How to Manage OneDrive Favorites Across Web and Mobile

You can mark files and folders as Favorites in OneDrive to quickly access them without navigating through your entire folder structure. This feature syncs across the OneDrive web app and the OneDrive mobile app for iOS and Android, so your favorites list is available wherever you sign in. However, the OneDrive desktop sync client for Windows does not display the Favorites list, which can cause confusion about where favorites actually appear. This article explains how to add, view, and remove favorites on the web and mobile, and clarifies the limitations of the desktop sync client.

What OneDrive Favorites Do and Where They Work

OneDrive Favorites act as bookmarks for files and folders you access often. When you mark an item as a favorite, it appears in a dedicated Favorites list that is stored in your Microsoft account cloud settings. This list is visible in two places:

• OneDrive web app (onedrive.com): The Favorites list appears under the Files tab on the left navigation pane.
• OneDrive mobile app (iOS and Android): A Favorites tab is located at the bottom of the screen alongside Home, Files, and Me tabs.

The desktop sync client for Windows 10 and Windows 11 does not include a Favorites view. Items marked as favorites on the web or mobile remain synced to your local drive as regular files, but no special icon or folder indicates their favorite status. This limitation is by design: the Favorites feature is part of the cloud interface, not the sync engine.

Steps to Add and Manage Favorites on OneDrive Web

1. Sign in to OneDrive on the web
   Open a browser and go to onedrive.com. Sign in with your Microsoft 365 work or school account. The Files view shows your folders and files.
2. Locate the file or folder you want to favorite
   Navigate through your folder structure or use the search box at the top to find the item. Hover your mouse cursor over the item name or icon.
3. Click the star icon
   A hollow star appears to the right of the item name when you hover. Click the star once. It fills in with a solid color, indicating the item is now a favorite.
4. View your Favorites list
   In the left navigation pane, click Files if you are not already there. Below the folder tree, you see a section labeled Favorites. Click it to display all items you have marked.
5. Remove a favorite
   Hover over the item in the Favorites list and click the filled star again. The star becomes hollow, and the item disappears from the Favorites list. The original file or folder remains in its location.

You can also remove a favorite by finding the item in its original folder, hovering, and clicking the filled star. Both methods produce the same result.

Steps to Add and Manage Favorites on OneDrive Mobile App

The OneDrive mobile app for iOS and Android uses a Favorites tab for quick access. The process is similar on both platforms.

1. Open the OneDrive mobile app
   Tap the OneDrive icon on your device. Sign in with the same Microsoft 365 account you use on the web.
2. Navigate to the file or folder
   Tap the Files tab at the bottom of the screen. Browse or use the search icon at the top to find the item.
3. Tap the star icon
   Next to the file or folder name, you see a hollow star icon. Tap it once. The star fills in, and a confirmation toast may appear saying “Added to Favorites.”
4. View your Favorites list
   Tap the Favorites tab at the bottom of the screen (star icon). All items you have marked appear in a list. Tap any item to open it.
5. Remove a favorite from the Favorites tab
   In the Favorites tab, tap the filled star icon next to the item. The star becomes hollow, and the item is removed from the list.

Favorites added on the mobile app appear on the web within a few seconds, and vice versa. No manual sync is required.

What Happens When You Delete or Move a Favorited File

If you delete a file or folder that is marked as a favorite, the item is moved to the OneDrive Recycle Bin. The favorite marker is removed automatically. The item no longer appears in your Favorites list on web or mobile. If you restore the file from the Recycle Bin, you must add it as a favorite again — the restored item does not retain its favorite status.

If you move a favorited file to a different OneDrive folder, the favorite status remains attached. The item continues to appear in the Favorites list, and opening it from the list opens the file in its new location.

Common Misunderstandings About OneDrive Favorites

Favorites do not appear in File Explorer on Windows

The OneDrive sync client in Windows 10 and Windows 11 does not sync the Favorites list. You will not see a Favorites folder in your local OneDrive folder. To access favorites, you must use the OneDrive web app or the mobile app. This is a common source of confusion because other services like Dropbox show favorites in the local file system.

Favorites are not the same as OneDrive shortcuts

OneDrive also offers a “Add shortcut to My Files” feature on the web, which creates a symbolic link to a shared file or folder. Shortcuts appear in your file tree alongside your own folders. Favorites are a separate bookmark list that does not change your folder structure. Do not confuse the two: shortcuts affect file navigation, while favorites affect the quick-access list only.

Favorites do not change sync behavior

Marking a file as a favorite does not force it to be available offline or change its Files On-Demand status. If you want a file to be available offline on your Windows PC, right-click the file in File Explorer and select Always keep on this device. Favorites and offline availability are independent settings.

Files On-Demand vs Favorites: Key Differences

Item	Favorites	Always keep on this device
Description	Bookmarks files in a cloud list for quick access on web and mobile	Forces a file to download and stay on the local hard drive
Where it appears	OneDrive web app and mobile app Favorites tab	File Explorer with a green checkmark icon
Effect on sync	None — file remains in cloud-only or locally available state	File is always downloaded and synced
Storage use	No additional local storage	Uses local disk space for the file
Works offline	No — requires internet to view the Favorites list	Yes — file is available without internet

If Favorites Are Not Syncing Between Web and Mobile

Favorites should sync automatically within seconds. If they do not, try these steps:

1. Sign out and sign back in on the mobile app
   Open the OneDrive mobile app, tap your profile picture, scroll to the bottom, and tap Sign out. Sign in again with the same account.
2. Refresh the web page
   Press F5 or Ctrl+R in your browser to reload the OneDrive web app. The Favorites list refreshes with the latest data from Microsoft servers.
3. Check account consistency
   Ensure you are signed in with the same Microsoft 365 account on both platforms. Personal Microsoft accounts and work or school accounts have separate OneDrive instances and separate Favorites lists.

If the issue persists, clear the mobile app cache. On iOS, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > OneDrive and tap Offload App. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > OneDrive > Storage and tap Clear Cache.

Conclusion

You can now add and remove OneDrive favorites on the web and mobile app using the star icon next to any file or folder. Remember that favorites are not available in the Windows File Explorer — access them only through onedrive.com or the mobile Favorites tab. For quick offline access to specific files, use the Always keep on this device option in File Explorer instead of relying on favorites. As an advanced tip, use the OneDrive mobile app’s Favorites tab to open Office documents directly in the Microsoft 365 mobile apps without searching through folders.