Free up disk space with OneDrive Files On-Demand
Draft. Not published yet.
Files On-Demand lets you see your OneDrive files in File Explorer without storing every file on the PC. Microsoft has it enabled by default in current OneDrive versions.
In File Explorer, the icons mean:
- A blue cloud is online-only. It doesn’t take up space until you open it, and you need internet access to open it.
- A green check on a white circle is a file you’ve opened, now available on this device. You can right-click it and choose Free up space to make it online-only again.
- A solid green circle with a white check is Always keep on this device. That copy stays on the PC for offline use and does take up space.
To change a file or folder, right-click it in your OneDrive folder and choose Free up space or Always keep on this device.
If you don’t see those options, open the OneDrive cloud icon > Help & Settings > Settings, go to the Sync and back up tab, expand Advanced settings, and turn on Files On-Demand. It needs Windows 10 version 1709 or later.
Making a file online-only does not delete it from OneDrive. It only removes the local copy. Don’t use Free up space on files you need on a flight or anywhere you won’t have internet.