No affiliate links or sponsorship. Every setting and behavior below comes from Microsoft Support pages checked October 28, 2026. We didn’t run a hands-on test for this guide, so there are no screenshots or speed claims.
Quick answer
OneDrive Files On-Demand lets you see every file in your OneDrive in File Explorer or Finder without downloading them all. Files stay in the cloud as online-only files until you open them, so they don’t take up space on your computer. It’s on by default in current OneDrive builds. Keep it on if your drive is small; switch to “Download all files” (the old way of turning it off) only if you need everything offline and have the space.
Key takeaways
- Three states: online-only (blue cloud), locally available (green check after you open a file), and always available (solid green circle with a white check).
- On by default: Microsoft says OneDrive build 23.066 and later turns Files On-Demand on for all Windows users.
- Turning it off: newer OneDrive versions offer “Free up disk space” (default) or “Download all files”, which downloads everything and uses disk space.
- Offline catch: online-only files can’t be opened without an internet connection, and Windows search can’t look inside them.
- Deleting is everywhere: deleting an online-only file removes it from OneDrive on all your devices, not just this one.
Our verdict
Leave Files On-Demand on for most laptops, especially ones with small SSDs. Mark the folders you need on flights or in bad Wi-Fi as “Always keep on this device”.
Choose “Download all files” only if you regularly work offline across your whole OneDrive, need Windows search to look inside every file, or use an app that doesn’t handle cloud files well, and you have the disk space for it.
How we checked
This guide is based on Microsoft’s own OneDrive support documentation for Windows and Mac, re-checked October 28, 2026 (PKT). Microsoft changes OneDrive menus from time to time, so labels on your PC may differ slightly. We didn’t install or test OneDrive for this article.
What Files On-Demand is
Files On-Demand shows all your OneDrive files on your computer, but only downloads them when you need them. Microsoft says that with it, you see all your files as online-only files in File Explorer and they don’t take up space; when you’re connected to the internet, you can use them like any other file, and you can mark files and folders to be always available offline (Microsoft Support).
Microsoft adds that starting with OneDrive build 23.066, Files On-Demand is enabled by default for all users. It works with personal and work files from OneDrive and SharePoint in Microsoft 365 (Microsoft Support). New to OneDrive itself? Start with our guide to what OneDrive is.
The three file states and icons
| Icon | State | Uses disk space? | Works offline? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue cloud outline | Online-only | No | No |
| White circle with green check | Locally available (downloaded when you opened it) | Yes | Yes |
| Solid green circle with white check | Always keep on this device | Yes | Yes |
A blue cloud means the file is only available online, doesn’t take up space, and can’t be opened when your device isn’t connected to the internet (Microsoft Support). When you open an online-only file, it downloads and becomes locally available. Files you mark “Always keep on this device” are downloaded and stay available even offline (Microsoft Support).
Turn it on or off in Windows
Microsoft’s steps for Windows (Microsoft Support):
- Make sure you’re signed in to OneDrive on the device.
- Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar notification area, then the gear icon, then Settings.
- Go to Sync and back up and open Advanced settings.
- Under Files On-Demand, choose Free up disk space (the default) or Download all files.
Microsoft describes “Download all files” as the same as choosing “Always keep on this device” for your whole OneDrive folder. It downloads every file from the cloud, which takes up disk space, and it’s equivalent to the legacy option of turning Files On-Demand off (Microsoft Support).
Files On-Demand needs Windows 10 version 1709 or later (or Windows Server 2019) (Microsoft Support). OneDrive itself now lists Windows 10 22H2 or Windows 11 in its system requirements (Microsoft Support).
Files On-Demand on a Mac
On a Mac, Files On-Demand needs macOS 10.14 or newer and an APFS-formatted drive. Microsoft says it’s on by default when new users set up OneDrive on Mojave or later, existing users can turn it on in OneDrive Preferences, and it’s enabled by default on macOS 12.1 Monterey, where your OneDrive folder appears under Locations in the Finder sidebar (Microsoft Support).
Per-device setting
Files On-Demand settings are unique to each device, so Microsoft says to turn it on for each Mac or PC where you want it (Microsoft Support). Changing it on your laptop won’t change your desktop.
Free up space and keep files offline
You can switch any file or folder between online-only and always available with a right-click. In File Explorer, right-click and choose Free up space to make it online-only, or Always keep on this device to download it and keep it offline (Microsoft Support).
- New files or folders created online or on another device appear as online-only, so they use no space until you open them.
- If you mark a folder as always available, new files added to it are downloaded too.
- Inside an online-only folder, you can still mark individual files as always available.
Microsoft lists these behaviors on the same Windows page (Microsoft Support). If you don’t want some folders on this computer at all, you can choose which folders sync instead, under Settings > Account > Choose folders. Microsoft notes that backed-up folders such as Documents, Desktop and Pictures, and Personal Vault, can’t be unchecked there (Microsoft Support).
Let Storage Sense do it automatically
On Windows, Storage Sense can turn files you haven’t used back into online-only files for you. Microsoft says it works with OneDrive on Windows 10 version 1809 and later, only on the C: drive, and that files you’ve marked “Always keep on this device” aren’t affected. When you’re low on space, it can make locally available files you haven’t opened in the last 30 days online-only, and you can choose a different period (Microsoft Support).
When to turn it off
Switching to “Download all files” makes sense in a few cases:
- You work offline a lot across many folders and don’t want to mark each one.
- You need full-text search: Microsoft says desktop search finds online-only files by name but can’t search their contents, because they aren’t stored on the device (Microsoft Support).
- Your security software has trouble with it: Microsoft warns that Files On-Demand might not be compatible with some third-party antivirus tools, and it isn’t supported with Windows Information Protection (WIP) (Microsoft Support).
- You have plenty of disk space and prefer everything local.
If what you really want is to stop OneDrive syncing altogether, not just change how files download, see our guide on how to stop OneDrive syncing. To pause it for a while instead, Microsoft lets you pause sync for 2, 8 or 24 hours from the OneDrive icon, and OneDrive pauses itself in battery saver mode or on a metered network (Microsoft Support).
Things to know before you rely on it
Free up space, don’t delete
Deleting an online-only file deletes it from your OneDrive everywhere, not just from this PC. Microsoft says you can restore deleted files from the OneDrive recycle bin for up to 30 days for personal accounts, or 93 days for work or school accounts (Microsoft Support). To save space, use Free up space instead of deleting.
- Moving files out of OneDrive: moving an online-only file outside your OneDrive folder downloads it to the new location and removes it from OneDrive (Microsoft Support).
- Thumbnails: Microsoft says Windows can show thumbnails for online-only files for more than 300 file types (Microsoft Support).
- Files On-Demand isn’t a backup: online-only files live in one place, the cloud. Our cloud storage vs cloud backup guide explains why you still want a second copy.
Running low on OneDrive space rather than disk space? See our best free cloud storage roundup or compare paid tiers in our cloud storage pricing tracker. Google Drive users have a similar streaming option, covered in our Google Drive for desktop guide.
FAQ
Is OneDrive Files On-Demand on by default?
Yes, on current versions. Microsoft says OneDrive build 23.066 and later enables it by default for all Windows users, and it’s on by default for new Mac users on macOS Mojave or later.
How do I turn off Files On-Demand in OneDrive?
In OneDrive Settings, go to Sync and back up, then Advanced settings, and choose Download all files. Microsoft says this works like the old turn-off option and downloads every file, so check your free disk space first.
Do online-only files use space on my computer?
No. Online-only files, shown with a blue cloud icon, don’t take up space. They download when you open them or mark them Always keep on this device.
Can I open online-only files without internet?
No. You need an internet connection to open an online-only file. Mark files or folders as Always keep on this device before you go offline.
If I delete an online-only file, is it gone from OneDrive?
Yes. Deleting it removes it from OneDrive on all devices. It goes to the OneDrive recycle bin, which keeps items for up to 30 days on personal accounts or 93 days on work or school accounts.
Does Files On-Demand work on a Mac?
Yes, on macOS 10.14 or newer with an APFS drive. The setting is per device, so turn it on for each Mac.
Sources
Official Microsoft Support pages only. All checked October 28, 2026 (PKT).
Show all 7 sources
- Microsoft Support: Save disk space with OneDrive Files On-Demand for Windows
- Microsoft Support: Save space on your Mac with OneDrive Files On-Demand
- Microsoft Support: What do the OneDrive icons mean?
- Microsoft Support: Use OneDrive and Storage Sense in Windows to free up disk space
- Microsoft Support: Choose which OneDrive folders to sync
- Microsoft Support: How to pause and resume OneDrive sync
- Microsoft Support: OneDrive system requirements
Changelog
- October 29, 2026: First published. Files On-Demand behavior, icons, Windows and Mac requirements, Storage Sense, folder choice, pause options and recycle bin retention checked against Microsoft Support on October 28, 2026. No hands-on testing or screenshots.
Related reads
