OneDrive Not Syncing on a Mac? How to Fix It
OneDrive not syncing on your Mac? Check the menu bar status and storage, then unlink and relink your account. Files are not lost, and here is the exact order.
When OneDrive stops syncing on a Mac, files may fail to update, sit stuck as pending or seem to go missing. Most of the time the cause is the connection, the account or storage, and you can fix it with a few checks. Your files are not lost while you do this.
What a sync problem looks like
Files do not upload or download, changes do not appear on your other devices, the OneDrive icon in the menu bar shows paused or stuck, or your OneDrive folder in Finder stops updating.
Restart your Mac
Restart first. It resets background sync processes and clears temporary problems after a network change or an update. Then see whether OneDrive carries on.
Check the OneDrive status
Look at the OneDrive cloud icon in the menu bar and click it. If syncing is paused, resume it. If you are signed out, sign in again with the right account. If it says it is syncing for a long time, give it time. A large number of changes takes a while.
Check your storage
If you have gone over your Microsoft storage, OneDrive cannot upload, edit or sync new files. Check how much space you have online. If it is full, you will need to free up space or add storage before syncing resumes.
Check your connection
OneDrive needs a steady internet connection. Open a website to confirm your internet is working. A slow or dropping connection can make OneDrive look stuck.
Update OneDrive
Use the OneDrive menu to check for updates. An old version can cause problems on a newer version of macOS.
Check whether it is really a sync problem
On a current Mac, OneDrive uses Files On-Demand, which is built into macOS and cannot be turned off. Files shown with a cloud icon are online only. They are not downloaded until you open them, which is normal. They need an internet connection to open.
If you need a file offline, right-click it in Finder and choose Always Keep on This Device. To free up space, right-click and choose Free up space.
If OneDrive does not appear in the Finder sidebar, open Finder, choose Settings, then Sidebar, and turn on Cloud Storage.
Look for a file that is blocking the sync
Sometimes one file stops the rest. A file that is open in another app, a very long file name or an unsupported name or file type can cause it. OneDrive usually lists the problem file. Close it, or rename or move it, and sync should continue. If it seems stuck, pause syncing, move one file out of the OneDrive folder, then resume.
Unlink and relink your Mac
If OneDrive still will not sync, unlink your Mac and link it again. Unlinking does not delete files already stored in OneDrive. Local OneDrive folders remain on the Mac, and changes made while unlinked sync after you link the account again.
- Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the menu bar.
- Choose Help & Settings, then Preferences.
- Open the Account tab and choose Unlink this Mac.
- Open Spotlight, search for Keychain Access and open it.
- Search for OneDrive and delete the saved sign-in entry called OneDrive Cached Credential.
- Open OneDrive again and sign in.
- When OneDrive says a folder already exists, choose Use this folder.
OneDrive then syncs your files again. It will only download placeholders for most files, so it still takes some time.
If Desktop and Documents are not backing up
To back up your Desktop and Documents folders with OneDrive on a Mac, you need the standalone sync app, not the version from the Mac App Store. Your Mac also needs to give OneDrive Full Disk Access. Open System Settings, choose Privacy & Security, then Full Disk Access, and add OneDrive. If you sign in with a work account, your IT administrator may have disabled this.
If it still does not work
If files are missing on several devices, or the problem affects shared folders or a team, it may be deeper than one Mac. In a business, the cause can also be permissions, how SharePoint is set up or how accounts are structured. Our guide to OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams on a Mac explains how the pieces fit, and our Microsoft 365 setup guide shows the structure we recommend.
Need a hand?
If you would like help getting OneDrive working properly on your Mac, contact Your Mac Tech. We can review your setup and make sure everything syncs the way it should.
