Microsoft OneDrive to support stories, but only for friends and family

What you need to know

• Microsoft is testing out a Story feature for OneDrive.
• OneDrive stories focus on privately sharing content with friends and family rather than posting images publicly.
• The feature is in beta testing for OneDrive users in Australia using iOS, Android, or the web.

Microsoft has a new feature in the works designed for sharing content with friends and family members. OneDrive users in Australia can now beta test a new Story feature for the platform. At the moment, stories are only available for users on Android, iOS, or the web. It should make its way to other regions in the future, according to a Tech Community post from Microsoft.

OneDrive stories differ from similarly named features on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms. Rather than allowing people to share content with a broad public audience, OneDrive stories focus on sharing with friends and family members.

"Photo story brings all your memories into a private, invitation-only feed that you can share with family and friends, and it supports comments, reactions, and notifications to spur authentic interactions through photos that people actually care about," explained Microsoft.

To create a story, tap the Shared tab within the OneDrive Mobile app or website. Microsoft details the steps further in a support document:

1. Select Create post. 
2. Choose the photos and videos you want to share. 
3. Select Continue or Next. 
4. Add a location if you want. 
5. Add a description for your post if you want. 
6. Select Post. 

Story posts only appear for followers. You can set OneDrive to allow anyone with a link to see your story or require approval for someone to follow you. If you share a link and later want to revoke access, you can do so.

While at first glance, adding a Story feature to OneDrive may seem redundant to people who already use Instagram, Facebook, or other social media apps, OneDrive's implementation provides a different way to share content. It lets people privately share photos without having to use a separate social media application.