OneDrive gets new file detail pane with previews, actions, and new activity feed

Arif Bacchus

Microsoft is improving the OneDrive experience on the web. The company just announced the rollout of some new features including a file detail pane and a more comprehensive activity feed.

According to Microsoft, these updates should make it easier to see activity and comment details on certain OneDrive files without actually opening them. As an example, the OneDrive file detail pane will show some new types of information like a preview of a file or photo, or a list of people who have access to the file or the photo.

You’ll be able to access this detail pane by opening OneDrive online via the web, right-clicking the file, selecting details, or by clicking the info button in the upper-right corner of the screen. All activities that have happened on the file, as well as comments made, and other generation information will show up too. Other actions possible in the new details pane can be seen below:

  • Add a caption to a photo
  • Add a description to a file
  • Manage access to a file
  • Share a file with others
  • Change permission settings for existing users
  • Toggle between displaying all activity and comments only
  • Enable/disable commenting on a file
  • Add comments
  • Delete comments
  • Add or remove tags for a photo

As for the activity feed, Microsoft says it will “give you a snapshot view of recent activity and comments from the past 30 days on all your OneDrive files.” Some of the things available in the activity feed will include the renaming of files, deleting files, restoring files, sharing, or comments, and edits. You’ll also be able to take actions such as navigating to the file or folder by clicking the name.

Most people should be getting these features today, although we’re not seeing it yet on our end. You can learn more about them by checking Microsoft’s support post here.