You’ve just made a brand-new OneDrive account. Congratulations! But don’t rush to upload all of your content to the cloud right away. First, learn how to create a folder in OneDrive, as it will allow you to keep your files and data organized.
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As you are new to OneDrive, you may not be familiar with all the options. Moreover, there are tiny nuances that you must be aware of before you begin this seemingly simple activity. I have been using OneDrive for quite some time myself, and it has taught me many valuable lessons. Folder creation is one of them. Before I reveal my strategies for creating a OneDrive folder, let’s examine the importance of the procedure and its advantages in your day-to-day use.

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Why is it Important to Create Folders in OneDrive?

Keep items organized. Perhaps the most solid reason to make folders is that it helps users arrange all of their content in separate containers. You don’t have to https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/copy-onedrive-files-to-another-onedrive-account/ Sharing becomes Secure: If you keep a folder structure in OneDrive, you don’t have to copy OneDrive files to another OneDrive account one by one, but share them all at once. Moreover, the way you transfer photos from one OneDrive to another also becomes pretty easy. Also, you don’t end up oversharing. Plus, every time you need to share any new item, you can simply put it inside an already shared folder, and the item will inherit the folder’s properties. Data Transfer is faster: A folder-style arrangement allows you to download items that come along with their container. You need not rearrange the items locally and can move them to another account more quickly than if you had to deal with them individually.

Make a new Folder in the OneDrive Web App

  • Step 1. On your browser, visit https://onedrive.live.com/login and log in.
  • Step 2. Click on the + Create or upload button (If you don’t see it, expand the side pane).
  • Step 3. From the drop-down menu, select the Folder option.
  • Step 4. Then, a pop-up box appears on your screen. Type a suitable name.
  • Step 5. Press Create.

Create OneDrive Folders on Desktop

  • Step 1. Open File Explorer on your Windows (make sure you are signed in).
  • Step 2. Go to the OneDrive tab.
  • Step 3. Right-click on any blank space.
  • Step 4. Click on New > Select Folder. (Alternatively, you can click on the New folder option on the top ribbon.)
  • Step 5. Type a name and press Enter.
how to create a folder in OneDrive desktop An Even Faster way to trigger new OneDrive folder creation on Windows is to Press Ctrl + Shift + N simultaneously. Then type in a name and hit Enter. That’s it.

How to Make New Folders on Mobile

The steps are the same on Android and iOS
  • Step 1. Install and open the OneDrive app on your mobile phone.
  • Step 2. Switch to the Files section if you are not already there.
  • Step 3. Tap the + icon (at the bottom of the screen next to the search bar).
  • Step 4. Choose the Folder option from the fly-out menu.
  • Step 5. Type in a name and press OK.
This happens only on mobile. The moment you create a new folder, OneDrive will open it up for you.

Make New Folders on OneDrive for Business

The folder creation process for business users is identical to what I taught for any personal account holder. Moreover, admins can’t make new folders for specific user accounts. If you are an IT administrator in a business that uses O365 and there is a task to bring data from other OneDrive accounts into your users’ accounts, then use the SysTools OneDrive for Business to OneDrive for Business migration tool for effortless transfer. Download Now Purchase Now Download a free copy to test out the functionality today.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to create a folder in OneDrive, you are on track to make the best use of your new app. Folder creation is a fundamental activity that everyone must be aware of, and here I have taught you exactly how to do it on three different platforms. Ensure that you keep folder names short and unique so that they are easily identifiable.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I create a subfolder in OneDrive?

Follow the same steps outlined in the tutorial, but ensure you do it inside a parent folder.

I already have folders in OneDrive. Do I have to recreate them on mobile?

No. If you keep OneDrive synced with the cloud, the same folder will appear everywhere you have logged in to your OneDrive, desktop browser, or mobile.

How many folders can I make in OneDrive?

Microsoft sets no explicit limit, but you should avoid letting the folder numbers get too big. Otherwise, you may face trouble syncing and working with the files.

What characters aren’t allowed while creating new OneDrive folders?

There is still a list of forbidden characters that you cannot use anywhere in the folder name on OneDrive Web (personal or business): ” * : < > ? / \ | ゛ and ဧ can’t be used as the first character of a folder, and there can be any leading or trailing spaces in the name. Apart from this list, your organization may not yet allow the use of # and % in folder names. Admins must enable their use explicitly. Note: Following the update on January 28, 2025, some of these invalid characters are supported in the macOS version of OneDrive.

I wasn’t able to use “NUL” as the name of my new OneDrive folder. Why?

NUL, along with many other strings of characters, is a predefined system flag that you can’t use on its own. These are: .lock, CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM0 – COM9, LPT0 – LPT9, _vti_, desktop.ini, and any filename starting with ~$. Plus, “forms” is not allowed as a root/main folder name. You may add additional characters to them and then use them. However, there is an exception: “_vti_” cannot be used anywhere.

how to create a folder in OneDrive with correct naming convention