OneDrive and SharePoint Icons – What Do They Mean?
When OneDrive or SharePoint is causing you problems, this article is a quick guide for understanding what OneDrive status icons mean.
After looking at these icons, if you need to troubleshoot OneDrive link to SharePoint, contact you I.T. Team.
If your company is in need of an I.T. Team, contact us!
Here are the topics this article covers:
What do icons next to the clock mean for OneDrive (SharePoint)
What do the file explorer icons mean for OneDrive (red X, red line, etc.)
OneDrive Icons at bottom right corner of screen (system tray)
The following Cloud Icons will be located in the system tray at the bottom right corner of the screen.
If the Cloud Icon is not visible, click the arrow to reveal hidden icons.
Blue Cloud
OneDrive is up to date and all file or folder changes have been synced.
No user action is required.
Gray Cloud
OneDrive setup is not complete or the user is not currently signed in.
To sign in, the user can click the icon and follow the prompts or can reach out to your I.T. Team for assistance.
Red Circle with White Line
The user account is blocked.
IF YOU SEE THIS ICON, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR I.T. TEAM.
Gray Circle with White Pause Symbol
The user’s files are not currently syncing.
To resume syncing, click the icon, select More, then select Resume Syncing or reach out to your I.T. Team for assistance.
Red Circle with White X
The file or folder cannot be synced.
IF YOU SEE THIS ICON, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR I.T. TEAM.
White Circle with Two Blue Circular Arrows
The file or folder sync is in progress.
No user action is required.
Yellow Warning Triangle on Cloud
The user’s account needs attention.
IF YOU SEE THIS ICON, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR I.T. TEAM.
OneDrive Icons in File Explorer
The following Status Icons are located when viewing SharePoint and OneDrive files from inside File Explorer.


Blue Cloud Outline
The file or folder is only available online and the user must be connected to the Internet to open it.
No user action required, unless unable to connect to the Internet, then contact your I.T. Team.
Green Circle Outline with Green Check
The file or folder has been downloaded and is available, even when offline.
No user action required.
Green Circle with White Check
The file or folder is always available, even when offline.
No user action required.
Two Blue Arrows
The file or folder sync is in progress.
No user action required.
Red Circle with White X
The file or folder cannot be synced.
IF YOU SEE THIS ICON, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR I.T. TEAM.
Lock
The file or folder has settings that prevent it from syncing.
No user action required, unless you are needing the file or folder to sync, then contact your I.T. Team.
Blue Cloud and Gray Person Outline
The file or folder has been shared with other people.
No user action required, unless you are needing to remove access, then contact your I.T. Team.