Microsoft OneDrive

Progressive Web Apps might be a huge deal in the future for Windows 10’s app store and Microsoft is slowly updating its web services with Progressive Web Apps features, such as offline mode support and push notifications. However, right now, many of the sites and Microsoft services we use simply aren’t proper PWA.

It appears that Microsoft’s OneDrive will finally become a full-fledged Progressive Web App in July. As a proper web app, OneDrive can be “installed” on Windows 10 and other devices. By installing OneDrive PWA on your PC, Mac, or Chromebook, you can treat that online storage website more like a native app.

OneDrive PWA will ditch the traditional address bar at the top of the page and there won’t be any tabs, which means everything will look more like a native app. According to the updated roadmap, OneDrive PWA will be supported in all popular browsers like Microsoft Edge, Chrome and Firefox.

“After you install the web version of OneDrive as a Progressive Web App, you can launch it from your desktop, and it will work the same way as it does in your web browser,” Microsoft said.

When asked, Microsoft said it is planning to begin rolling out the OneDrive PWA update in early July and complete the rollout by the end of the same month.

In theory, OneDrive PWA can also be installed on mobile devices, but Microsoft said that the web app has been optimized for Windows 10 and macOS only, which suggests the experience won’t be nearly as good as the standard OneDrive mobile app.

This is good news for those who have been opposed to OneDrive’s native apps on Windows 10 or macOS. With this change, the website will feel more like installed programs on Windows and Mac.

When OneDrive is updated with PWA features, a new icon will appear directly in the Omnibox or address bar of the browser, with users prompted to “Install app.” It’s worth noting that this differs from the existing “Install” option in the browser’s main menu, which is available for all websites.

Likewise, a large OneDrive logo will also appear when you open the web app.

In addition to OneDrive PWA, Microsoft is also believed to be working on a new web-based Microsoft Teams client and Outlook client for Windows 10 and other platforms.

About The Author

Mayank Parmar

Mayank Parmar is an entrepreneur who founded Windows Latest. He is the Editor-in-Chief and has written on various topics in his seven years of career, but he is mostly known for his well-researched work on Microsoft's Windows. His articles and research works have been referred to by CNN, Business Insiders, Forbes, Fortune, CBS Interactive, Microsoft and many others over the years.