option designed to streamline the photo addition process.
Leveraging machine learning capabilities, OneDrive groups photos of the same person, thereby enhancing the functionality of People albums. Notably, albums created on mobile devices will synchronize effortlessly with the web version, ensuring users have access to their organized collections irrespective of device.
Moments, an ongoing feature in the mobile version, is further refined to highlight memories. Known as 'On this day' in the mobile app, this feature allows users to reminisce old photos and experiences based on dates. All these updates are gradually becoming available to users, enhancing their interaction with memories stored digitally.
Besides these immediate updates, anticipation builds as Microsoft hints at unveiling additional features for OneDrive, incorporating artificial intelligence technologies, during its forthcoming October 8, 2025, event. The tech giant is expected to announce improvements tailored to enhance both OneDrive and the Windows 11 app, continuing its trend of integrating intuitive functionalities aimed at boosting productivity and user satisfaction.
