Feature: Add Cloud Drives directly without having to install local clients

[ravmurth]

What feature or improvement do you think would benefit Files?

Disclaimer: Possible extension of Issue 3917

Allow an user to directy add a remote cloud drive with proper credentials without having to install local clients

Requirements

• This proposal will allow an user who uses multiple cloud storage providers to naively browse their remote storage in a native environment within Files rather than using separate clients for each cloud provider ( such as Box, Dropbox, Onedrive, Google Drive).
• This proposal will also ensure that an user does not have to install too many apps on their Windows system
• Unified user experience across various cloud storage systems, regardless of provider.

Files Version

4.0.0.0

Windows Version

Windows 11 Pro Version (OS build 26100.6584)

Comments

As mentioned by the requestor of the above issue in this comment , it is a common feature on many Android file managers. I myself use FileManager+ on Android and I have the ability to add remote hosts or cloud providers there directly.
I have cloud storage in all the providers mentioned above ( One Drive, Box, DropBox, Google Drive - 2 accounts of Google, in fact) and in addition, an account in IceDrive also.
For IceDrive, I use the IceDrive app in which, after login, it is possible to automount or manually mount as, usually, "I" drive. The "I" drive then appears in my explorer and also in Files.

Preferred Experience: In the cloud drives section, right clicking on it only gives an option "Hide Cloud Drives Section". There could be a second option: "Add a new provider" or "Add a new Drive" . Start with a set of standard providers like Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, optionally WebDAV ( and hence, the link to issue 3917). For e.g, IceDrive allows access via WebDAV to a users drive.

[ravmurth]

Additional Notes: WIndows explorer allows an user to natively connect their Android phones to Windows Explorer via the Cross Device Experience / Phone Link feature. Now, irrespective of what make/model I use, I can access my phone contents natively in windows explorer insteading of mounting it as a USB drive which was what users had to do earlier. See the attached pic

[Josh65-2201]

Thanks for the feedback, Files is not able to add or maintain so many cloud drives and is unnecessary as the clients work in Files and other places in Windows.

Phone link features is tracked in #16419. You can check there or click subscribe in the right sidebar for updates.

[yaira2]

Thank you for your feedback. I certainly see the appeal of this request, but it's beyond the scope of our project. I recently addressed a similar request here. #17565 (comment)