Windows 10X Foldable Screen OS Previews OneDrive-Synced File Explorer
Search both local and cloud files in one app.
Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 10X operating system (OS) for dual-screen devices is indicating a change in the company’s approach to file management, according to a new update released for the Windows 10X Emulator yesterday. While most of the patch notes for the update focused on bug fixes for development environments, Microsoft also snuck in a beta for the Windows 10X File Manager revamp, which reveals a greater focus on integration with Microsoft OneDrive.
We learned last year that Microsoft would be applying its new “Fluent Design” principles, which focus on simplicity and seamless movement between multiple devices, to the Windows 10 File Explorer starting this year, and it seems like the time has finally come for the company to start playing its hand.
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Preview images for the app show both light and dark modes, built-in OneDrive syncing and a more lightweight visual design similar to what’s already in place in numerous Windows 10 System Settings menus.
Also, while some users worried that the new file manager would only be able to browse OneDrive files, a Twitter user has seemingly put those fears to bed by playing around with the emulator and accessing his C drive through the new app.
Yes the new file explorer can be used to access local files pic.twitter.com/Yp73iZXAhFMarch 10, 2020
OneDrive currently comes pre-installed with all copies of Windows 10 and offers users 5GB of cloud storage, with additional plans available for up to 6TB. Microsoft has been pushing it as a sort of Dropbox alternative since it first launched in 2007 under the name SkyDrive, before changing its name in 2013 after losing a trademark case.
“When we announced the new name OneDrive, we noted how it is much more aligned with our vision for the future,” then corporate vice president Chris Jones noted during the re-launch. “Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for you to get all of your favorite stuff in one place.”
The new File Explorer app seems to be finally bringing the old standard in line with that promise. And while this version of the app is currently only slated for 10X, it might point at things to come for other Windows products down the line.
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Michelle Ehrhardt is an editor at Tom's Hardware. She's been following tech since her family got a Gateway running Windows 95, and is now on her third custom-built system. Her work has been published in publications like Paste, The Atlantic, and Kill Screen, just to name a few. She also holds a master's degree in game design from NYU.