Microsoft OneDrive is a great alternative to Dropbox or Google Drive for storing your important files safely in the cloud. The files you store in OneDrive can be accessed from any computer you use through a web interface, or via the dedicated Windows or Mac OneDrive app. You can also access those files from your iPhone or Android device.

If you’re running low on storage space in OneDrive, unless you upgrade to a higher storage plan, you’ll need to delete files to make room for anything new you want to store. You also might decide that some of your OneDrive files are taking up too much space on your computer or mobile device. Luckily, OneDrive allows you to remove these files from your device until you need them again, while still retaining and storing them in the cloud. Let’s walk through how to delete files from Microsoft OneDrive, plus how to simply remove OneDrive files from your computer until you need to access them again.

Deleting files from OneDrive using your computer

Whether you’re using a Mac or a Windows PC with OneDrive, deleting your files couldn’t be easier. Just follow these steps to delete one or more files from OneDrive completely.

1. Windows users, select File Explorer from your taskbar. Mac users need to click Finder on the Dock.
2. Navigate to your OneDrive folder and select the items you want to delete.
3. Press the Delete key on your keyboard or right-click the items and choose Delete. On a Mac, click Move to Trash.

The files you choose to delete will be sent to the Recycle Bin on Windows or Trash on Mac. If the file hasn’t been downloaded to your computer, though, it will be immediately deleted from the cloud without sending it to your computer’s Recycle Bin or Trash.

The files will, however, be available to be restored from your OneDrive Recycle bin for 30 days.

How to delete files from OneDrive but not your computer

Suppose you want to remove a file from OneDrive, but keep it on your computer. That’s also easy to accomplish.

1. As above, open your OneDrive folder in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).
2. Open a second File Explorer or Finder window and navigate to the location on your computer where you want to store the items.
3. Select the item or items you want removed from OneDrive.
4. Drag and move the item or items from the OneDrive folder into the local folder where they will now live.
5. The file or files will disappear from your OneDrive folder (but remain in the OneDrive Recycle bin for 30 days).

How to keep files on OneDrive but remove them from your computer

Next, you can also free up space on your computer’s local storage by removing OneDrive files from your computer while still keeping them available in the cloud. This is great for files you don’t often access, since they’ll still be available for you to download and use later.

1. Navigate to the local folder containing the files you want to delete from your computer, using either File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).
2. Right-click the file you want to remove from your PC or Mac.
3. Click Free up space, and the file will be deleted from your computer’s storage device.

​​You’ll notice the file still appears in your OneDrive folder since it’s still stored in your cloud storage account. When you need to access the file again, just open it as you would any other file, and OneDrive will download it.

Using the OneDrive web page to delete files

You can also manage your files stored in OneDrive from the web.

1. Go to the OneDrive web page and sign in if you aren’t already logged in.
2. Navigate to and select the file or files you want to delete.
3. Click the three-dot icon beside the file name, then click Delete.
4. You can also select multiple files by hovering your mouse over the left of the file’s listing until a circle appears. Click the circle beside each file you want to delete, then use the three-dot icon beside one of them to find a Delete option.

Deleting files from OneDrive using the mobile app

You can also delete files from the OneDrive app on your iPhone or Android device. This helps you manage your cloud storage even when you aren’t near your computer.

1. Open the OneDrive app and tap Files.
2. Find the file you want to delete, then tap the three-dot menu beside it to access the contextual menu.
3. Tap Delete.
4. To select multiple files, long-press one file and release it, then tap the circle next to the additional files you want to delete.
5. Tap the three-dot menu at the top right of the display.
6. Finally, tap Delete.

The OneNote mobile app also allows you to download files to your device for offline access. When you’re finished working with a file, you may want to remove it to save space.

1. In the OneDrive app, find the file you want available for offline use.
2. Tap the three-dot menu next to the file.
3. Choose Make Available Offline.
4. When you’re ready to remove the file from your device, repeat the above steps but choose Remove From Offline.

Making the best use of your cloud storage

No matter what cloud storage option you’re using, managing your files can be time-consuming. What you don’t want to happen is to run out of storage space when you need it the most, so make sure you regularly inspect what files you have stored on OneDrive. If you no longer need those files saved in the cloud, you can delete files from OneDrive using File Explorer on Windows or Finder on macOS. You can also use the OneDrive web page or the mobile app.

Of course, you can also use OneDrive to share your files with others. In a large business environment, however, this may not quite suit your needs, and you may find that using Microsoft SharePoint to share resources is more efficient.