Sync SharePoint and Teams files with your computer

Important:  Support for the old OneDrive for Business sync app with SharePoint Online has ended. If you see this  OneDrive for business old iconicon in your taskbar, read this article to learn more. 

If your organization has a Microsoft 365 work or school subscription or uses SharePoint Server 2019 and Teams, you can sync your Microsoft SharePoint and Teams files to a folder on your computer. This lets you work directly in File Explorer and access files even when you're offline. And when you go back online, any changes made to those files will sync automatically.

Note: For info about syncing files on macOS, see Sync files with OneDrive on Mac OS X.

You have two options when syncing files in SharePoint libraries and Teams. You can either add shortcuts to libraries and folders to their OneDrive or use the Sync button in the document library

Both options allow essentially the same thing—users can access files on their local computer in Explorer or Finder. However, adding OneDrive shortcuts allows content to be accessed on all devices, whereas sync is related to a specific device. Additionally, OneDrive shortcuts offer improved performance versus using the sync button.

We recommend using OneDrive shortcuts as the more versatile option when available.

Set up syncing

  1. Near the upper left corner of the browser page, select the Microsoft 365 app launcher:

    The app launcher symbol consists of nine small square dots, located near the upper right corner of the SharePoint app window.

  2. From the menu that opens, select SharePoint or Teams, and then select the site with the files you want to sync.

  3. Select Documents or navigate to the subfolder you want to sync.

  4. Select Sync. (You only need to do this once on a computer to set up syncing on that computer. After you set up syncing, the files sync automatically.)

    Screenshot showing Sync button on a SharePoint library.
  5. If your browser requests permission to use "Microsoft OneDrive," confirm that this is okay.

    Important: If a screen appears stating "Which library do you want to sync?", your site hasn't been set up to sync with the OneDrive sync app. If you're the IT admin for your organization, see Let users sync SharePoint files with the new OneDrive sync app. If you're not the IT admin, and your screens don't look like the ones in this article, see Sync SharePoint files with the OneDrive sync app (Groove.exe), or contact your IT department.

The files then sync to a folder on your PC that has the name of your organization (for example, %userprofile%\Contoso). This folder is automatically added to the left pane in File Explorer. You can’t select to sync to a different location.

Screenshot showing sync folders for OneDrive and sites.

5.  To sync the files on another computer, go to that computer, and follow these steps again.

Notes: 

  • You can now sync IRM-protected SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive files in your work or school account. If you’re currently syncing an IRM-protected location using the Transition from the previous OneDrive sync app, stop syncing it with that sync app first. Then, install the Rights Management Service (RMS) client. When that finishes, open the SharePoint or Teams location or OneDrive in your browser, and to begin syncing it with the sync app, select Sync

  • If you see a lock icon on synced files in File Explorer, it means the files are synced read-only. You might not have permission to edit the files, or the library might require checkout or have required columns or metadata. If you change the files on your computer, the changes won’t sync. For permissions, contact your admin.

  • You can't move OneNote notebooks from one site to another on your computer, and if you move other Office files between sites, version history will be lost. To move Office files, go to the site, and use the Move to or Copy to command.

  • If a site name includes a character such as “:” that isn’t supported in folder names in Windows, files on the site can’t be synced.

  • If you used the previous OneDrive for work or school sync app the folder structure for your synced folders might change when you begin syncing with the sync app. On computers with older versions of Windows where you used the previous OneDrive sync app, you may see an old "SharePoint" or "Teams" folder under Favorites in File Explorer. To remove the extra "SharePoint" or "Teams" folder, right-click and select Remove.

Change sync settings

To change the folders that sync for a site, or to stop syncing all files on a site, follow these steps:

  1. Select the blue OneDrive cloud icon in the Windows taskbar notification area.

    OneDrive SyncClient with blue cloud and white cloud icons

    (You may need to select the Show hidden icons arrow The Show hidden icons button. next to the notification area for the OneDrive icon to appear. If the icon doesn't appear in the notification area, OneDrive might not be running. Select Start, enter OneDrive in the search box, and then select OneDrive in the search results.)

    Windows system tray with arrow indicating hidden icons

  2. Select OneDrive Help and Settings icon > Settings.

  3. To see a list of all your syncing sites, select the Account tab.

    Screenshot of account settings in the OneDrive sync client.
  4. To change the folders that you're syncing, select Choose folders for that library, and then select the folders that you want to sync. To stop syncing a site, select Stop sync next to the site. (Copies of the files remain on your computer. You can delete them if you want.)

Learn More

Need more help?

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Contact Support For help with your Microsoft account and subscriptions, visit Account & Billing Help.

For technical support, go to Contact Microsoft Support, enter your problem and select Get Help. If you still need help, select Contact Support to be routed to the best support option.

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Admins Admins should view Help for OneDrive Admins, the OneDrive Tech Community or contact Microsoft 365 for business support.

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