OneDrive is Microsoft’s cloud storage service that lets you access your files from anywhere. It syncs files between your devices so you have the latest versions available on all your devices. However, sometimes you may want to stop files from syncing between devices if you don’t need access to them on all devices or want to save storage space.
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Why You Might Want to Stop Syncing
Here are some common reasons for wanting to stop syncing files between devices on OneDrive:
- You have limited storage space on one of your devices and don’t want to fill it up with files you don’t need regular access to.
- You have sensitive documents you only want to access from select devices, not all synced devices.
- You want to work on a file offline and don’t want it to sync changes before you are done editing.
- You accidentally synced folders you don’t need access to on all devices.
How to Temporarily Pause Syncing
If you just want to temporarily pause syncing in OneDrive across your devices, it is easy to do:
On Windows
- Right-click the OneDrive icon in the system tray.
- Select “Pause syncing”.
- Choose to pause for 2, 8, or 24 hours.
On Mac
- Click the OneDrive icon in the menu bar.
- Click the More button next to your name.
- Select “Pause Syncing” and choose a duration.
Once the selected time passes, OneDrive will resume syncing between devices automatically.
How to Selectively Sync Folders
Rather than completely pausing OneDrive syncing, you can choose to only sync certain folders between devices:
On Windows/Mac:
- Open the OneDrive settings
- Go to the Account tab
- Click “Choose folders”
- Uncheck any folders you don’t want synced to your device
- Click “Apply”
The unchecked folders will delete locally but still be accessible through OneDrive online.
How to Stop Syncing a Single File
To prevent syncing changes made to a single file across devices:
- Right-click the file in File Explorer
- Select “Always keep on this device”
This will keep the file on your current device only and prevent changes syncing.
How to Disable Auto-Sync for Camera Uploads
OneDrive can automatically upload photos and videos from your mobile devices to sync them everywhere. To disable this:
On iOS/Android:
- Open the OneDrive app
- Go to Settings
- Turn off Camera Upload
On Windows 10:
- Open OneDrive Settings
- Click Auto Save
- Turn off “Camera Roll” upload
How to Unlink a Device from Syncing
You can completely stop OneDrive syncing on a specific device by unlinking your OneDrive account:
On Windows/Mac:
- Open OneDrive Settings
- Click the Account tab
- Select “Unlink This PC” and confirm
This signs you out of OneDrive on that device so no files will sync. Your files will still be accessible through other synced devices and onedrive.com.
How to Disable Syncing Entirely
If you want to completely disable OneDrive file syncing across all your devices:
- Pause syncing on all devices
- Unlink all devices individually
- Disable OneDrive when signed out of all devices
With no devices linked, OneDrive sync will be entirely disabled while still allowing online access to your files if needed.
Summary
In summary, there are a few easy ways to stop OneDrive syncing your files between devices, whether you want to pause temporarily, select folders to sync, or disable it entirely. Adjusting these sync settings helps you take control over what files end up on which devices. Just remember files you prevent from syncing will only be accessible from OneDrive online, not locally on that device.
