Microsoft Word now saves your documents to OneDrive by default
Starting today (October 10, 2025), Microsoft Word on Windows will auto-save all new documents to OneDrive with AutoSave turned on—if you're a Microsoft 365 Insider.
This means your files are backed up instantly and accessible from any device, instead of just being stuck on your computer.
Prefer the old way? You can still switch back to local saving in the settings.
How the new saving process works
Before, Word saved new docs locally until you chose OneDrive or SharePoint.
Now, every new file gets a temporary cloud name (like today's date) and AutoSave keeps tracking your changes as you go.
If you want to keep things private or offline, just turn off AutoSave and use keyboard shortcuts to save files where you want.
Update is for Microsoft 365 Insiders only
Microsoft's pushing for a "cloud-first" world—making it easier to collaborate, recover lost work, and manage files with tools like Copilot AI.
But it does mean relying more on Microsoft's ecosystem.
Heads up: this update is only for folks in the Microsoft 365 Insider Program with an active subscription.