Microsoft Introduces OneDrive Offline Mode

Microsoft has introduced new capabilities of OneDrive for web, including an offline mode designed to offer access and improved performance whether users are connected to the internet or not.

"Continuing with our ambition to give you simple and fast access to your files, we're now launching offline mode, which brings both significant speed improvements and offline capabilities when using OneDrive in your favorite browser," wrote Microsoft, in a blog post announcing the new feature.

Offline mode in OneDrive enables users to access and interact with various OneDrive views such as "Home," "My Files," "Shared," without an internet connection. Users can view folders, file names, and metadata; rename, sort, move, or copy files, and open locally stored files in other applications. Changes made offline will synchronize with OneDrive once an online connection is reestablished.

With offline mode, Microsoft also introduces new file states and icons in OneDrive to reflect offline availability and status changes.

Further, once reconnected, users will have the ability to customize additional options for their offline version including designating files or folders for offline access and manage local storage space by switching files to online-only status.

Microsoft said that thanks to the use of local cache, browsing files in offline mode can be up to three times as fast as using the connected app or through a web browser.

"For example, if you’re working offline and want to open a PDF, you can just left-click on the file to open it directly in your favorite PDF editor instead of a browser-based PDF previewer," wrote Microsoft. "You can then make your edits, and next time you’re connected, your changes will be synced back to OneDrive."

To start using offline mode (which is slowly being rolled out), users should ensure they are running the latest version of the OneDrive sync app on Windows or Mac. The feature is activated by logging into OneDrive for web through Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome, which triggers a one-time setup.

For more information, visit the Microsoft blog.

About the Author

Chris Paoli (@ChrisPaoli5) is the associate editor for Converge360.

Featured

  • Two professionals, one male and one female, discuss AI regulations in a modern office with holographic displays showing legal documents, balance scales, and neural network symbols.

    Congressional Task Force Releases Recommendations for AI Governance

    The bipartisan House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence recently released its recommendations to bolster American leadership in AI.

  • computer with a red warning icon on its screen, surrounded by digital grids, glowing neural network patterns, and a holographic brain

    Report Highlights Security Risks of Open Source AI

    In these days of rampant ransomware and other cybersecurity exploits, security is paramount to both proprietary and open source AI approaches — and here the open source movement might be susceptible to some inherent drawbacks, such as use of possibly insecure code from unknown sources.

  • Abstract widescreen image with geometric shapes, flowing lines, and digital elements like graphs and data points in soft blue and white gradients.

    5 Trends to Watch in Higher Education for 2025

    In 2025, the trends shaping higher education reflect a continuous transformation of the higher education landscape to meet the changing needs of students and staff, while maintaining sustainable and cost-effective institutional practices.

  • hand touching glowing connected dots

    Registration Now Open for Tech Tactics in Education: Thriving in the Age of AI

    Tech Tactics in Education has officially opened registration for its May 7 virtual conference on "Thriving in the Age of AI." The annual event, brought to you by the producers of Campus Technology and THE Journal, offers hands-on learning and interactive discussions on the most critical technology issues and practices across K–12 and higher education.