Wondering if it’s possible to access Microsoft OneDrive storage on your Mac computer? Then, this post is definitely something you need.
For those unfamiliar with Microsoft OneDrive, it’s a great alternative to other popular solutions like DropBox and Google Drive. It comes as default for Windows users and is deeply integrated into the Windows operating system. However, Mac users have to use a browser or download the OneDrive apps to access their files. Let’s take a closer look at the most popular methods and analyze their advantages and downsides.
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Using OneDrive
You can go simple and use Microsoft OneDrive onto your Mac to work directly with the cloud storage. Still, despite the seeming convenience of this method, it might take up a lot of your valuable space to backup and sync all local files.
Using Commander One
A great alternative to the previous method might be mounting OneDrive as a network drive with the help of Commander One OneDrive is definitely friends with.
Commander One is a win-win solution that enables loads of non-native apps to run smoothly on Mac machines. And OneDrive is no exception.
First things first, you want to grab Commander One and install it onto your computer. Once the new app is there, fire it up and proceed to the Connections manager.
Navigate through the available cloud drive options until you locate Microsoft OneDrive. Don’t hesitate to select it by clicking on it.
Wait a sec for the app to open a browser window. After that, you can input the necessary login and password details and voila! Now you can easily access your content and manage it to your liking.
Note that your content will be displayed in the dedicated panes of your application. From there, you can manage your files easily and incorporate any changes to your content.
Also, it’s good to know that you’re not limited to just a single cloud drive. You can safely open multiple drives simultaneously when using Commander One. To transfer files, make use of a handy drag-and-drop feature. See for yourself how easy and effortlessly you can manage your files and folders with just a couple clicks!
Using Third-Party Apps
Another method worth trying out if you want to manage OneDrive directly on a Mac is through third-party pieces of software like CloudMounter, ExpanDrive, Mounting Duck, and others of their ilk.
The majority of such tools work as an addition to the Finder by mounting OneDrive storage as a removable drive to a user’s Mac and displaying the storage content as if it was a local folder on a computer. All files are normally downloaded into cache only if the user decides to open them and get removed automatically upon closing. This way, the cloud monitors the limitations of native and browser access to the storage.
The good news is that such apps don’t occupy a lot of space on a hard drive and provide direct access to the files you want to work with in any third-party app. On top of all of that, cloud monitor boasts built-in encryption functionality, which allows encrypting online files so only their users with a master password can use them.
The major downside of third-party apps is that they might come with a hefty price tag and, in some cases, a steep learning curve.