Introduction

By default, if you upload a file to OneDrive from your computer, not only will a copy be stored on OneDrive, but a copy will also be stored in your computer's cache, primarily for offline access. OneDrive offers Files On-Demand, which is a feature that will allow you to access your files stored on OneDrive without occupying as much space on your disk. If a file needs to be accessed, a local copy will be downloaded to your computer temporarily and sent back online if not used after a period of time. This feature is especially useful if your computer does not have that much storage capacity, and you have multiple files or folders stored on OneDrive that you access infrequently.

With OneDrive Files On-Demand, you have the following options for files:

If you access a file for folder infrequently, you can choose to save files online only. When needed, your computer will pull down a copy and store a copy on your computer.
If you have files/folders that you access frequently, you can set specific files/folders to be always available locally on your device.

This feature is available for OneDrive on both Windows and Mac.

Explanation

Minimum Requirements
Configuring Files On-Demand
Freeing up Space Manually
Always Store on Device
What do the icons next to my files indicate?
What if I Don't See Status Icons?
- Re-Launch OneDrive
- Sign into OneDrive
Further Reading

Minimum Requirements

Your computer must meet the following requirements in order to utilize Files On-Demand (as of April 2024).

Windows: Windows 10 1709 or later
Mac: Mac OS 10.14 or newer.

If you have OneDrive build 23.066 newer, Files On-Demand is enabled by default.

You must also ensure that your computer is connected to the internet to properly utilize Files On-Demand.

NOTE: If you are using your PC with a metered connection such as a hotspot, OneDrive will automatically pause file sync. You will not be able to access files stored online-only or back up your file to OneDrive until you click on your OneDrive cloud on your Taskbar/Menubar (has a pause icon on the cloud itself) and click on the beige banner to resume sync.

Configuring Files On-Demand

Newer versions of OneDrive for Mac and Windows will have Files On-Demand running in the background.

On Mac, OneDrive will automatically determine which files to send up to the cloud based on how frequently a file is used (there are no user-changeable options).
On Windows, Files on Demand will be enabled by default if you're running OneDrive build 23.066 or newer. On older versions, there is an additional setting you will need to enable. There are also user adjustable settings where you can set the frequency of when files are automatically made online-only.

On Windows 11: Go to Settings > System > Storage > Storage Sense

Scroll down to Locally Available Cloud Content. Under OneDrive - wesleyan.edu, select the amount of time when you want your content to become online-only. On Windows 11, the default is 30 Days, though you can choose 1 day up to 60 days.

If you have another folder being synced (ex: a folder from a SharePoint site, pictured below), the folders of the different sites will be listed below your main OneDrive folder. You can also adjust the frequency accordingly as well.

Once your settings are correct, you can change the frequency of how often it's run. Storage Sense should be on by default.

Freeing up Space Manually

You can right-click on an individual file/folder or a selection of files/folders, then click Free up Space. This will send the selected item (or all of the enclosed items within the folder) to the cloud.

You will then see a cloud icon next to your item(s) (blue cloud on Windows, grey cloud with arrow on Mac). If an item needs to be accessed again, a local copy of the file will be downloaded onto the computer.

If you would like to send all your OneDrive contents to be cloud only, this can be done one of two ways:

Locate your OneDrive folder in either File Explorer/Finder. Right-click on the folder and click Free up Space. This will send all your contents up to the cloud.

On Windows, you can also go to your OneDrive settings, click Advanced Settings, then click Free up Disk Space.

If you are on Mac, go to Preferences, and then click Download files as you use them.

Always Store on Device

If you have certain files you know you will be accessing frequently, you can choose to have these files always stored on your computer, even if you decide to have content automatically be uploaded to the cloud. This is useful if you want to have a handful of files to work on while you are traveling, and internet connection isn't guaranteed (ex: if you are on a plane or a train).

Right click on a file/folder, and then click on Always Keep on This Device.

The item(s) you indicate to Always store on device will be indicated with a green circle with a white tick (Windows), or a grey circle with a white tick (Mac)

The item(s) will stay on your computer until you select the item(s) and click Free up Space, or if you select the parent folder and click Free up Space.

What do the icons next to my files indicate?

These icons indicate the sync status of a file/folder, and whether or not the item is stored locally, on the cloud only, etc.

In general, these icons represent the following statuses...

Status	Windows Icon	Mac Icon	Description
Locally Available	Green Tick/Check	No Icon	File/Folder is stored both locally and on cloud and can be accessed if you do not have an internet connection. Item will be made online-only if you manually select something to be cloud only or if OneDrive automatically makes file online-only.
Always Keep on this Device	Green Circle w/ White Tick/Check	Grey Circle w/ White Tick/Check	File/Folder is stored both locally and on cloud and can be accessed if you do not have an internet connection. However, the file/folder has been set to "always keep on device," and will not be made online-only automatically. Will remain on device unless you make it online-only.
Online-only	Blue Cloud	Grey Cloud	File/Folder is only stored on cloud. You can either open the file or click on the cloud icon (Mac Only) to download a copy to your cache.
Sync Pending	Blue Arrows in Circle	Grey Arrows in Circle	A change is processing to a file or the contents within a folder. This includes uploading afile/folder to OneDrive, opening a file from OneDrive, or marking an item as Online-only.
Sync Error	Red X	Grey Cloud w/ X	There is a Sync Error, check your OneDrive to see how to rectify. It is also strongly recommended you contact Desktop Support before proceeding.

For more information on these icons and the status(es) they represent, please refer to this Knowledge Article or Microsoft's official documentation: What do the OneDrive icons mean? - Microsoft Support

What if I Don't See Status Icons?

If none of your files within your OneDrive folders have icons next to them, there is an issue with OneDrive. Typically this occurs when:

OneDrive is not running on your computer.
OneDrive is Running, but you are not signed in (usually occurs if your SSO password is changed).

Re-Launch OneDrive

Check to see if OneDrive is running on your computer. The easiest way to do so is to take a look at your Taskbar (Windows) or your Menubar (Mac) and see if the OneDrive cloud is there.

On Windows, you may need to click on the ^ button to view more items.

If not, you will need to launch your OneDrive application from your Start menu (Windows) or your Applications folder (Mac).

Sign into OneDrive

If OneDrive is Running, you may need to sign into OneDrive again. If you notice a cloud with a grey slash or a greyed out cloud, click on it, and you'll be prompted to sign in again. Locate the OneDrive icon on your System Tray or your Menu Bar, and click on it. Click Sign In.

More information about signing into OneDrive can be found in this knowledge article: Signing into OneDrive on your Computer

If you know OneDrive is running and you still cannot see your files, your folder(s) (such as your personal OneDrive folder or any other folders from SharePoint sites you have synced) may need to be re-mapped. Please submit a ticket so we can take a look. Improper troubleshooting can result in potential data loss for you and your team.

Utilizing OneDrive Files On-Demand