How-To · Teams & Files
How to get SharePoint and Teams files in File Explorer
Add SharePoint and Teams files to File Explorer or Finder with Add shortcut to My files, when to use Sync instead, and how to keep files offline.
Your team’s shared files live in SharePoint (a Teams channel’s Files tab is SharePoint too). You can work on them in a browser, but most people would rather open them from File Explorer on Windows or Finder on a Mac, like any other folder. There are two ways to do that. Microsoft recommends the first one for most people.
Recommended: Add shortcut to My files
A shortcut puts the shared folder inside your own OneDrive, so it shows up on every computer you sign in to.
- Open the shared library in your browser. From Teams, go to the channel’s Files tab and choose Open in SharePoint.
- To add one folder, select it. To add the whole library, don’t select anything.
- Select Add shortcut to My files (it may say Add shortcut to OneDrive).
- On your computer, open File Explorer or Finder and look in your OneDrive folder for your company. The shared folder is there with a small link icon.
To remove it later, go to OneDrive on the web, open My files, select the shortcut, and choose Remove shortcut. This only removes it from your list. The files stay in SharePoint for everyone else.
The other option: Sync
The Sync button in SharePoint connects a whole library to one computer. It shows up in File Explorer under your company’s name rather than inside OneDrive. It works, but only on that one computer, so most people are better off with a shortcut.
Use one or the other, not both, for the same library. Mixing them causes sync errors. If you already use Sync and want to switch, stop syncing that library in OneDrive settings first, then add the shortcut.
Online-only vs. on this computer
To save space, files usually stay in the cloud until you open them. The icon next to each file shows where it is:
| Icon | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Cloud | Online only. Opens when you’re connected. |
| Green check in a white circle | Downloaded when you opened it. Works offline. |
| White check in a solid green circle | Always kept on this device. |
Traveling or working somewhere with spotty internet? Right-click a folder and choose Always keep on this device ahead of time.
Not seeing your files?
- Make sure the OneDrive app is running and signed in with your work account. Look for the cloud icon near the clock on Windows, or in the menu bar on a Mac.
- Give it a few minutes. A new shortcut can take a little while to show up.
- If the buttons are missing, your company may have set this up differently.
Matter of Technology clients: submit a request and we’ll get your team’s folders showing up on your computer.