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A MacBook on a desk showing a Finder window and the OneDrive cloud icon in the menu bar
Fix It Yourself · Troubleshooting

OneDrive not syncing on Mac?

10 min read
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OneDrive on a Mac fails differently from OneDrive on Windows. Since macOS Monterey 12.1 it has run through Apple's own File Provider system, so Windows advice you'll find (the /reset switch, the system tray, the registry) doesn't apply. The fixes below are for a Mac, quickest checks first, with a reset, relink or reinstall kept for when you still need them.

Why OneDrive Stops Syncing on a Mac

These are the causes worth checking:

The account needs attention. An expired sign-in, a password changed on another device, or a Microsoft 365 licence that lapsed. OneDrive shows this in the menu bar when you click the cloud icon.

The File Provider extension is off. macOS lets you switch cloud storage extensions on and off, and OneDrive needs its extension on to sync.

Storage is full. Either the OneDrive account (the free plan is 5 GB) or the Mac's own disk. File Provider needs working space on the Mac even for files you keep online only.

Files OneDrive won't accept. Certain characters, reserved names, very long paths and files over 250 GB are refused, and one refused file can hold up a folder.

A damaged OneDrive app or sync database. This is the one the reset script is for.

Quick routeStart here

OneDrive Not Syncing on Mac: Quick Fixes

Start here.

1

Check the Menu Bar Icon Easy

  1. Click the OneDrive cloud
    It sits in the menu bar at the top of the screen. If you can't see it, open OneDrive from the Applications folder: a missing icon can simply mean the app isn't running.
  2. Sign in if asked
    A banner asking you to sign in means OneDrive has stopped until you do. Sign in and give it a minute.
  3. Resume if paused
    If it says "Paused", click the gear icon and choose Resume syncing. If nothing's moving, pause, wait 30 seconds, and resume.
  4. Read the sync issues list
    A count of issues means specific files are stuck. Click it to see which ones and why. A storage warning means your OneDrive account is full.
Success: no warnings on the cloud icon and files start moving.
2

Update macOS and OneDrive, Then Restart Easy

  1. Update macOS
    Back up your Mac first. Open System Settings > General > Software Update and install anything waiting. Let the installation finish without closing the lid or putting the Mac to sleep. OneDrive leans on macOS for syncing, so keep both current.
  2. Update OneDrive
    From the App Store if that's where it came from. If you got it from Microsoft's website, download the latest installer there and run it.
  3. Restart the Mac
    Not sleep, a proper restart.
Success: OneDrive starts after the restart and the cloud icon shows it's up to date.
3

Make Sure OneDrive Is Allowed to Sync Easy

  1. Find the File Providers switch
    On macOS Sequoia and later: System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions > File Providers. On macOS Ventura and Sonoma: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Extensions. On macOS Monterey: System Preferences > Extensions.
  2. Switch OneDrive on
    If it's off, turn it on and give OneDrive a minute to catch up.
  3. Allow OneDrive to run in the background
    In Login Items & Extensions, make sure OneDrive is turned on under Background App Activity. On earlier macOS versions, this section is called Allow in the Background. You can also add it under Open at Login if you want OneDrive to open when you sign in.
Success: OneDrive is switched on and appears in Finder's sidebar under Locations.
Your OneDrive folder lives under ~/Library/CloudStorage. The folder's name varies with the account and the OneDrive version, so open it from OneDrive or Finder rather than guessing. An older OneDrive folder in your home folder may be an alias left by the move to File Provider.
Intermediate routeKeep going if needed

More Fixes for OneDrive on a Mac

Still not syncing? Next come disk space, file names and iCloud, then the messages OneDrive shows when it needs restarting.

4

Free Up Space on the Mac Easy

  1. Check your disk
    System Settings > General > Storage. When the Mac is nearly full, File Provider struggles to download or stage files.
  2. Free up space without losing files
    Right-click large OneDrive folders in Finder and choose Free Up Space. The files stay in OneDrive and download again when you open them.
  3. Keep what you need offline
    Always Keep on This Device does the opposite, for files you need without an internet connection.
Success: enough free disk space and syncing picks up again.
5

Fix File Names OneDrive Won't Accept Medium

  1. Open the sync issues list
    From the menu bar icon (Fix 1). It names the files OneDrive is refusing.
  2. Rename bad characters and names
    Remove any of " * : < > ? / \ | and spaces at the start or end. Rename reserved names such as .lock, CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM0 to COM9, LPT0 to LPT9, desktop.ini, names starting ~$, or anything containing _vti_.
  3. Shorten long paths
    In OneDrive the path is limited to 400 characters, and the sync app allows 520 including your local OneDrive folder. Move deeply nested folders up a level.
  4. Move very large files and your Photos library out
    Files over 250 GB can't sync. Keep your Photos library (.photoslibrary) outside OneDrive too. To move it, quit Photos and back up the library, then move it to a local folder or an APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) external drive, not a cloud storage service. Open it from the new location and check it before you remove the original.
Success: the sync issues list is empty.
6

Sort Out iCloud and OneDrive on the Same Mac Medium

  1. Check iCloud's Desktop & Documents setting
    System Settings > your name > iCloud > iCloud Drive. When Desktop & Documents Folders is on, iCloud looks after those two folders, and that can interfere with or stop OneDrive backing them up.
  2. Pick one service for those folders
    Using iCloud for some files and OneDrive for others is fine, as long as they're not the same folders.
  3. Check OneDrive's requirements for folder backup
    Backing up Desktop and Documents with OneDrive on a Mac needs the version from Microsoft's website (not the App Store version) and Full Disk Access.
Success: each folder is looked after by one service only.
7

Clear the "Restart OneDrive" and "OneDrive Is Not Running" Messages Easy

  1. "You must restart OneDrive to continue syncing this location."
    Quit OneDrive from the gear menu and open it again from Applications. If the message comes back, restart the Mac. It often follows a OneDrive or macOS update.
  2. "OneDrive is not running. Start OneDrive to keep your files backed up."
    Open it from Applications, then check it's turned on under Background App Activity in Login Items & Extensions (Allow in the Background on earlier macOS), as in fix 3. Add it under Open at Login too if you'd like it to start when you sign in. If it keeps closing on its own, update it, and if it still won't stay open, reinstall it (fix 10).
  3. Note it down if it comes back.
    Write down the exact message and when it appeared. If you contact Microsoft Support or your IT team, they'll tell you whether they need diagnostic logs.
Success: the message is gone after OneDrive restarts and files start moving again.
If this is a work or school OneDrive, your organisation may manage it and some settings can be locked. Tell your IT team before resetting or unlinking, especially if files are shared with colleagues.
Advanced routeChange one thing at a time

Advanced Fixes for OneDrive on a Mac

For when nothing above has worked. Protect any work that hasn't synced yet before you start.

8

Clear Stale Sign-in Credentials Medium

  1. Quit OneDrive
    Click the cloud icon, the gear, then Quit OneDrive.
  2. Open Keychain Access
    In Applications > Utilities, or search Spotlight.
  3. Delete the cached credentials
    Search for OneDrive and delete the entries named OneDrive Cached Credential.
  4. Sign in again
    Open OneDrive and sign in with your Microsoft account.
Success: OneDrive stops asking you to sign in.
9

Reset OneDrive Hard

  1. Get ready
    Make sure OneDrive is up to date. Resetting disconnects your sync connections and forces a full sync afterwards, which can take a while for a large library.
  2. Quit OneDrive
    Cloud icon, gear, Quit OneDrive.
  3. Find the reset script
    In Finder, open Applications, right-click OneDrive and choose Show Package Contents. Open Contents, then Resources.
  4. Run it
    Double-click ResetOneDriveApp.command. If you installed OneDrive from Microsoft's website rather than the App Store, it's ResetOneDriveAppStandalone.command. If macOS won't open it, right-click and choose Open.
  5. Sign back in
    Open OneDrive, sign in, and pick your existing OneDrive folder location if asked.
Success: OneDrive finishes its full sync and the cloud icon settles.
10

Unlink and Relink the Mac, or Reinstall Hard

  1. Unlink this Mac
    Cloud icon, gear, Settings (or Preferences), Account, Unlink this Mac. Nothing in the cloud is deleted.
  2. Sign back in
    Sign in and choose your folders again.
  3. Reinstall if it won't open
    If OneDrive won't open or says it's damaged, drag it from Applications to the Bin, empty the Bin, restart, and install it fresh. If OneDrive backs up your Desktop and Documents, use the version from Microsoft's website. Otherwise, stick with wherever you got it before.
Success: OneDrive opens, signs in and syncs your chosen folders.

When It's Worth Getting Help

If files are going missing, sync conflicts keep appearing, or you're juggling iCloud, OneDrive and an external drive and aren't sure where the real copy of anything is, it can help to have someone see your screen. Our remote IT support works on Macs: we connect securely, with you watching, and untangle it with you. For the same problem on a PC, see OneDrive sync issues on Windows.

OneDrive Not Syncing on Mac: Summary

Start with the menu bar icon, updates and the File Providers switch. Then fix any file names on the sync issues list, sort out iCloud if it's managing the same folders, and clear the keychain if the sign-in prompt keeps coming back. If OneDrive says it must restart, quit it and open it again. If it says it isn't running, open it from Applications. Keep the reset script and a relink for last. A big library takes time to sync again afterwards.

Frequently Asked Questions

On macOS 12.1 and later it lives under ~/Library/CloudStorage. The exact folder name can vary by account and OneDrive version, so the easiest way in is to open OneDrive in Finder from the OneDrive app, or browse to that folder.

Saved credentials in the Mac's keychain may have gone stale. Quit OneDrive, open Keychain Access, search for OneDrive, delete the OneDrive Cached Credential entries, then open OneDrive and sign in again.

Yes, as long as they aren't looking after the same folders. If iCloud's Desktop and Documents Folders option is on, it can interfere with or stop OneDrive backing up those folders, so pick one service for Desktop and Documents.

The reset script inside the OneDrive app resets its settings and sync connections and forces a full sync afterwards. Update OneDrive and protect any work that hasn't synced yet before you run it.

Names containing " * : < > ? / \ |, names with a leading or trailing space, reserved names such as CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM0 to COM9, LPT0 to LPT9, desktop.ini and names starting ~$, plus files over 250 GB.