Mark a file or folder for offline.
Right-click a file or folder.
Select Always keep on this device.
Notes:
New files or folders created online or on another device appear as online-only to save maximum space. However, if you mark a folder as "Always keep on this device," new files in that folder download to your device as always available files.
If a folder is online-only, you can still mark individual files within that folder as always available.
Desktop search can search for online-only files by name, but it cannot search the contents within online-only files because they aren't stored on the device.
| A blue cloud icon next to a OneDrive file or folder indicates that the file is only available online. Online-only files don’t take up space on your computer. You see a cloud icon for each online-only file in File Explorer, but the file doesn’t download to your device until you open it. You can’t open online-only files when your device isn’t connected to the Internet. |
| When you open an online-only file, it downloads to your device and becomes a locally available file. You can open a locally available file anytime, even without Internet access. If you need more space, you can change the file back to online only. Just right-click the file and select “Free up space.” With Storage Sense turned on, these files will become online-only files after the time period you've selected. |
| Only files that you mark as "Always keep on this device" have the green circle with the white check mark. These always available files download to your device and take up space, but they’re always there for you even when you’re offline. |
