Microsoft Word for Windows to Save New Documents to Cloud by Default

Microsoft is rolling out a change to Word for Windows that will automatically save new documents to the cloud by default, the company said, a shift designed to reduce lost work and streamline collaboration but one that has already prompted user concerns. The behavior is available now to Insider testers running Word for Windows Version 2509 Build 19221.20000 or later and will be extended to Excel and PowerPoint for Windows later this year, Microsoft said.

Under the new workflow, Word will enable AutoSave from the first keystroke and assign a default filename based on the current date rather than the long-standing Document 1 pattern. When users press Ctrl S or invoke Save, Word will open a dialog confirming the cloud location and file name, and the app will display a notice that "This file was created in the cloud." If a user closes an unsaved document that contains content and has not been renamed, Word will prompt whether to keep the autosaved cloud file or discard it. Empty unnamed documents will be discarded automatically.

Microsoft listed several advantages to the change, saying files stored in the cloud benefit from enterprise security and compliance controls, automatic...