How to use OneDrive version history to restore previous changes of files

OneDrive allows you to restore previous versions of any file you store in the cloud, and here's how to use the feature.

OneDrive version history
OneDrive version history

If you’re using Windows 10 on your device, you probably use OneDrive regularly to store files in the cloud to keep the secure and synchronized across devices. However, you probably didn’t know that OneDrive is more than just storage, it also provides some useful features, including file version history.

Version history gives you the ability to see and restore earlier versions of documents stored in OneDrive. In the past, version history was only available for Office documents, but now through a cloud update, OneDrive now supports version history for all files types to upload to the cloud.

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to use version history to restore previous version of files in your OneDrive.

How to use OneDrive version history on any file

  1. Open OneDrive using your web browser.

  2. Browse the file you want to recover an older version of.

  3. Right-click the file and select Version history.

    OneDrive version history option
    OneDrive version history option
  4. In the “Version History” pane, you’ll see a list of the available versions you can recover, along with the modified date, who made the changes, and size.

    OneDrive version history list
    OneDrive version history list
  5. Hover over the file, click the three-dotted button, and select Restore to replace the current version.

    OneDrive version history restore
    OneDrive version history restore

If you’re not sure, you can click the Open File to see its content, and then decide to replace the latest version.

Although this new feature works on any files stored on any device using OneDrive, the only way to access version history is through a web browser. Also, remember that version history will only be kept for 30 days on files.

OneDrive version history for Office documents is already available, other files are rolling out now for personal accounts and Microsoft expects availability for everyone in the summer.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.