Onedrive - Blue cloud icon folder

The blue cloud icon on Folder A means that Folder A itself is currently online-only. That is, the folder entry exists locally, but its contents are not fully stored on the device and require an internet connection when accessed.

Key points based on OneDrive Files On-Demand behavior:

• A blue cloud icon indicates an online-only item. Online-only items do not take up space on the computer and cannot be opened without an internet connection.
• A green check mark (solid green circle with white check or similar) indicates an item marked as Always keep on this device (always available file/folder) and stored locally.
• Icons are applied per item, not as a summary of everything inside. So:
  • Folder A can show a blue cloud (online-only) even if some subfolders or files inside (like Folder 1 and Folder 2) are marked with green check marks.
  • The status of Folder A does not mean that all its contents are online-only; it only reflects the folder’s own sync/storage status.

In practice, this means:

• Folder A is treated as an online-only folder at the top level.
• Inside it, some items (Folder 1, Folder 2 and their files) have been downloaded or marked to always stay on the device (green check), while others (like Folder 3) remain online-only (blue cloud).

So the blue cloud on Folder A does not just indicate “there is a blue-cloud item inside”; it indicates that Folder A itself is not fully stored locally, even though some of its contents may be.

References:

• Work with synced files in File Explorer
• Sync files with OneDrive Files on Demand
• What do the OneDrive icons mean?