Office Settings & Configuration

How to Open Shared Word Files Directly in the Office Desktop App

Amos Gikunda Sep 30, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user wants to open shared Word files directly in the local desktop application instead of having them launch in a web browser like Microsoft Edge.

How to Open Shared Word Files Directly in the Office Desktop App

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Clicking a link to a shared Word document from an email or messaging platform.
Observed behavior: The shared document automatically opens in Microsoft Edge or another web browser instead of launching the native Word desktop application.

Before you start

Ensure that you have the Microsoft Word desktop application installed on your computer and that you are signed into the same Microsoft account associated with the shared file.

Solution 1Recommended

Add a Shortcut to Your OneDrive Files

Sync the shared folder to your local OneDrive so you can open the files directly from File Explorer using the desktop app.

Since OneDrive does not provide a global setting to automatically open email links in the desktop app, syncing the shared folder to your local computer is the most reliable long-term workaround.

Access Shared Files Online

Open OneDrive in your web browser, sign in, and navigate to the 'Shared' section on the left sidebar.

Create a Shortcut

Select the shared folder containing the Word file, then click 'Add shortcut to My files' from the top menu ribbon.

Open via File Explorer

Open File Explorer on your computer, navigate to your local OneDrive folder, and double-click the newly synced file to open it natively in the Word desktop app.

Continuous Access: This method ensures that any future files added to the shared folder by collaborators can also be opened directly via File Explorer.

Solution 2

Open via the Word Desktop App Recent List

Open the file in the browser once, transition it to the desktop app, and access it from your recent files moving forward.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I force all OneDrive web links to open in the desktop app automatically?

Currently, Microsoft OneDrive does not provide a global setting to automatically bypass the web browser for every shared file link clicked from an email. You must use workarounds like syncing the folder or using the Recent list.

Why do shared Word links open in Microsoft Edge by default?

By default, Microsoft configures Office 365 and Outlook links to open in Microsoft Edge to keep users integrated within the Microsoft web ecosystem. This causes the browser to intercept the link instead of passing it to the local app.

Does the 'Open in Desktop App' button save changes back to the shared file?

Yes. When you use the 'Open in Desktop App' button from the web version, AutoSave remains active. Your edits will sync directly back to the original shared file in the cloud.

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