OneDrive is the cloud storage solution of choice for many people, with strong integration with Microsoft 365 apps and Windows, mobile apps, Personal Vault, and capable media management. You’ll find a list of useful features to manage, share and protect your files like a pro. From seamlessly collaborating on documents in real time to automatically backing up photos, OneDrive is the ultimate productivity assistant on my PC. android phone and desktop. Whether you’re a new OneDrive user or an existing OneDrive user, check out my top tips and tricks to get the most out of it.

Manage your media files efficiently

OneDrive has a gallery view where you can browse the photos and videos you’ve uploaded. You can create albums for easy access, filter them by location and type, and mark important ones as favorites. Here’s how.

1. Visit OneDrive on the web and sign in with your Microsoft account details.

2. Move to: Photos Click the tab and select images and videos.

3. click Add to album at the top.

   

4. Select new album.

   

5. Give it a relevant name and create an album.

   

You can click the little star icon underneath a photo or video to mark it as a favorite and access them from the same album.

Edit your photos like a pro

Whether you use OneDrive on the web or on a phone, it has a good editor that will let you manipulate your files in a few clicks. Let’s check it practically.

1. Go to: OneDrive media library on the web and select a photo.

2. click To organise. You can rotate, resize and crop images, adjust brightness, exposure, contrast and other features, apply different filters and explore markup tools for basic annotations.

   

Editing options are even better in the OneDrive-powered Photos app on Windows. You can delete photobombs, remove the entire background, and explore Microsoft Designer integration to further edit them with more options.

Password protect shared files and set an expiration date

Security features are where OneDrive shines. You can password protect and set expiration dates for sensitive links to keep prying eyes away. I use these features all the time when sharing private company files with team members.

1. Open OneDrive web and click share menu Next to a folder or file.

2. Select Anyone with this link can edit it.

   

3. Set an expiration date and password.

4. click Apply and you’re ready to go.

   

5. Share the password with team members so they can access the files.

Set up and use Personal Vault

Personal Vault is a digital safe for your confidential media files and documents. It adds an extra layer of security and gives you peace of mind. Let’s set it up.

1. Visit OneDrive on the web.

2. Select Personal Safe.

   

3. Sign in with your account details for authentication.

4. Upload your sensitive photos and files to Personal Vault to secure your data.

   

Set up Personal Vault in OneDrive mobile apps and use biometrics to verify your identity.

Back up your phone’s media library to OneDrive

Like other cloud storage platforms, OneDrive allows you to automatically backup your photos and videos. You also have the option to backup only while charging, backup only over Wi-Fi, exclude device folders, and organize files by month and year.

1. Open OneDrive on your phone.

2. tap account picture and open Settings.

3. Faucet camera backup.

   

   

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4. You can add videos to save mobile data, restrict backup over Wi-Fi, and backup while charging to save battery life.

5. Faucet Back up device folders and select the local folders you want to back up.

   

   

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Make your OneDrive files available offline

Do you often use multiple OneDrive files in your workflow? You can mark these files and folders for offline use and access them without an internet connection.

1. Open OneDrive on your phone and files tab.

2. tap overflow menu (ellipsis) next to files or folders and Make it available offline switch.

3. You can now access these folders and files from: offline menu in the upper right corner.

   

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Delete OneDrive-supported photos and videos on your phone

If your Android phone is running out of storage space, you can remove photos and videos backed up on OneDrive. Like Google Photos, OneDrive offers a one-tap solution to get the job done.

1. Go OneDrive settings on your phone.

2. Faucet make room on this device.

3. Check out the photos and videos and confirm your decision.

   

   

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Enable app lock on your phone

Are you storing sensitive data and files on your OneDrive cloud storage app? Microsoft offers biometric protection on iPhone and Android. Here’s how to set this up.

1. Go to: OneDrive Settings (see steps above).

3. Create and confirm a six-digit PIN.

4. Hungry Use biometrics switch.

   

   

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5. Unlock your OneDrive account with fingerprint or Face ID.

Explore OneDrive files on demand

OneDrive supports file-on-demand on Windows and Mac. You can mirror your account in the Finder or File Explorer app and download certain apps to save storage space on your device. Let’s take the Mac as an example.

1. Open finder and go to you OneDrive storage.

2. You can see small cloud icons under files and folders. Indicates that files are stored in the cloud and not on the device.

3. Right click on a file and select Always Keep It On This Device To download for offline use.

4. When you’re done with the file Free Up Space from the same menu to move it back to the cloud.

   

Unlock the full potential of OneDrive

OneDrive is more than online storage. These tips and tricks will help you browse with confidence, collaborate seamlessly with others, and protect your files like a pro. What are you waiting for? Embrace the cloud and unlock a world of productivity and peace of mind with Microsoft’s cloud storage platform.

OneDrive is not immune from problems. Errors can break your installation. Check out our exclusive guide Instantly fix common OneDrive problems.