8 super useful things you can do with Microsoft OneDrive on Android

Besides providing cloud storage, you can do a few other things with the OneDrive app on Android. These include file sharing, image backup, file encryption, image editing and document scanning, etc. Let's find out more in the following article!

1. Perform basic file backup

OneDrive allows you to save images, documents, videos, and any other type of file online. You can access these files whenever you need them on any of your devices.

You will need to download the app from the Google Play Store and create a Microsoft account to be able to do this. If you use Outlook for your email then use your email credentials to access your Microsoft account.

OneDrive's free plan comes with 5GB of storage, which you can expand by purchasing a customized Microsoft 365 subscription. The free plan will suffice if you want to back up documents and a limited number of images.

To upload your files to OneDrive, follow these steps:

1. Open OneDrive from the app drawer and tap Files.
2. Click the + icon and go to Upload.
3. Select the file you want to backup and wait for the file upload to complete.
4. You can create folders in OneDrive to organize your files.

2. Share files securely

Sharing files from OneDrive is easy and secure. You can do so by:

1. Go to your OneDrive folders and locate the file you want to share.
2. Tap the three-dot menu button and select Share.
3. Select the Can View option and copy or share the link using the desired application. You can change the option to Can Edit if you want to allow the recipient to edit the file.
4. You can set an expiration date ( Set Expiration ) on the link for added security if you have signed up for OneDrive premium features. This will make the file available only for a limited time.

3. Backup photos on Samsung Galaxy phones

OneDrive integrates with Samsung Cloud to back up data on your device. For this reason, you can integrate it with Samsung's photo library and access similar photos from another device's gallery.

This feature is useful in case you lose or damage your phone or work with multiple Samsung devices. Syncing your Samsung library with OneDrive is simple: Open the Gallery app , tap the three-dot menu button, tap Settings , then turn on the Sync with OneDrive button .

4. Hide private files and folders

OneDrive comes with a feature called Personal Vault. This allows you to encrypt your sensitive files like passports, birth certificates, insurance details and tax forms with a password. You can enable and start securing your files with OneDrive's Personal Vault in a few easy steps:

1. Launch OneDrive and tap Personal Vault which will show up with existing files and folders.
2. You will be prompted to verify your identity by entering your Microsoft account credentials.
3. Generate a 6-digit PIN, confirm it, then you can start encrypting your files by uploading or moving them to the Personal Vault folder on OneDrive.

You can further enhance OneDrive's security by going to Me > Settings > App lock and setting up a PIN to lock the app completely. You will have to enter this PIN every time you want to access your files on OneDrive.

5. Make basic edits on photos

OneDrive has an inbuilt photo editing feature in case you need to make quick edits on some of your photos. You can crop photos, adjust brightness or exposure, add filters, and mark up photos as needed.

To access OneDrive's photo editor:

1. Launch the app, go to Photos > Device .
2. Select the image you want to edit.
3. Click Edit and choose what you want to change using the Crop, Adjustment, Filter and Mark-up tools .

6. Access synced Microsoft Office documents in one place

All the documents you've worked on in any Office online product will automatically show up in your OneDrive account. For example, if you've prepared a Word document, Excel sheet, or PowerPoint presentation using Office online, you'll find them in a specified OneDrive folder.

To locate these files, open OneDrive and open the Documents folder. You will find them all arranged in alphabetical order. If you've used Google Drive and Google Docs before, OneDrive and Office sync similarly.

7. Open and annotate PDF files

Installing a third-party PDF reader is not necessary if you have OneDrive installed. OneDrive comes with a native PDF reader that works like dedicated readers like Adobe Acrobat Reader. When you try to open any PDF file, OneDrive should be among the application options that you can use.

OneDrive's PDF reader also allows you to annotate the files it opens. This feature is useful if you need to scribble quickly on a PDF on the go, using a variety of colors.

8. Scan documents

There are plenty of document scanning apps for Android, but you might not need one if you have OneDrive and want to save more space. OneDrive has a convenient document scanning feature, enough for basic documents. To use the scan tool:

1. Tap the camera icon once you launch OneDrive and focus on the document you want to scan.
2. You will have three scan modes: Whiteboard, Document and Business card.
3. Select the most suitable mode and the application will automatically detect the edges of the document and mark them with a blue line.
4. Press the camera button, adjust the edges on the next screen and press Confirm.
5. You can make other edits on the last scan and tap Done to save your scan on your device or OneDrive.