One Drive is taking up too much space on my phone

Jonathan Lampier 0 Reputation points
2025-08-11T18:58:17.3866667+00:00

I recently started using the OneDrive app to create backups for both my laptop and phone. It is regularly syncing both. I am someone who takes a lot of pictures so there are a lot of files.

I've started to run out of space on my Android phone however. When I go to look at what is taking up the most space. OneDrive is one of the main culprits. Taking up over 5 GB of space?! I have tried to clear the cash but that does very little to get rid of all of this space. I cannot figure out how to clear this space as I do not understand why OneDrive would need this much space as it should be storing it all in the cloud?

Please Help.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Android
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  1. Restee Miranda 14,110 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-08-11T20:06:47.7833333+00:00

    Hi Jonathan,

    Thanks for reaching out to the community and explaining your situation clearly. You're absolutely right, OneDrive is supposed to store files in the cloud, that it can be confusing when it starts taking up a lot of space locally on your Android phone. If you have automatic photo uploads enabled, it may also temporarily store those files before syncing.

    To free up space do the following:

    Remove offline files: In the OneDrive app, long-press any file or folder marked “Available offline,” tap the three dots, and choose “Make available online only.”

    Disable auto uploads: Go to OneDrive settings > Photos and turn off automatic uploads or video backups if not needed.

    Clear app data: Go to your phone’s Settings > Apps > OneDrive > Storage > Clear Data. This logs you out and removes local files, but your cloud data stays safe.

    Use a cleaner app: Tools like Files by Google can help identify and remove large local files.

    Reinstall OneDrive: This clears all local data and resets the app.

    Let me know if you need more help by replying to this thread.

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