> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://microsoft365setuphelpguide.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Setting Up OneDrive for Your Microsoft 365 Account

> Set up OneDrive on Windows, Mac, and mobile to sync, share, and protect your files with 1 TB of cloud storage included in Microsoft 365.

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    <span>Get Started Here</span>
    <span style="font-size:22px; line-height:1;">→</span>
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OneDrive is Microsoft 365's built-in cloud storage service, and it's one of the most seamless ways to keep your files backed up, accessible across all your devices, and easy to share with others. Every Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscriber gets **1 TB of cloud storage** per person, and Microsoft 365 Business plans include OneDrive for Business with the same 1 TB per user. This guide walks you through setting up OneDrive on every platform, sharing files confidently, and making the most of features like Personal Vault and Files On-Demand.

***

## Setting Up OneDrive on Desktop

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Windows">
    OneDrive is built directly into Windows 10 and Windows 11 — you don't need to install anything extra. It just needs to be connected to your Microsoft account.

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Find the OneDrive Icon in the Taskbar">
        Look for the **cloud icon** in the system tray (bottom-right corner of your taskbar). If you don't see it, click the upward arrow (**^**) to reveal hidden icons, or search for **OneDrive** in the Start menu and open it.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Sign In With Your Microsoft Account">
        Click the cloud icon and then **Sign in**. Enter your Microsoft 365 email address (personal or work/school) and your password. Complete multi-factor authentication (MFA) if your organization requires it.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Choose Which Folders to Sync">
        During setup, OneDrive will ask you which folders to sync to your PC. You can sync everything, or selectively choose folders like **Documents**, **Photos**, and **Desktop** to keep synced locally. You can always change these selections later in OneDrive Settings.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Enable Files On-Demand">
        When prompted, turn on **Files On-Demand** (it's usually enabled by default on Windows 10/11). This lets you see all your OneDrive files in File Explorer without actually downloading them to your hard drive — they download automatically when you open them. This saves significant disk space, especially if you have hundreds of gigabytes in OneDrive.
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    <Tip>
      With **Files On-Demand**, files show a cloud icon (☁) when stored online-only, a green checkmark when synced locally, and a white checkmark in a green circle when "always kept on this device." Right-click any file and choose **Always keep on this device** or **Free up space** to control this.
    </Tip>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Mac">
    OneDrive is not pre-installed on macOS, but it's free to download and integrates natively with Finder.

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Download OneDrive From the Mac App Store">
        Open the **Mac App Store**, search for **Microsoft OneDrive**, and click **Get** to install it. Alternatively, download it directly from [onedrive.live.com/about/download](https://onedrive.live.com/about/download).
      </Step>

      <Step title="Sign In With Your Microsoft Account">
        Open OneDrive from your Applications folder or Launchpad. Click **Sign in**, enter your Microsoft 365 email address, and follow the prompts to enter your password and complete MFA if required.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Choose Your OneDrive Folder Location">
        You'll be asked where to place your OneDrive folder on your Mac. The default is your home directory (`~/OneDrive`). You can change this to any location you prefer. Once set, this folder behaves like any other Finder folder — everything you save here is automatically synced to the cloud.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Select Folders to Sync">
        Choose which folders from your OneDrive to sync to your Mac, or sync everything. Click **Next** to finish setup. The OneDrive cloud icon will appear in your menu bar, and a **OneDrive** folder will appear in the Finder sidebar.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

***

## Setting Up OneDrive on Mobile

The OneDrive mobile app lets you access, upload, and share your files from anywhere — and it automatically backs up your camera roll so your photos are always safe.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Download the OneDrive App">
    Search for **Microsoft OneDrive** in the **App Store** (iOS) or **Google Play Store** (Android) and install it. The app is free.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Sign In">
    Open the app, tap **Sign in**, and enter your Microsoft 365 email address and password. Complete MFA if prompted.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable Camera Backup (Optional but Recommended)">
    When asked if you'd like to enable **Camera Backup**, tap **Turn on**. This automatically uploads every photo and video you take to OneDrive, protecting them from device loss and freeing up local storage.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Sharing Files and Folders

OneDrive makes collaboration simple. You can share a file or folder with just a few clicks and control exactly what others can do with it.

**To share a file or folder:**

1. Right-click (Windows/Mac) on the item in your OneDrive folder or on the web at [onedrive.live.com](https://onedrive.live.com)
2. Select **Share**
3. Choose your permissions:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="View Only" icon="eye">
    Recipients can open and read the file but cannot make changes. Ideal for sharing reports, presentations, or reference documents.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Can Edit" icon="pencil">
    Recipients can open, edit, and save changes to the file directly in the browser or in the desktop app. Perfect for collaborative documents.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Copy Link" icon="link">
    Generate a shareable link to send via any messaging platform. You control whether the link is restricted to specific people, anyone in your organization, or anyone with the link.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Send Email Invite" icon="envelope">
    Enter recipients' email addresses directly in the share dialog. They'll receive an email with a direct link, and you'll see who has access in the sharing panel.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Warning>
  Deleting a file from your OneDrive folder — whether on the web, desktop, or mobile — **removes it from all synced devices**. If you only want to remove it from one device, right-click the file and choose **Free up space** instead of deleting it. Deleted files go to the OneDrive Recycle Bin and can be recovered within 30 days (93 days for business accounts).
</Warning>

***

## Personal Vault

Personal Vault is a special protected area within OneDrive that requires an extra layer of identity verification to access — even if your device is unlocked or your Microsoft account is compromised.

**To set up Personal Vault:**

1. Open OneDrive (desktop app or [onedrive.live.com](https://onedrive.live.com))
2. Click on **Personal Vault** in the left sidebar
3. Follow the prompts to verify your identity via the **Microsoft Authenticator app**, a text message code, or your PIN/biometrics
4. Move sensitive files (passports, financial documents, legal files) into the vault

Personal Vault **automatically locks** after a period of inactivity (20 minutes by default on desktop, sooner on mobile), protecting your files even if you step away from your device.

<Note>
  On Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans, Personal Vault has no storage limit within your 1 TB. On the free OneDrive plan, Personal Vault is limited to 3 files.
</Note>

***

## Syncing SharePoint Libraries and Teams Files

If your organization uses Microsoft Teams or SharePoint, you can sync those document libraries directly to your desktop through OneDrive — they'll appear right in File Explorer or Finder, just like your personal OneDrive.

**To sync a SharePoint library:**

1. Open the SharePoint site in your browser
2. Click **Documents** (or any document library)
3. Click the **Sync** button in the top toolbar
4. OneDrive will add the library to File Explorer/Finder under your organization's name

This means files your team stores in Teams channels and SharePoint sites are accessible offline, and any changes you make sync back automatically.

***

## Managing Your Storage

Keeping an eye on your storage usage ensures you never hit your limit unexpectedly.

**How to check your storage usage:**

* **Web:** Go to [onedrive.live.com](https://onedrive.live.com) and look at the storage bar in the bottom-left corner
* **Desktop (Windows):** Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar → **Settings → Account** tab — your usage is displayed here
* **Mobile:** Tap your profile photo in the top-left → storage usage is shown below your name

**What counts toward your storage:**

* Files in OneDrive (including Personal Vault)
* Files in SharePoint (for Microsoft 365 Business plans)
* **Emails and attachments in Outlook** (for personal @outlook.com accounts — note this does NOT apply to most Microsoft 365 work accounts, which have separate mailbox limits)
* OneNote notebooks stored in OneDrive

**To free up space:**

1. Empty the **OneDrive Recycle Bin** — deleted files still count toward your quota until permanently removed. Go to **Recycle Bin** in the left panel and click **Empty recycle bin**.
2. Identify large files by going to **My files → Sort by size** on the web
3. Upgrade your storage plan under [microsoft365.com/myaccount](https://microsoft365.com/myaccount) if needed

***

## Frequently Asked Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How much storage do I get with OneDrive?">
    Storage depends on your plan:

    * **Free Microsoft account:** 5 GB
    * **Microsoft 365 Personal:** 1 TB per account
    * **Microsoft 365 Family:** 1 TB per person (up to 6 people)
    * **Microsoft 365 Business Basic/Standard/Premium:** 1 TB per user
    * **Microsoft 365 Business with SharePoint:** Additional pooled SharePoint storage per organization

    You can also purchase additional OneDrive storage as an add-on from [microsoft365.com](https://microsoft365.com).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I stop OneDrive from syncing a folder?">
    On Windows, right-click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar and select **Settings → Account → Choose folders**. Uncheck any folder you don't want synced — the files will remain in the cloud but won't be downloaded to your PC. On Mac, click the OneDrive menu bar icon → **Preferences → Account → Choose Folders** and do the same. Note that this only affects whether the folder is synced locally; it doesn't delete anything from the cloud.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is the difference between OneDrive and SharePoint?">
    **OneDrive** is your personal cloud storage — it's for files that belong to you individually. **SharePoint** is team or organizational cloud storage, designed for files that belong to a group, department, or entire company. In Microsoft Teams, each team's **Files** tab is actually backed by a SharePoint document library. Think of OneDrive as your personal hard drive in the cloud, and SharePoint as a shared network drive for your organization. You can sync both to your desktop through the OneDrive app.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I access OneDrive offline?">
    Yes. Any file or folder you've marked as **Always keep on this device** will be available offline. On Windows and Mac, right-click the file in your OneDrive folder and select **Always keep on this device**. On mobile, open the file, tap the three-dot menu, and select **Make available offline**. Changes you make offline will sync automatically when you reconnect to the internet.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


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