If you happen to have a Microsoft Account (the account you use to log in to Outlook / Hotmail, Xbox, Windows, Office 365, and more), then you also have a OneDrive account. OneDrive has long served as Microsoft's first-party cloud storage offering, with deep hooks into the company's broader software and services ecosystem.

OneDrive app icon
Microsoft
OneDrive

OneDrive is Microsoft's subscription-based cloud storage service, with deep integration into Windows 11 and with apps available for mobile devices.

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What is OneDrive?

Microsoft's first-party cloud storage service

OneDrive hero image Credit: Pocket-lint / Microsoft

In short, OneDrive is a cloud-based storage service provider owned and operated by Microsoft. The utility functions similarly to Google Drive, Apple iCloud, Dropbox, and other internet storage services, allowing you to place files and folders on a remote server for convenient access on any device and while anywhere on the planet.

OneDrive started life all the way back in 2007, known at the time as SkyDrive. The service was later integrated deeper into the Microsoft Account experience, while also becoming deeply intertwined with the Windows operating system for automatic PC backups. Today, OneDrive can be accessed across Windows 11, the web, Android, iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

As with other cloud storage services, OneDrive is a convenient tool for storing and accessing files without having to rely on carrying around USB thumb drives, external HDDs and SSDs, optical discs, SD cards, or the like. Of course, the service isn't without its problems: many users distrust Microsoft and feel uncomfortable storing their personal files on the company's servers, while others find OneDrive's Windows 11 integration to be intrusive, confusing, or downright infuriating.

How to remove OneDrive from Windows 11

The cloud storage service can be (mostly) gutted from the OS without too much hassle

Uninstall OneDrive from Windows 11 screenshots 1

If you have no use for Microsoft's OneDrive on your Windows 11 PC, there are several measures you can take to remove the service altogether. To start with, follow these steps to unlink your account from your PC (which disables cloud syncing and removes local access to cloud files):

  1. Click or tap on the OneDrive icon within the system tray (lower right-hand corner) to open the OneDrive flyout. From here, hit the cog glyph icon followed by Settings.
  2. Next, navigate to Account > Unlink this PC > Unlink account.
Uninstall OneDrive from Windows 11 screenshots 2

Next, you'll want to delete the OneDrive application from your PC. This can be done in a number of ways, but here's how to do so from the main Settings interface:

  1. Launch Settings.
  2. Navigate to Apps > Installed apps > Microsoft OneDrive.
  3. Tap or click on the ellipsis (three-dot) button, followed by the Uninstall button (you might be required to type in your PIN or password depending on administrator setup).

If you change your mind at a later date, you can always reinstall OneDrive from the Microsoft Store and sign in with your Microsoft Account to re-enable account synchronization.

Lastly, you can optionally purge the OneDrive folder from within your PC's file structure by navigating to File Explorer > User folder (C:) > Users > Your Name > OneDrive, and then right-clicking or long-pressing on the folder and hitting the delete button from within the context menu.

Note that following these steps will only remove the OneDrive service from your Windows 11 PC at the local level -- your OneDrive account, and all your stored documents and files, will remain available on the web via your Microsoft Account.