Manage and Delete Photos and Files in OneDrive: Simple Guide

Microsoft OneDrive is a robust cloud storage solution that allows you to keep your files, photos, and documents accessible from all your devices. However, like any storage device, it can quickly become full. Managing and deleting unwanted files on a regular basis helps keep your OneDrive organized and ensures that it has enough space.

This blog post will help you with how to view, organize, manage, and delete photos and files in OneDrive using the browser, mobile app, and desktop.

Why Manage Your OneDrive?

• Prevent running out of storage
• Organize personal and work files
• Enhance sync speed
• Eliminate duplicates or old backups
• Ensure data security

How to Organize and Manage Photos and Files in OneDrive

A good organization will minimize the need for cleanups and make future deletions easier.

1. Create Logical Folder Structures

Organize files into distinct folders like this:

• Work Documents
• Personal Files
• Photos (Year > Month > Event)
• Projects
• Backups

This is a good structure for finding old or redundant information.

2. Rename Files for Easy Identification

Use descriptive file names instead of generic ones such as IMG_20250102.jpg.

Example:

Marketing_Assets_Event_2025.jpg OR Client_Contract_2024.pdf

3. Use Tags and Search Filters

While traditional tagging isn’t supported by OneDrive, you can:

• Add keywords to file names
• Use the search filters (like file type, date modified and file size) to locate your large/old files quickly.

1. Manage and Delete Photos and Files in OneDrive (Web Version)

Step 1: Sign In

• Sign in: Microsoft OneDrive
• Use your Microsoft account credentials (personal or work/school).

Step 2: Go to Your Files or Photos

• To browse all your folders, click on My files.
• If you want to see images grouped by date or album, click on Photos.

Step 3: Selecting Items

After hovering over an item, you can select it with the checkbox.
To select multiple files:

• Hold down the Shift key to select multiple (consecutive) items.
• Hold down the Ctrl key to select individual items.

Step 4: Managing Your Items

From the top menu, you can:

• Move
• Copy
• Download
• Rename
• Share

Step 5: Deleting Items

To delete an item or multiple items select Delete in the top menu.
All deleted items go to the Recycle bin.

Step 6: Permanently Delete (Empty Recycle Bin)

To empty the Recycle bin:
1. Open Recycle bin (left panel).
2. Select the items you want to permanently delete.
3. Click Delete to permanently delete them.
4. Or choose Empty recycle bin to delete everything in the Recycle bin.

2) Manage and Delete Photos and Files in OneDrive Using Windows

If you’ve synced OneDrive with your computer’s File Explorer:

1) Open the File Explorer

Navigate to the OneDrive folder.

2) Managing Files:

Right-click any file or folder to:
Move, Copy, Free Up Space, Always Keep on this Device, Rename

3) To Delete a File

• 3) To Delete a File
• This will remove it from OneDrive on all devices.

Tip: If you only wish to delete files from your computer but want to keep a copy of them in Cloud Storage, use: Free Up Space

3) Manage and Delete Photos and Files in OneDrive Using the Mobile App

For Android and iOS Devices

1) Open OneDrive application

Log in if necessary.

2) Access your content

Tap on the Photos tab for images, and press on the Files tab for folders, documents, etc.

3) Select Items

By pressing and holding on to a particular file/photo. Then, you may select more files/photos by tapping on them.

4) Manage Options

Once you have finished selecting the items you would like to manage, tap on one of the following options in the bottom menu: Move, Copy, Rename, Share, Add to Album.

5) To Delete Files and/or Photos from Your OneDrive Account

Select the file or folder you wish to delete. Then, press on the Delete option. The deleted items will go to the Recycle Bin of your OneDrive Account.

6) To Empty the Recycle Bin in Your OneDrive Account

Tap on the Me tab (located in the bottom right corner), choose Recycle Bin and tap on Empty Recycle Bin.

4) How to Recover Deleted Files from OneDrive

To restore files that were accidentally deleted from your OneDrive account, follow these instructions:

• Log in to OneDrive via your browser.
• In the left-hand side menu, click on Recycle Bin.
• Choose the desired file or folder from within the Recycle Bin list.
• Choose the Restore option.

This will restore the selected file or folder back to its original location. In addition, users with either a work or school account have access to restore the entire contents of their OneDrive from the Restore your OneDrive option found under your OneDrive Settings menu.

Files that have been deleted from your OneDrive account will remain available within the Recycle Bin for 30 days (or longer for business accounts).

5) How to Permanently Delete Files in OneDrive

If you want to free up space immediately:

1. Go to the OneDrive Recycle Bin.
2. Select the files.
3. Click Delete to permanently remove them.

Warning: Permanently deleted files cannot be recovered.

6) How to Free Up OneDrive Storage Space

If you want to quickly free up space immediately, please refer to the methods below:

1. Search for Large Files

• Use the OneDrive search filters to look for large files
• Sort files by size
• Delete large video files and old backup files

2. Remove Duplicate Pictures

Duplicates are often created as a result of the following:

• Multiple devices being backed up
• Multiple uploads of the same file
• Syncing of WhatsApp or camera folders with OneDrive

To delete duplicate pictures, you will need to manually compare and delete them.

3. Turn Off Camera Uploads

• To help prevent future clutter, you can disable camera uploads.
• To disable this option, open the OneDrive application on your mobile device and turn off the Camera Upload feature.

4. Clear Your Recycle Bin

Unless you empty the Recycle Bin, deleted files continue to take up space on your OneDrive.

Best Practices for Managing Files in OneDrive

1. Schedule Months for Cleanup

Set a recurring reminder each month to check your OneDrive and remove files that no longer serve their intended purpose. Performing regular cleanups keeps your storage organized and prevents it from becoming cluttered.

2. Keep Your Work and Personal Data Stored in Different Locations

Keep work-related files stored separately from your personal files (in a different folder or account). Storing both types of files in the same location creates confusion and increases the chances of unintentionally sharing either type of file with someone else.

3. Effectively Utilize OneDrive’s Version History Feature

If a file is saved multiple times by various users, this results in an excessive amount of storage being consumed.

To effectively manage versions:

• Access the file’s properties.
• Review the version history tab.
• Delete any older or unnecessary versions (manually).

4. Always Create a Local Backup for All Critical Files Before You Delete Them

Always maintain local backups or secondary cloud backups for all your most critical files before deleting them from OneDrive.

5. Only Enable Auto-Upload on Your Main Device to Minimize Duplicate Photos

If you enable auto-upload on multiple devices you’ll have duplicates of all the photos uploaded due to auto-upload.

6. Organize Your Files by Using Folders

When you create folders that clearly delineate your files into categories it will help you find what you need quickly and easily (i.e. folders named “Vacations”, “Family”, and “Events” for photo files; “Work”, “Personal”, and “Finance” for document files).

7. Searching with OneDrive

Find files quickly by searching by keywords, file type, or owner instead of browsing through folders.

8. Duplicate Photos Cleanup

Periodically monitor for duplicates uploaded from backups on multiple phones, burst mode photos, and downloaded social media images.

9. Storage Monitoring with Built-In Features

Go to OneDrive Settings → Manage Storage to see:

• Largest files taking up space
• Shared files with your account
• Items in the recycle bin

Organize and Delete Photos and Files from Your OneDrive Now!

With consistent OneDrive file management, you can make sure that

• You do not run out of storage space.
• Your files are organized.
• Your devices are still syncing without any problems.
• You will be able to locate the files that you need quickly and effortlessly.

You can easily manage and delete photos and files from your OneDrive account whether you are accessing your account using a browser, your mobile device, or your PC.

To manage Microsoft accounts including licenses, onboarding, offboarding, and shadow IT, organizations can use our SaaS and AI app management platform, CloudFuze Manage. Contact our experts today!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I recover files after deleting them from OneDrive?

Yes. Deleted files and photos are moved to the OneDrive Recycle Bin, where they remain for up to 30 days (or longer for business accounts). You can restore them to their original location during this period. After permanent deletion, recovery is not possible.

2. Does deleting files from OneDrive remove them from all my devices?

Yes. When you delete a file from OneDrive, it is removed from all synced devices. However, if you want to remove files only from your computer while keeping them in the cloud, you can use the “Free up space” option in File Explorer.

3. What is the best way to free up storage space in OneDrive quickly?

The fastest way to free up space is to delete large files, remove duplicate photos, disable camera uploads if not needed, and empty the Recycle Bin. Using OneDrive’s storage management tools helps identify files that consume the most space.