OneDrive Files On Demand

Online-only files

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.

Locally available files

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.

That means it is cached and available offline, but it might be removed if free disk space gets low. Unless you have a computer that is particularly short of disk space, or you intend to sync a huge amount of files in the future, it is likely these files will remain always available offline for you. However, if you want to be certain the file will always be available offline, you can right click on the file and choose Always keep on this device from the drop-down menu.

If you need more space, you can change the file back to online only. Just right-click the file and select “Clear space.”

Always available files

Only files that you mark as "Always keep on this device" have the green circle with the white check mark. These files download to your device and take up space, but they’re always there for you even when you’re offline. This is similar to Locally Available Files, but you are guaranteed these files will always be available offline and won't be removed if disk space is low, or for any other reason.

You should mark files that you know you definitely want to be available always, online or offline, as Always keep on this device.