Microsoft Word will save your files to the cloud by default

Microsoft says that Word for Windows willsoon enable autosave and automatically saveall new documents to the cloud by default.

The company is currently testing this new feature with the help ofMicrosoft 365 Insiders in the Beta Channel, who will get it after upgrading toWord for Windows Version 2509 (Build 19221.20000) or later, which was released on Monday.

Microsoft will also roll out this functionality toExcel for Windows and PowerPoint for Windows users later this year.

“We are modernizing the way files are created and stored in Word for Windows,”saidRaul Munoz,a Product Manager on the Office Shared Services and Experiences team.

“Now you don’t have to worry about saving your documents: Anything new you create will be saved automatically to OneDrive or your preferred cloud destination.”

While the new feature will select the user’s OneDrive account as the default file location, customers will also have the option to choose a folder on their own computer.

They will also be able tochange how new files are created (the traditional way or automatically in the cloud) by going tothe Save page in theWord options and selecting or deselecting ‘Create new files in the cloud automatically.’

Microsoft Word autosaving to the cloud

Those who want to test this new feature can join theMicrosoft 365 Insider programand upgrade their Word app toVersion 2509 (Build 19221.20000) or later..

Earlier this month, Microsoft also announced thatthe transcription, dictation, and read aloud featureswill stop workingin outdated versions of Microsoft 365 Office applications in late January 2026.

In May, Redmond alsoannounced plansto end support for Office apps on Windows 10 later this year andreminded customersin April that Office 2016 and Office 2019 will reach the end of extended support in less than two months, on October 14, 2025.