The latest OneDrive update borrows some of Google Photos' best features

The latest OneDrive features focus on photo editing and management.

What you need to know

• Microsoft has announced a few new features with the latest update to OneDrive.
• Both the web and mobile versions now include a basic photo editor.
• Microsoft is also highlighting a casting feature and an upcoming photo organizer.

Microsoft is launching several new features for OneDrive to make it easier for users to manage their photos.

One of the most significant features coming to OneDrive is a photo editor. While not as robust as what's offered in Google Photos, it gives users basic editing functions like cropping, incremental rotations, and various lighting and color adjustments. Of course, these functions can be found in many of the best Android phones, but it's nice to see them coming to OneDrive as an additional editing option for users.

The new editor is rolling out now on the web and the OneDrive Android app. iOS devices will receive the editor later this year.

In the next couple of months, OneDrive will make it easy to organize your images with a new management tool. Now when images are uploaded to OneDrive, they can be automatically placed in different folders based on the origin of the image. So now photos from social media apps, messaging apps, screenshots, etc., will be moved to their respective folders.

Additionally, users can easily filter through their images with a new filter option, making it easier to only view photos from select folders. This feature is available now, although automatic folder uploads will arrive soon.

Lastly, Microsoft is highlighting the ability to cast from OneDrive. The icon sits at the top left of the Android app, making it easy to show off your images and videos through Chromecast players like Chromecast with Google TV and the best Android TVs. This feature should be available on Android devices now.

With these new features, OneDrive is becoming a more robust offering for users who prefer Microsoft's cloud solution to competitors like Google and Apple.

Microsoft's Google Photos

OneDrive

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For anyone not caught up in Google services

Microsoft OneDrive is a great cloud solution for anyone that wants to step away from Google's ecosystem. It features automatic photo backup, file sharing, document scanning, and even syncs your word documents across devices.