Use OneDrive on Windows phone

Here are steps and tips for the most common tasks using the OneDrive app for Windows phone.

Which version of Windows is on your phone? OneDrive for Windows 10 (PC, phone, tablet, HoloLens, or Surface Hub) | OneDrive for Windows Phone 8 or Windows Phone 8.1 | OneDrive for Windows Phone 7

OneDrive for Windows 10 (PC, phone, tablet, HoloLens, or Surface Hub)

Save files to OneDrive

Use the same process to upload and save any file type in the OneDrive app, including documents, photos, videos, and music files.

Upload files

1. In the OneDrive app, in the folder where you want the photos added, tap Add .

2. At Choose an app, pick the source of the file you want to upload, such as This Device or your phone's Photos app.

   Notes: 

   • On a Windows 10 PC, the Open dialog box shows files on your PC. Browse to the files you want to upload and select, Open.

   • If your phone is set to save photos automatically to OneDrive, your phone's Photos app shows photos from OneDrive as well as phone photos that have not been uploaded. Uploading a photo already in OneDrive creates a duplicate of the photo.

3. Find the file you want to upload, select it, and then tap OK .

Tip: You can also upload photos and videos from your phone to the OneDrive folder on your computer with File Explorer, or Photos app import. Connect your phone to the computer with your phone's data cable, or using wi-fi or Bluetooth connection.

(Phone only) Set your phone to upload photos automatically to OneDrive

1. In the OneDrive app, tap Menu > Settings > Camera upload.

2. Under Camera upload, turn the switch On.

   To also automatically upload videos you take with your phone, turn On the switch at Include videos.

   Tip: You can upload videos automatically only if Camera upload is also turned on.

3. Under Camera backup account, tap open the list and select the OneDrive account that you want pictures uploading to.

Tip: If you are using a metered internet connection, such as a cellular data connection, turn the switch Off at Upload on metered connections. If your connection is not metered - most wi-fi network connections are not metered - you can turn this switch on.

Add a folder

You can add folders in the Files view, or inside any other folder in OneDrive.

1. In the OneDrive app, in the Files view, tap New folder .

2. Enter a name for the new folder, then tap OK .

Move files to a different OneDrive folder

1. In the OneDrive app, tap Select , then tap the check box of one or more files you want to move, tap See more , and then tap Move .

2. At Select a destination folder, tap the folder you want the files moved to, then tap Move .

   Tip: To create a new folder for the files you're moving, New folder .

Find the file you're looking for

You can search for file or folder names, text within files, and even text and tags in photos. Tap Search and type the phrase you want in the Search box.

Change how files are sorted

In the OneDrive app, open the folder you want to sort and tap Sort by . You can sort by name, date, or size.

Note: Sorting works in the All Files view, or in a folder inside All Files. The Photos, Documents and Shared views sort by date only.

Download files from OneDrive to your device

1. In the OneDrive app, tap Select and tap the check box of the files that you want, then tap Download .

   Note: OneDrive on Windows Phone currently doesn't let you download folders or OneNote notebooks.

2. Find and open the folder on your device where you want the downloads, and then tap Save .

   Note: On a Windows 10 PC, find and open the folder where you want the downloads, and then select Select Folder.

Share a file or folder

In the OneDrive app, tap Select , then tap the check box by the file or folder you want to share and tap Share .

If you want to share with a few specific people, select Invite people or Send files.

If you want to share with a large number of people, such as in a social media or blog post, select Share a link.

Invite people to share

1. Tap Share > Invite people.

2. Under Invite people, enter the names or e-mail addresses you want. Tap Add to enter more names.

   Tip: Look under Recent contacts - the person you want to share with might be there. Just tap the name to send that person a message with a link to the file you're sharing.

3. If you want the recipients to be able to add changes or edits, check the box at Allow editing. Uncheck that box to make the file read-only for the recipients.

   Tip: To add a note to your sharing invitation, tap the arrow at the end of Allow editing, then tap Add a quick note and type what you want to say.

4. Tap OK . The recipients get an email message with a link to the document.

Share a link

1. Tap Share > Share a link.

2. Select whether you want recipients to be able to View and edit the file, or make it View only so recipients can only read it.

3. In the Share list, tap the app you want to use for sharing the link. You might have to scroll the list upward to see all the options.

Note: Remember that anyone who has the link can open, download and save the document, and forward the link.

Share as an attachment

1. Tap Share > Send files.

2. In the Share list, tap the app you want to use to send the attached file.

3. After you make this selection, the app you selected opens. Use it to share the file.

Note: Sharing as an attachment works only with individual files. To share a folder, use Invite people or Share a link.

Recover a file from the OneDrive recycle bin

1. Tap Menu > Recycle bin.

2. Tap Select and tap the check box of the files you want to recover, then tap Restore .

Add a OneDrive for Business account

Access your OneDrive for Business accounts on your phone with the same OneDrive app. For more, see What is OneDrive for Business?

1. In the OneDrive app, tap Menu > Account Settings.

2. Tap Add account, then tap Work or school account.

3. Enter the sign in information you use for your OneDrive for Business account, then tap Sign in.

Note: To sign in to OneDrive for Business, your organization needs to have a qualifying SharePoint Online or Office 365 business subscription plan. You can't sign in with an account from an on-premises directory.

If you have a problem signing in with your OneDrive for Business account, try using your phone's web browser to sign in at https://portal.office.com/onedrive, or contact your IT department.

Switch between accounts

Your OneDrive app in Windows 10 lets you sign in to your personal OneDrive and your OneDrive for Business accounts and then switch between the accounts you've added.

Tap Menu at the top of the screen, and then tap the account you want to use.

Note: To add another account, tap Account settings, and then Add account.

See how much storage space you have

In the OneDrive app, tap Menu > Settings > Accounts. On the Accounts page, each of the accounts connected to your OneDrive app is shown, with total storage and space available for each.

Share feedback on the OneDrive app

You can get help with the OneDrive app by shaking your phone. On other devices, select Give feedback on most pages to get help.

OneDrive for Windows Phone 8 or Windows Phone 8.1

Save photos and videos to OneDrive

Upload photos and videos

1. In OneDrive, in the All Files view, tap Add at the bottom of the screen.

2. At Choose an app, pick the source of the photo or video you want to upload, such as your phone's Photos app.

3. Find the photo or video you want to upload, select it, and then tap done.

Set your phone to upload photos automatically to OneDrive

1. Go to your phone's Settings and tap backup > photos + videos.

2. Under Photos or Videos, select either Good quality or Best quality.

   If you don't want to automatically upload photos or videos, make sure Don't upload is selected.

Tip: To learn how to move photos and videos on your phone to the OneDrive folder on your computer, see Sync photos and videos using my computer on the Windows Phone website.

Find the file you're looking for

You can search for text within files and even photos. To search for text in a file or photo, type the phrase you want in the Search box.

Change how files are sorted

1. Open the OneDrive app.

2. Open the folder you want to sort, tap more , and then tap sort by. You can sort by name, date, or size.

Note: Sorting works in a folder, or in the All Files view.

Add a OneDrive for Business account

You can now add OneDrive for Business accounts to the OneDrive app for Windows Phone 8.1. (To see if you have Windows Phone 8.1, open your phone's Settings and tap about.) For more, see What is OneDrive for Business?

To add a OneDrive for Business account, open the OneDrive app, tap Menu at the top of the screen, tap Add OneDrive for Business, and then enter the email address and password you use for your company, school, or other organization. For you to sign in to OneDrive for Business, your organization needs to have a qualifying SharePoint Online or Office 365 business subscription plan. You can't sign in with an account from an on-premises directory.

If you have a problem signing in with your OneDrive for Business account, try signing in at https://portal.office.com/onedrive or contact your IT department.

Share a file (personal OneDrive accounts)

In the OneDrive app, tap the check box by the file or folder you want to share and tap share .

If you want to share with a few specific people, select Invite people or Send files.

If you want to share with a large number of people, such as in a social media or blog post, select Share a link.

Invite people to share

1. Tap share > invite people.

2. At Add people to share with, enter the names or e-mail addresses you want. Tap Add to enter more names.

   Note: Look under share with a recent contact - the person you want to share with might be there. Just tap the name to send that person a message with a link to the file you're sharing.

3. If you want the recipients to be able to add changes or edits, check the box at Allow editing. Uncheck that box to make the file read-only for the recipients.

   Tip: To add a note to your sharing invitation, tap the arrow at the end of Allow editing, then tap Add a quick note and type what you want to say.

4. Tap send . The recipients get an email message with a link to the document.

Share a link

1. Tap share > share a link.

2. Select whether you want recipients to be able to Edit the file, or View the file as read-only.

3. In the Share list, tap the app you want to use for sharing the link. You might have to drag the list upward to see all the options.

Note: Remember that anyone who has the link can open, download and save the document, and forward the link.

Share as an attachment

1. Tap share > send files.

2. In the Share list, tap the app you want to use to send the attached file.

3. After you make this selection, the app you selected opens. Use it to share the file.

Tip: Sharing as an attachment works only with individual files. If you want to share a folder, use Invite people or Share a link.

Share files and folders (OneDrive for Business accounts)

1. In the OneDrive for Business app, open the file or folder you want to share and tap share . To share multiple files or folders, tap select , tap the items, and then tap share.

2. Under Invite people, tap where it says "Type a name or email" and enter the person you want to share with. Tap Add to enter more names.

   Note: Look under share with a recent contact - the person you want to share with might be there. Just tap the name to send that person a message with a link to the file you're sharing.

3. If you want the recipients to be able to add changes or edits, check the box at Allow editing. Uncheck that box to make the file read-only for the recipients.

   Tip: To add a note to your sharing invitation, tap the arrow at the end of Allow editing, then tap Add a quick note and type what you want to say.

4. Tap send . The recipients get an email message with a link to the document.

Switch between accounts

If you have Windows Phone 8.1, you can switch between a personal OneDrive account and a OneDrive for Business account, or between multiple OneDrive for Business accounts. To do this, open the app, tap Menu at the top of the screen, and then tap the account you want to use. Note that you can't use multiple personal accounts with the OneDrive app.

See how much storage space you have (personal OneDrive accounts only)

In the OneDrive app, tap Menu at the top of the screen, tap Settings , and then tap your personal account to see your total storage and space available.

Troubleshoot problems with the app

Make sure you've installed any available updates to the app. They'll be downloaded and installed automatically when you're on Wi-Fi. To see available updates that haven't downloaded:

1. In Windows Phone 8.1, open the Store, tap more and then tap downloads.

2. If the OneDrive app appears, tap it for more info, or tap Update to download the app immediately over your mobile network.

If you don't see a file you're looking for in the app, see Find lost or missing files in OneDrive.

Share feedback on the OneDrive app

You can rate the OneDrive app, or get help, by shaking your device.

OneDrive for Windows Phone 7

Add a photo or video

1. On your phone, find a photo or video you want to upload. To share a picture from an online album, you'll need to save it to your phone first. To do that, tap the picture, tap more , tap save to phone, and then open it again from the Saved Pictures album.

2. Press and hold the photo or video, tap share… and then tap SkyDrive (now called OneDrive).

3. Add a caption if you want and then tap upload.

   Your photos will be uploaded at full resolution. To see these uploaded photos, in the OneDrive mobile app, tap Documents and then tap mobile uploads.

Share a file or folder

1. In the OneDrive app, press and hold the file or folder you want to share.

2. Choose if you want to send a link in email or copy the link to clipboard. Then choose if you want people to only be able to view the file or edit it also.

3. If you chose to send the link via email, follow the instructions on the screen to share the file. If you chose to copy the link to clipboard, you can now paste it in an email, text, instant message, or social network to share it with someone.

Automatically save photos you take to OneDrive

1. In the App list, tap Settings.

2. Flick left to applications and then tap pictures + camera.

3. Turn on Automatically upload to SkyDrive (now called OneDrive).

   Notes: 

   • You won't be able to upload pictures automatically to OneDrive if your phone has only 256 MB of RAM. Contact your phone manufacturer for more info.

   • Pictures are uploaded at low resolution. To back up your pictures at full resolution, use the Zune software on your PC. To learn more, see Sync music, pictures, and videos. If you want to upload your pictures at full resolution, follow the steps described in "Add a photo or video".

Change the Microsoft account you use for OneDrive

In the OneDrive app, open the settings menu, tap sign out, and then sign back in with the account you want to use.

See how much storage space you have

In the OneDrive app, go to settings to see your total storage and space available.

More help for OneDrive (personal accounts)

Troubleshoot OneDrive mobile app problems

In your OneDrive app on a phone, shake the device to get help or share feedback on OneDrive. On other devices, get help by emailing the OneDrive support team.

See related help articles on OneDrive for Android or OneDrive for iOS.

Check the OneDrive help center.

More help for OneDrive for Business

What is OneDrive for Business?

Ask your question in the OneDrive for Business community forum

For more help, contact your IT department or administrator. If you're the SharePoint Online administrator, you can also open a support ticket in the Office 365 admin center.