Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Microsoft is working on the ability to import files from other cloud services, according to an Android Authority teardown.
- It looks like OneDrive will specifically let you import files from Google Drive, Google Photos, and Dropbox.
OneDrive is one of the better Google Drive competitors, offering competitive prices as part of Microsoft 365 subscriptions. What if you want to transfer your files from a rival cloud storage service to OneDrive, though? There’s no easy way to do this right now, but our own APK teardown suggests Microsoft is working on a solution.
An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
A teardown of the OneDrive v7.4 Beta 1 app for Android reveals strings suggesting that Microsoft is working on the ability to let you import files from other cloud-sharing services. The strings all contain the name “import_cloud_files,” while some of them even name Google Drive, Google Photos, and Dropbox as supported services.
Code
<string name="import_cloud_files_add_cloud_service">Sign in to an account to import</string>
<string name="import_cloud_files_checking_connection">Checking connection...</string>
<string name="import_cloud_files_connect_to_cloud_storage">Connect to %1$s</string>
<string name="import_cloud_files_description">"OneDrive imports your photos and files without using your device's mobile data plan. Imports continue even if you close the app."</string>
<string name="import_cloud_files_dropbox">Dropbox</string>
<string name="import_cloud_files_dropbox_icon_description">Icon for Dropbox</string>
<string name="import_cloud_files_google_drive">Google Drive</string>
<string name="import_cloud_files_google_drive_icon_description">Icon for Google Drive</string>
<string name="import_cloud_files_google_photos">Google Photos</string>
<string name="import_cloud_files_google_photos_icon_description">Icon for Google Photos</string>“OneDrive imports your photos and files without using your device’s mobile data plan. Imports continue even if you close the app,” reads an excerpt from one of the strings.
The aforementioned strings give us a good idea of the setup process too, as you’ll need to sign into the desired account. This step suggests you won’t have to actually leave OneDrive to get the ball rolling. Furthermore, a string in the previous version of the app points to the “import cloud files” option being available in the main settings menu. So you won’t have to dig deeply to find the feature.
We also found a few strings that shed more light on the import process. Perhaps the most prominent tidbit is that OneDrive will alert you when your import takes you over your quota limit.
Code
<string name="import_cloud_files_import_completed">Import completed</string>
<string name="import_cloud_files_import_failed">Import failed</string>
<string name="import_cloud_files_import_in_progress">In progress</string>
<string name="import_cloud_files_import_over_quota_limit">Over quota limit</string>
<string name="import_cloud_files_import_partially_completed">Partially completed</string>
<string name="import_cloud_files_import_stopped">Stopped</string>
<string name="import_cloud_files_import_stopping">Stopping</string>
<string name="import_cloud_files_import_unauthorized">Sign in again</string>
<string name="import_cloud_files_ready_to_import">Ready to import</string>This would be a long-overdue feature for OneDrive, as it would definitely make things much easier for people transitioning from rival cloud storage services. It’s not the only prominent feature we’ve recently spotted in OneDrive, as we saw references to a Magic Eraser-style feature in the app last month.
In any event, there’s no word on when OneDrive’s cloud import functionality will be available to users. We’ve asked Microsoft for a statement and will update the article if/when it gets back to us.
