Word officially “imitates” Google Docs: Users get rid of the fear of forgetting to save documents

In the history of office software development, Microsoft Word has always been considered an almost sacrosanct symbol. Since the 1990s, Word has become the default tool for word processing for hundreds of millions of people around the world. However, when the Internet exploded, a potential competitor appeared: Google Docs. Not only did it bring a completely new approach to writing and collaborating online, Google Docs also possessed an extremely convenient feature: automatically saving all changes immediately to the cloud.

While Google Docs users almost never have to worry about “forgetting to save,” Word users still have to maintain the classic routine: create a file, name it, select a folder, and always remember to press “Ctrl + S” after every important edit. Although Microsoft introduced the AutoSave feature earlier, the mechanism is not really “automatic” as the name suggests. AutoSave only starts when you actively save the file at least once.

Microsoft has quietly made a big change: Autosave will now be enabled by default when you open a new document, and the document will be saved directly to OneDrive or SharePoint without any initial action. In other words, Word is finally “taking a page” from Google Docs and bringing convenience to users who have been waiting for this for years.

This good news quickly created excitement for those who had more or less suffered from losing data just because they forgot to press Save. However, along with that convenience was a growing wave of controversy: is Microsoft bringing a step forward for users, or are they cleverly using this convenience to force users to be more attached to the company's service ecosystem?

1. Microsoft quietly releases new features

It is no coincidence that the technology community calls this a step forward in “learning” Google Docs. In fact, Google has built its entire document ecosystem on the principle of “everything is online, everything is saved instantly”. When you open Google Docs, you do not need to click Save, do not need to choose a folder from the beginning. The document will be attached to your Google account and saved directly in Google Drive.

For years, that's been a big advantage that has made Google Docs a favorite choice for students, small workgroups, and businesses looking to save money, knowing that even if their network goes down or their computers are shut down, their content is safe in the cloud.

In contrast, Word – though more powerful and feature-rich – is stuck with the traditional mindset: work on local files, save to the computer, then sync to the cloud if the user is proactive. This new change from Microsoft can be considered a turning point: automatically saving new documents to the cloud from the first moment .

Documents will now be timestamped by default. This has two big benefits. First, you’ll never have to worry about “not saving yet.” Second, versions of the document can be easily accessed in the edit history, similar to Google Docs. For many users, this is a welcome change, eliminating the worry of losing everything due to an unexpected incident.

Convenience is a double-edged sword. While Google Docs was designed around Google Drive, and users have embraced it from the start, Word is a different story. For decades, users have been accustomed to saving documents wherever they want: personal hard drives, USB drives, corporate network drives, or third-party cloud services like Dropbox.

When Microsoft decided to automatically push all new files to OneDrive or SharePoint, many people began to feel like their options were being squeezed . Microsoft may say that users can still change the storage destination, but the fact that it defaults to its ecosystem creates an invisible barrier. Many people will accept this default because it’s fast and convenient, and over time, they become locked into OneDrive’s embrace.

This is reminiscent of past antitrust investigations, when Microsoft was accused of “locking” users to Internet Explorer on Windows. This time, the new weapon is not the browser but personal and corporate data .

Previously, you had to save a new document manually at least once before AutoSave would be enabled.

The difference lies in this detail. In previous versions, AutoSave only worked after you had done the initial steps: named the file, selected a save location, and clicked Save. In other words, AutoSave was just a mechanism for continuously updating a file that had already been identified . It didn’t really protect the user from risk in the first place.

With the new change, everything is now in the cloud immediately. It is a radical move, helping Word escape the image of being “outdated” compared to Google Docs. However, this radical change also means that Microsoft has more control over the data, which many people are wary of.

In terms of user experience, this is an undeniable plus. Power outages, computer crashes, or accidentally closing Word windows will no longer be a nightmare. In a team environment, this ability is even more important, as continuous synchronization helps minimize the risk of data loss when multiple people are editing.

For example, a group of students working on a project can open a file in Word and be assured that all edits will be recorded. A small business can save significant time by not having to remind each other to “remember to save.” In terms of pure utility, this is a feature that deserves praise.

2. This feature is still in testing phase

During the Microsoft 365 Insider Beta testing phase, many users reported that this feature was having problems. Some reported that when opening multiple Word windows, only one window was autosaved, while the others were not. In some cases, the feature was not available at all, even after updating to the latest version.

This shows that Microsoft still has a lot of work to do before the feature becomes stable. The issue is not just about fixing technical bugs, but also about ensuring a consistent experience for hundreds of millions of users across different operating systems, devices, and versions.

Microsoft says users can choose their "preferred cloud destination"

This is the most sensitive point in the whole story. Microsoft insists that it is not limiting users to OneDrive, but that it allows users to choose other services. However, the company does not specify which services are actually supported . Most likely, Microsoft is only opening the door to a few big competitors like Dropbox or Box, with which it already has a partnership agreement.

This means that decentralized or open-source platforms like Nextcloud are likely to be sidelined, making the promise of “freedom of choice” seem vague and lose its real value.

By default, files will be pushed directly to OneDrive or SharePoint.

This fact has many worried that Microsoft is following the old path: prioritizing its own service and making it the default . Once users get used to this default, the rate at which they switch to another service will decrease sharply. This is a strategy that many tech giants have successfully applied: Apple with iCloud, Google with Google Drive, and now Microsoft with OneDrive.

Frank Karlitschek, CEO of Nextcloud, has been vocal in his criticism, arguing that Microsoft is using the “convenience” tactic to lure users into a dependency trap. Once data is in OneDrive, Microsoft not only has more control, but also has more opportunities to make money by selling additional storage or Microsoft 365 subscriptions.

“Microsoft continues to push user data into its cloud…”

Karlitschek’s comments echo a common concern: the concentration of data in the hands of a few giant companies is leading to a loss of diversity in the market. Decentralized options that give users more control are being squeezed out, leaving users with more convenience but also losing control over their personal and professional data.

Word's automatic saving of files to the cloud is a step forward, but also a trade-off.

No one can deny that this is a positive change from a convenience perspective. Users will feel more secure, reduce the risk of data loss, and improve team work efficiency. But at the same time, the big question is: is this convenience worth the trade-off of freedom of choice and the risk of monopoly?

This is not just a story about one piece of office software, but a bigger picture of how our data is increasingly being squeezed into a few centralized platforms. In the digital age, data is our most valuable asset. And the choices about who controls that data, where, and how are important to each user.