How to Use OneDrive Files On-Demand on Windows

Step by step

1. 1 min

   Open OneDrive settings

   Click the OneDrive cloud icon located in the Windows Taskbar system tray. Select the gear icon in the top right corner of the OneDrive flyout menu and choose Settings from the dropdown list.

   Note: If the icon is hidden, click the arrow to show hidden icons.
2. 1 min

   Enable Files On-Demand

   In the Settings window, navigate to the Sync and backup tab on the left sidebar. Ensure the toggle for Files On-Demand is set to On.

   Note: Files On-Demand is enabled by default on modern Windows installations.
3. 1 min

   Free up local space

   Open File Explorer and navigate to your OneDrive folder. Right-click any file or folder and select Free up space from the context menu.

   Note: The file icon will change to a blue cloud, indicating it is stored online only.
4. 30 sec

   Download files on demand

   Double-click any file marked with the blue cloud icon. Windows will automatically download the file to your local machine to open it.

   Note: A green checkmark will appear once the file is downloaded to your device.
5. 30 sec

   Keep files on the device

   Right-click a file or folder and select Always keep on this device. This ensures the files remain accessible offline regardless of your internet connection status.

   Note: This will consume local disk space equal to the size of the selected files.