How to Use Drop in Microsoft Edge to Share Files and Notes Across Devices

Moving a photo, document, or snippet of text from your computer to your smartphone often involves emailing files to yourself, using messaging apps as digital notepads, or connecting external cables. Microsoft Edge eliminates this friction with a built-in feature called Drop. Powered by OneDrive, Drop acts as a private, instant cloud clipboard inside the browser sidebar, allowing you to transfer screenshots, links, and documents seamlessly across Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.

What Is Microsoft Edge Drop and How Does It Work?

Drop appears as a dedicated messaging pane within the Edge sidebar. Instead of chatting with another person, you interact with a private cloud channel linked to your Microsoft account. Anything you drag into this pane—including PDFs, image files, website URLs, and typed notes—is instantly uploaded to your OneDrive and made available in Edge on all your connected devices.

• Zero Cable Setup: Transfers files over the internet instantly without Bluetooth pairing or USB cables.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Works across Windows 10, Windows 11, macOS, Android, and iOS.
• Permanent OneDrive Storage: Uploaded files are organised neatly in a dedicated Microsoft Edge Drop Files folder in your personal OneDrive.
• Quick Note Taking: Acts as a scratchpad for URLs, code snippets, and reminders you want to access on the go.

How to Set Up and Access Drop on Your Computer

Drop is integrated directly into the desktop version of Microsoft Edge and can be added to your toolbar for one-click access.

1. Launch Microsoft Edge on your PC or Mac and ensure you are signed in to your Microsoft account.
2. Look for the Drop icon (a paper aeroplane icon) in the right-hand sidebar. If the sidebar is hidden, press Ctrl + Shift + / (or Command + Shift + / on Mac).
3. If the Drop icon does not appear in the sidebar, click the + (Customise sidebar) button at the bottom of the bar, locate Drop, and toggle it on.
4. Click the Drop icon to expand the conversation pane.
5. You can now drag and drop files directly into the pane, or click the + (Attach file) icon at the bottom to select documents from your computer.
6. To send plain text or links, type your message into the bottom text field and click the Send arrow or press Enter.

How to Access Dropped Files on Mobile Devices

Once you send an item from your desktop, you can view or download it on your smartphone or tablet in seconds.

1. Open the Microsoft Edge app on your iPhone or Android phone.
2. Ensure you are signed in with the same Microsoft account used on your computer.
3. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal dots or lines) at the bottom of the screen.
4. Swipe through the menu options and tap Drop.
5. The chat thread will open, displaying all files, photos, and notes sent from your computer.
6. Tap any photo or document to view it, or tap the three dots beside an item to save it directly to your device storage.
7. To send files from mobile to desktop, tap the attachment icon at the bottom of the mobile Drop pane and choose photos or files from your phone.

Managing Storage and Deleting Dropped Files

Because Drop uses your personal OneDrive storage, large video files or extensive photo transfers count toward your cloud quota. You can manage your storage easily without leaving the browser.

• Delete Specific Items: Hover over any item in the Drop pane, click the three horizontal dots (…), and select Delete.
• Open OneDrive Folder: Click the three dots at the top of the Drop panel and select Open in OneDrive to manage the entire folder contents at once.
• Clear Chat History: Deleting an item from the Drop pane removes the reference in the chat while keeping your OneDrive storage clean.