What Is a Cloud Drive?
A cloud drive is cloud storage that appears on your computer as a drive or folder, so you can open, save and organise cloud files in File Explorer or Finder like local files. Behind the scenes, an app downloads files when you open them and uploads changes. OneDrive, Google Drive for desktop, iCloud Drive and Dropbox all work this way.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Cloud drive | Cloud storage shown as a local drive letter or folder |
| Placeholder or online-only file | A file you can see but that downloads only when opened |
| Offline or always-available file | A full copy kept on your computer |
| Streaming | Google Drive for desktop mode that shows Drive as a drive letter and downloads on demand |
| Mirroring | A mode that keeps full copies of files on your computer |
| Files On-Demand | OneDrive’s name for online-only placeholders on Windows |
How a Cloud Drive Works on Windows
On Windows 10 and 11, cloud apps use a system feature that lets them create placeholder files. These look like normal files in File Explorer but take almost no disk space. When you open one, the app downloads it in the background.
Status icons show where a file lives.
In OneDrive, a cloud icon means online-only, a green tick outline means it is downloaded, and a solid green circle means it is set to always stay on the device. Google Drive for desktop in stream mode appears as its own drive letter, such as G:.
How a Cloud Drive Works on Mac
On macOS, cloud apps use Apple’s File Provider system. Cloud drives appear under Locations in the Finder sidebar, and their files live under a CloudStorage folder in your user Library. iCloud Drive is built in. Files can be kept on the Mac or downloaded on demand.
Online-Only vs Offline Files
- Online-only saves disk space but needs an internet connection to open the file.
- Offline keeps a full copy, works without internet and opens faster, but uses disk space.
Mark folders you need when travelling as offline before you leave. Most apps let you right-click and choose an option like Always keep on this device or Make available offline.
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What a Cloud Drive Means for Privacy and Safety
A cloud drive is still the provider’s storage. The provider usually holds the encryption keys. Read cloud privacy for the details.
Also remember that a cloud drive syncs. Deleting a file from the drive letter deletes it from the cloud too. Online-only files have no local copy at all, so your backup tool may not include them.
Common Myths About Cloud Drives
“Online-only files are backed up on my computer.” They are not on your computer. Only the cloud copy exists.
“A cloud drive is a backup drive.” It mirrors changes and deletions. See backup and sync.
“Files on a cloud drive use no space.” Files you open are downloaded and cached until you free them up.
“Any app can save to a cloud drive safely.” Apps that write constantly, such as databases and email data files, can cause sync problems. See OneDrive stuck syncing.
What to Check Before You Rely on a Cloud Drive
- Which folders are online-only and which are offline.
- That your backup app can read online-only files, or that key folders are kept local.
- That the drive’s status shows up to date before you go offline.
- Free disk space for cached files.
Set up a cloud drive the right way with our guide to sync to the cloud, or learn how storage and sync interact in cloud storage and sync. For basics, read cloud storage: what is it and our file sync pillar.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a cloud drive and an external hard drive?
An external hard drive physically holds your files and works without internet. A cloud drive only looks like a drive; the files live on a provider’s servers and download when needed. A cloud drive can be reached from any device, while an external drive is safer from online threats when unplugged.
Does a cloud drive use space on my computer?
Only for files that are downloaded. Online-only placeholders use almost no space. Files you open are downloaded and kept until you free up space, and folders marked as always available offline store full copies. Check your sync app’s settings to see which folders are kept locally.
Can I use a cloud drive offline?
Yes, for files stored on your computer. Mark important folders as always available offline before you lose your connection. Online-only files cannot open without internet. When you reconnect, the app uploads any changes you made offline and downloads changes from other devices.
Is OneDrive a cloud drive?
Yes. OneDrive appears as a folder in File Explorer on Windows and in Finder on Mac. With Files On-Demand, files can be online-only, downloaded, or always kept on the device. Google Drive for desktop, iCloud Drive and Dropbox offer similar cloud drive experiences.
How do I free up space used by a cloud drive?
Right-click files or folders in the cloud drive and choose the option to free up space or make them online-only. They stay in the cloud but stop using local disk space. Do this only for files you can open later with an internet connection.
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