Use OneDrive
This article teaches you how to navigate and upload files to Microsoft OneDrive.
Contents
Steps
- Open OneDrive.
- On desktop, open your web browser and go to https://www.onedrive.com/
- On mobile, tap the OneDrive app. It resembles either two white clouds on a blue background (iPhone) or two blue clouds (Android).
- Sign in to OneDrive. If you aren't logged in automatically select Sign in and enter your Microsoft Live email address and password to log in.
- Select the Template:MacButton tab. This is the default page to which OneDrive loads on both the desktop version and the mobile app.
- On desktop, the tabs are located on the left side of the page.
- On iPhone, the tabs are located on the bottom of the screen.
- On Android, the tabs are located by tapping Template:MacButton on the top-left of the screen.
- Select the Template:MacButton tab. Any visual media (e.g., photos and videos) in your OneDrive will appear here.
- Select the Template:MacButton tab. On mobile, its icon resembles a clock. Your recently uploaded, accessed, and shared files all appear here.
- Select the Template:MacButton tab. On mobile, its icon resembles two person-shaped silhouettes. Any file or folder that you have shared or had shared with you will show up on this page.
- Re-open the Template:MacButton tab. Now that you know how to navigate OneDrive's interface, it's time to upload a file of your own.
Uploading Files
- Open a folder if necessary. You can upload files directly to the "Files" page, but if you want to organize your files, first double-click or tap a folder to open it.
- Click the "Upload" button. It's an upward-facing arrow at the top of the page.
- On mobile, first tap + in the top-right side of the screen (iPhone) or the bottom-right corner of the screen (Android), then tap Upload.
- Click Template:MacButton, then select a file to upload. Clicking the Files option will open a window for you to browse for documents, photos, or videos on your computer.
- On mobile, you'll instead select the type of file you wish to upload (e.g., photos). You cannot upload text files (e.g., notes) from your phone.
- Double-click or tap the item you wish to upload. Doing so will prompt it to begin uploading to your OneDrive account.
- On iPhone, you'll first need to tap Done in the top-right corner of the screen after you've selected all items you wish to upload.
- Wait for your upload to finish. Once it does, you'll be able to view, share, download, and categorize your file on any device on which you can access OneDrive.
- Make sure you don't close out of OneDrive or shut down your device until the upload is complete.
Viewing File Options
- Click the circle in the top-right corner of a file or folder. Doing so will select it.
- On mobile, tap and hold a file or folder.
- Review the file and folder options. These are at the top of the page, and include some combination of the following things depending on the platform and file type:
- Share - Allows you to share your selected file or folder through OneDrive, social media, messaging, or email. This icon resembles a right-facing arrow (desktop), a box with an upward-facing arrow (iPhone), or three connected dots (Android).
- Download (desktop only) - Downloads the selected item to your computer's desktop.
- Delete - The trashcan icon here allows you to send the selected item to the Recycle Bin.
- Move to - This folder-shaped icon with a right-facing arrow prompts you to choose a folder into which you'd like to move the selected item.
- Offline (mobile only) - The parachute-shaped icon allows you to add your selected file to your OneDrive's "Offline" folder, which will let you access the stored files while offline.
- Details - Resembles the ⓘ icon; you can click the Details icon to see your file's size and sharing information. This option is inside of the overflow menu on mobile.
- ⋮ (mobile only) - The overflow menu icon here is where a couple of different options (e.g., Rename This File or Save) live.
- Copy to (desktop only) - Select a file location to which you'll copy your selected item without moving it.
- Rename (desktop only) - Change your selected item's name.
- Embed (desktop only) - Generates an HTML code that will allow you to embed your selected file in a website or blog. You'll typically see this option for visual media, though it may show up for some documents as well.
- Double-click or tap a file or folder. Doing so will open the item in full-screen mode (file) or expand it to allow you to view its contents (folder).
- Click or tap the "Back" button. It's the backward-facing arrow in the top-left corner of the page (desktop) or screen (mobile). Doing so will return you to the folder in which you started.
Tips
- You can also download a OneDrive app for your computer (Windows and Mac). Doing so will add a folder to your computer into which you can drag files or folders; as long as you're connected to the internet, your files will synchronize to OneDrive.
Warnings
- Refrain from uploading or saving large files to or from OneDrive over a data connection on mobile.
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