Reference

OneDrive

OneDrive is Microsoft’s cloud storage, built into Windows and Microsoft 365. Its Files On-Demand feature keeps files online-only by default, showing them in File Explorer while they use little local disk space until you open them.

Cloud & backupWindowsGeneral

OneDrive

Also known as: Microsoft OneDrive, OneDrive Files On-Demand, OneDrive online-only

Files On-Demand keeps files online-only by default
Right-click "Free up space" reclaims local disk space
Built into Windows and Microsoft 365

Online-only vs locally available files

In File Explorer, OneDrive marks each item with a status: a blue cloud means online-only (a placeholder that downloads when opened and uses little space), a green check means downloaded and available offline, and a filled green circle means Always keep on this device.

Right-click any file or folder to switch between Free up space (make it online-only) and Always keep on this device (download a full local copy). Files On-Demand is what lets a large OneDrive show up in full without filling your drive.

How it affects disk space

Local usage equals only the files OneDrive keeps downloaded, not your entire cloud account. Using Free up space turns local copies back into online-only placeholders to reclaim disk space, while marking folders Always keep on this device does the opposite. Windows Storage Sense can also automatically make unused OneDrive files online-only after a set period.

Related terms

Keep reading the reference.

Cloud & backupCloud syncCloud sync keeps a folder of files identical across your devices and an online account, so a change in one place appears everywhere. By default synced files usually exist both in the cloud and on each device, so syncing does not automatically save local space.General Cloud & backupLocal vs cloud storageLocal storage is the fixed physical space inside your device that holds files even offline. Cloud storage is online space on a provider’s servers that you reach over the internet. They are separate pools — adding cloud storage does not enlarge the device, and a full device can coexist with an empty cloud.General WindowsStorage Sense (Windows)Storage Sense is a Windows 10/11 feature that automatically frees space by deleting temporary files, emptying the Recycle Bin, and clearing the Downloads folder on a schedule you set. It is the modern, automatic replacement for running Disk Cleanup by hand.Windows Cloud & backupDropboxDropbox is a cloud storage service that syncs files across your devices. With Selective Sync and online-only files, items can live in the cloud without using local disk space — they download on demand when you open them.General

Act on it

Guides and tools for this topic.

Storage cleanup helpers