Start by finding what's taking up your space

Before you delete anything, you need to see what's actually consuming your OneDrive quota. Open OneDrive on your computer or go to OneDrive.com in your browser, then look for the storage meter. On the web version, it appears at the bottom left of the screen and shows your total used versus available space. On your computer, right-click the OneDrive icon in your system tray (Windows) or menu bar (Mac) and select "Help & Settings," then "Storage."

The storage meter tells you how much space you're using but not what's filling it. To see the actual files and folders consuming the most space, use the Storage metrics feature on OneDrive.com. Click the settings gear, select "Storage," and you'll see a breakdown by file type and folder. This shows you whether photos, videos, documents, or something else is the culprit.

On your computer, you can also check folder sizes directly. In File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac), right-click a OneDrive folder, select Properties or Get Info, and see its total size. This helps you identify which folders to tackle first.

Key Takeaways

  • Check your storage meter and use the Storage metrics feature to see which file types and folders are using the most space.
  • Delete files permanently by moving them to the recycle bin, then empty the OneDrive recycle bin to free up space when ready.
  • Large video files and old photo backups are usually the biggest space consumers and the safest to remove if you have copies elsewhere.
  • Move infrequently used files to your computer's local storage or an external drive to keep them without using OneDrive quota.
  • Reduce future storage use by turning off camera upload or changing backup settings for photos and videos.

Delete files and empty the recycle bin

Once you've identified what to remove, delete the files you no longer need. On OneDrive.com, select a file or folder, then click the delete icon (trash can). On your computer, right-click and select Delete, or press the Delete key. The file moves to the OneDrive recycle bin, but it still counts against your quota until you empty the bin.

This is the critical step many people miss: emptying the recycle bin actually frees the space. On OneDrive.com, click the recycle bin icon in the left sidebar, select all items (or choose specific ones), and click "Delete permanently." On your computer, right-click the OneDrive icon, select "View online," go to the recycle bin, and do the same. Once you empty the bin, the space is when ready available again.

Be careful here—files deleted from the recycle bin cannot be recovered. If you're unsure about something, move it to a folder called "To Delete" first and wait a week. If you don't miss it, then delete it permanently.

Move large files to local storage or external drives

You don't have to delete files to free up OneDrive space. Moving files to your computer's local storage or to an external drive (USB, external hard drive, or network storage) removes them from OneDrive without losing them. This is especially useful for large video files, old project folders, or archives you need to keep but rarely access.

To move files, open File Explorer or Finder, navigate to your OneDrive folder, and drag files to a local folder on your computer or to an external drive. Wait for the sync to complete—you'll see a green checkmark next to the file in OneDrive when it's done syncing. Once the file is safely copied elsewhere, delete it from OneDrive and empty the recycle bin.

If you have a lot of files to move, consider creating a dedicated "Archive" folder on an external drive. This keeps your OneDrive lean while preserving files you might need later. Label the drive clearly and store it somewhere safe.

Turn off photo and video backups

If you have camera upload or photo backup turned on, OneDrive may be automatically saving copies of your photos and videos. This is convenient but can quickly consume your quota, especially if you take many photos or videos. Check your backup settings and disable them if you're running low on space.

On OneDrive.com, click your profile picture, select "Settings," then "Photos." You'll see options for camera upload and backup. Turn off any backups you don't need. On your computer, right-click the OneDrive icon, select "Help & Settings," go to the "Backup" tab, and uncheck the folders you don't want backed up (Documents, Desktop, Pictures, etc.).

Disabling backups doesn't delete files already backed up—you'll need to delete those separately using the methods above. But it stops new files from automatically consuming your quota going forward.

Reduce the size of large files before uploading

If you're uploading new files to OneDrive, compress them before you upload to save space. For photos, use an image editor or your phone's built-in tools to reduce resolution or quality. For videos, use video compression software to lower the bitrate or resolution. For documents, remove embedded images or convert to PDF format, which is often smaller than the original file type.

On Windows, you can also compress files directly. Right-click a file or folder, select "Send to," then "Compressed (zipped) folder." This creates a .zip file that takes up less space. On Mac, right-click and select "Compress." The compressed file can then be uploaded to OneDrive.

This approach is most useful if you're uploading large media files regularly. Compressing before upload means you use less quota from the start.

Consider upgrading your OneDrive plan if you need more space

If you've deleted what you can and still need more space, OneDrive offers paid plans with larger quotas. Microsoft 365 Personal includes 1 TB of OneDrive storage and costs a monthly or annual fee. Microsoft 365 Family includes 1 TB per person (up to six people) and costs more but spreads the cost across multiple users. If you only need OneDrive, you can purchase 100 GB or 200 GB of additional storage without a full Microsoft 365 subscription.

Before upgrading, make sure you've actually freed up what you can using the methods above. Many people find they don't need more space once they've removed duplicates, old backups, and files they've moved elsewhere. Upgrading makes sense only if you genuinely use the extra space regularly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do files stay in the OneDrive recycle bin?

Files stay in the OneDrive recycle bin for 93 days before they're permanently deleted automatically. During that time, they still count against your quota. If you want to recover a file, you can restore it from the recycle bin within those 93 days. After 93 days, the file is gone for good.

Will deleting files from OneDrive delete them from my computer too?

No. If you delete a file on OneDrive.com, it removes the file from your OneDrive account and the recycle bin, but it stays on your computer in your local OneDrive folder. If you delete a file in your local OneDrive folder on your computer, it removes the file from both your computer and OneDrive. The behavior depends on where you delete from.

Can I see which files are using the most storage?

Yes. On OneDrive.com, go to Settings, then Storage, and you'll see a breakdown of storage use by file type (photos, videos, documents, etc.) and by folder. This shows you the largest folders and file types at a glance. You can also check folder sizes in File Explorer or Finder on your computer.

What happens if I move files to an external drive and then lose the drive?

The files are gone unless you have another backup. Before moving files off OneDrive, make sure you have a second copy somewhere—either on another external drive, on your computer's local storage, or in cloud storage from another provider. Never rely on a single copy of important files.

Does clearing OneDrive storage affect my Microsoft 365 subscription?

No. Clearing storage doesn't affect your subscription or any of the other services included with Microsoft 365, like Office apps or Outlook. It only frees up the space you're using in OneDrive. Your subscription remains active and unchanged.