Forum Discussion
How to modify which folders to backup on android onedrive app
Currently my Android OneDrive app backs up photos from many different folders as can be seen in screenshot below in section "Back up device folders". How can I modify this list? It seem it ends up backing up screenshots too which I will like to remove along with many other unknown folders. Here is the screen shot:
https://i.postimg.cc/9M98hGsM/image.png
(I uploaded to another since this forum's thread editor kept saying "Media upload in progress. Try again in few moments.)
4 Replies
- NikolinoDEPlatinum Contributor
To change which folders OneDrive backs up on Android:
- Open the OneDrive app, tap the Me icon (bottom‑right), then Settings.
- Go to Camera upload (sometimes labelled “Camera backup”).
- Scroll down to the “Back up device folders” section.
What you’ll see depends on your app version:
- If your screen shows a switch/toggle next to each folder:
You can turn off the ones you no longer want to back up (e.g. Screenshots). The change takes effect immediately, and OneDrive will stop uploading new files from that folder. - If the screen only lists folders without any controls:
Your version of OneDrive likely doesn’t support per‑folder management here. The app automatically detects media folders on your device and may back them all up if Camera upload is enabled. In that case, you can’t selectively disable specific folders from this list; the list is just for awareness.
Important universal caveats:
- You cannot delete or remove a folder entry from the “Back up device folders” list — at most, you can enable/disable backup when switches are available.
- Previously uploaded files are never deleted automatically when you turn off a folder. If you want to remove screenshots or other files already in the cloud, you must delete them manually from your OneDrive storage (via the app or web).
This way the advice works whether your screenshot shows toggles or just a static list, and it avoids false promises about functionality that might not be there. Thank you again for flagging that — it’s a really important nuance.
My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!
Hope this will help you.
Was the answer useful? Mark as best response and like it!
This will help all forum participants.
- Mahesha999Copper Contributor
Thanks to point out that I can click on "Back up device folders" section to enable / disable which folder to backup !
I have followup question. There is also option "Categorise in sub-folders" option. Where these subfolder are created inside OneDrive storage and how these images gets shown in Photos section of app? I just wanted to backup photos. So was thinking what impact it will have if I enable this option.
Also one last question, the app has backed up many screenshots over year in `My Files > Pictures > Camera Roll` directory in OneDrive. They are mostly prefixed "Screenshot". How can I select and delete all of them?
- NikolinoDEPlatinum Contributor
What does "Categorise in sub-folders" do?
When enabled, OneDrive organizes your backed-up photos into date-based sub-folders inside your Camera Roll folder (e.g., Camera Roll/2026/2026-06).
This keeps things tidy if you browse via "My Files", but it doesn't affect the Photos tab – that view always shows all your images in a timeline regardless of folder structure.
For someone who just wants photo backup, it's purely an organizational preference – enable it if you like order, leave it off if you prefer everything in one folder.
How do I delete all those old screenshots quickly?
The app doesn't have a "delete all screenshots" button, but here's the easiest way:
- On a computer, go to onedrive.com and sign in.
- Navigate to My Files > Pictures > Camera Roll (or check if you have a separate Screenshots folder).
- Switch to List view, sort by Name, select all the "Screenshot" files, and delete them.
- Empty your Recycle Bin to permanently free up space.
If you're on Windows with OneDrive synced, you can also do this directly in File Explorer – just search Screenshot* and delete the results.
One quick tip: Make sure you've already turned off backup for the Screenshots folder in your device folder settings – that way, new ones won't keep piling up.
Hope that helps!