Never lose a Word document again

How often have you lost a Word document because you forgot to save? It happens to all of us—power cuts, system crashes, or closing a file too quickly can erase hours of work.

Microsoft is putting an end to that frustration. New Word documents will now autosave to OneDrive by default, ensuring your work is instantly backed up and accessible from any device. Accidentally close a file? No problem—it’s safe in the cloud.

For many, this is a game-changer. But not everyone is on board. Some users prefer to choose where files are stored, especially when handling sensitive information. Privacy concerns remain, even though Microsoft guarantees secure, user-only access.

The good news: you can disable this feature and return to manual saving if you prefer. Still, most people won’t notice the change—Word will quietly protect your work in the background.

This update signals Microsoft’s vision: making OneDrive the central hub for your files. With Copilot AI integration on the horizon, you’ll soon be able to search, summarise, and edit documents directly from OneDrive—no more digging through folders.

Is this a great idea or a bad one? It depends on your priorities. If you value simplicity and peace of mind, it’s a smart move. If you prefer control and local storage, it may feel restrictive.

One thing is certain: the days of losing unsaved work are over.