Key Takeaways
- OneDrive now offers offline mode for web users, allowing offline access to certain views and files.
- Mark files as “offline” for access without the internet, save storage space, and benefit from improved performance with OneDrive Sync app.
- Enable offline mode easily in OneDrive for web, but do note that there are some limitations such as file count restrictions, browser requirements, and disabled features.
Although OneDrive is a cloud storage solution, it also offers certain offline capabilities which are very useful when you don’t have internet connectivity. In September 2023, Microsoft announced that it is working on an offline mode for the web version of its software too, and today, that day has finally arrived. The Redmond tech firm has revealed that it is now globally rolling out offline mode for work and school customers.
Offline access to an online solution
In a blog post, Microsoft has explained that offline mode brings several advantages. When you don’t have an internet connection, you’ll still be able to open and interact with certain views like Home, My files, Shared, Favorites, Peopleand Meeting. This includes viewing the metadata of your content, opening files marked as “offline” in their native apps and making edits, and synchronizing changes made to the My files view once you reconnect to the internet.
Interestingly, offline mode boasts certain benefits for users with internet connectivity too. You can mark files as “offline” for offline access, save local storage space by marking files as “online only”, and also leverage a 3x performance improvement while utilizing OneDrive, thanks to the OneDrive Sync app. The first two of the aforementioned capabilities previously required using File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).
How do I enable offline mode in OneDrive for web, and what are the limitations?
It’s fairly easy to leverage trigger offline mode in OneDrive for web. Simply ensure that you are running the latest version of the OneDrive Sync app on your PC and then log in to OneDrive for web in a supported browser. This will kick-start the setup process for offline mode, and you can disable it later too.
That said, there are several limitations in the current implementation. Offline mode in OneDrive for web only works if you have less than 250,000 files in your repository, and it is mandatory to use a work or school account in a Chromium-based browser in Windows (Windows 10 or later) or macOS (macOS 12 Monterey or later). Furthermore, it will not work if you have added a shortcut to shared folders in OneDrive. Lastly, multiple views and capabilities won’t function at all, including Copilot, Search, Recyle Binfile deletion, managing access, file version history, and more. You can find out more details in the dedicated support article here.