Some Windows users wonder what the cloud or green check mark icon mean on the desktop, for example. Where do these icons come from?
What is the cloud or green check mark on desktop icons?
The clouds you see next to icons on the Windows 11 or 10 desktop are related to OneDrive, Microsoft's cloud storage service. These clouds indicate the synchronization status of files or folders. This is what they mean.
- Blue cloud with arrows: This means the file or folder is currently syncing with OneDrive. The arrows indicate that data is being uploaded or downloaded.
- White or gray cloud: This indicates that the file or folder is available in OneDrive, but not stored locally on your computer. You can open the file or folder when you're online, and OneDrive will download it immediately.
- Green check mark in a white circle: This means that the file or folder has been successfully synced and is available both locally and in OneDrive.
- Red cross: If you see a red cross, it means there is a problem with synchronization. This can happen if you don't have an internet connection or if your maximum OneDrive storage limit has been reached.
So these icons show a status about the files that are synced in the OneDrive storage. You can do this then adjust synchronization of even switch it off completely. Once you have done this, you will see a new shortcut on the desktop with “Shortcut to Desktop (OneDrive – Personal)”.
When you click this shortcut, the “Desktop” cloud folder will open in the Windows Explorer.
I hope to have informed you with this. Thank you for reading!