Using OneDrive offline – how it works

If you want to use Microsoft OneDrive offline, that’s no problem. You can specify the files or folders you want to use offline

Use files and folders in OneDrive offline

If you do not have your own cloud storage, you can use OneDrive from Microsoft. To use OneDrive offline, follow these step-by-step instructions after you have set up OneDrive.

• Open the OneDrive folder on your computer in File Explorer.

• Select the files or folders that you want to be available offline.

• Click on the selected items with the right mouse button. Select “Always keep on this device” from the context menu.

• The selected files and folders are now downloaded and marked with a green circle with a white tick. This indicates that they are available offline.

• You can open and edit these files without an internet connection. As soon as you are online again, OneDrive automatically synchronizes all the changes you have made offline.

• Users of Android devices also have the option of making files or folders available offline. To do this, press and hold the desired element. Then tap on the “Offline” option

• On iOS devices, the process works in a similar way. You also select files or folders by pressing and holding. Then tap on the “Make available offline” option

• OneDrive offers a special view for offline files. On Windows PCs, you can find this under “Menu ☻ Offline”. On Android devices, you can do this via the “Me” icon and then “Files available offline”. On iOS, navigate to the “Me” icon and “Offline files”

Unlock offline mode under OneDrive

To cancel offline mode for certain files or folders, proceed as follows:

• On the PC, right-click on the relevant item. Select “Release storage space” from the context menu. The element is now only saved online again

• To cancel offline mode in Android, press and hold the relevant file or folder. Then select “Remove from offline” in the context menu. Alternatively, you can call up the “Files available offline” via the “Me” icon. There, select the items you want to remove from offline mode:

• In the OneDrive app for iOS, tap the three dots next to the file or folder. Select “Remove from offline”. You can also call up the “Offline files” via the “Me” icon and remove several items from offline mode at the same time. In both cases, the files are only saved online