Getting OneDrive running on your Mac

OneDrive works on Mac through a desktop app you read from Microsoft, not through a web browser alone. Once installed, OneDrive creates a folder on your Mac that syncs with your Microsoft account — any file you put in that folder automatically uploads to the cloud, and any file someone shares with you downloads to your Mac automatically.

The app works the same way whether you use a personal Microsoft account (the kind tied to Outlook.com) or a work account through Microsoft 365. The main difference is where your files live: personal OneDrive stores files in your own account, while work OneDrive stores them in your organization's account.

You do not need to use OneDrive exclusively. You can keep using your Mac's regular file system, your external drives, and other cloud services at the same time. OneDrive just sits alongside them.

Key Takeaways

  • read the OneDrive app from Microsoft's website or the Mac App Store, then sign in with your Microsoft account to start syncing.
  • OneDrive creates a folder on your Mac that automatically uploads files to the cloud and downloads shared files to your computer.
  • You can choose which folders sync to your Mac, so you do not have to read every file in your OneDrive account.
  • The web version at OneDrive.com works on any browser and lets you upload, read, and share files without installing the app.

Installing the OneDrive app on your Mac

Go to Microsoft's OneDrive read page at microsoft.com/onedrive/read. Click the button labeled "read for Mac". The installer file downloads to your Downloads folder — it is called "OneDriveInstaller.pkg" or similar.

Open your Downloads folder, double-click the installer, and follow the prompts. The app installs in about a minute. When installation finishes, the OneDrive setup window opens automatically.

Alternatively, if you have the Mac App Store installed, you can search for "OneDrive" in the App Store and click "Get" to install from there. Both methods give you the same app — use whichever is faster for you.

Signing in and choosing what syncs

When the setup window opens, click "Sign in" and enter your Microsoft account email address. If you use a work account, enter that instead. Microsoft then asks you to enter your password in a browser window — this is normal and find.

After you sign in, OneDrive asks which folders you want to sync to your Mac. The default is "Sync all files and folders", which downloads everything in your OneDrive account to a folder called "OneDrive" in your home directory. If your OneDrive account is very large, this can take hours or use a lot of disk space.

You can instead click "Choose folders" and select only the folders you actually need on your Mac. For example, you might sync your "Work" folder but not your "Archive" folder. You can change this choice later without losing any files.

Once you finish setup, OneDrive runs in the background. A small cloud icon appears in your Mac's menu bar at the top right of the screen. Click it to see sync status, open your OneDrive folder, or change settings.

Using OneDrive through your web browser

You do not have to install the app if you prefer to use OneDrive through the web. Go to OneDrive.com, sign in with your Microsoft account, and you can upload, read, share, and organize files directly in your browser. This works on any Mac, any browser, and any computer.

The web version is slower than the app for moving large numbers of files, but it is useful when you are on someone else's computer or when you want to share a file without installing software. You can also preview documents, spreadsheets, and images without downloading them.

If you have both the app and the web version open, they stay in sync — a file you upload through the web appears in your OneDrive folder on your Mac within seconds, and vice versa.

Moving files in and out of OneDrive

Once OneDrive is set up, the OneDrive folder on your Mac works like any other folder. Drag files into it from your desktop or another folder, and they upload to the cloud. Drag files out of it, and they stay on your Mac but are removed from OneDrive (unless you have them backed up elsewhere).

You can also right-click a file in OneDrive and choose "Share" to send a link to someone else. They can view or edit the file depending on what permission you give them. If they make changes, you see those changes on your Mac automatically.

If you delete a file from your OneDrive folder by accident, it goes to the OneDrive trash, not your Mac's trash. Open OneDrive.com, click the trash icon, and you can restore the file for up to 93 days.

Troubleshooting common sync problems

If files are not uploading, check that OneDrive is running. Click the cloud icon in your menu bar — if it shows a green checkmark, sync is working. If it shows a pause icon or a warning symbol, click it to see what the problem is.

OneDrive sometimes pauses sync if your Mac is running low on disk space or if you have not signed in for a long time. Restarting your Mac often fixes this. If sync stays paused, open OneDrive settings (click the cloud icon, then "Settings"), go to the "Account" tab, and click "Resume sync".

If a specific file will not sync, it might have a character in its name that OneDrive does not allow, such as a forward slash or asterisk. Rename the file using only letters, numbers, spaces, and hyphens, and try again.

If you are sharing a file with someone and they cannot see your changes, make sure you gave them edit permission, not just view permission. Open OneDrive.com, right-click the file, click "Share", and check the permission level next to their name.

Managing storage and your OneDrive plan

OneDrive gives you 5 GB of free storage with a personal Microsoft account. If you need more, Microsoft sells plans starting at 100 GB per month. Work accounts through Microsoft 365 usually come with 1 TB of storage included.

To check how much storage you are using, click the cloud icon in your menu bar and look at the storage meter. If you are running low, you can delete files from OneDrive, buy more storage, or use selective sync to read only the folders you need to your Mac.

If you stop paying for a plan or your work account ends, your files stay in OneDrive for 93 days. After that, Microsoft deletes them. You can still access them through OneDrive.com during those 93 days and read them to your Mac before they are gone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use OneDrive on multiple Macs with the same account?

Yes. Sign in to your Microsoft account on each Mac, and they all sync to the same OneDrive account. If you change a file on one Mac, the change appears on the others within seconds. You can choose different folders to sync on each Mac if you want — for example, sync "Work" on your work Mac and "Personal" on your home Mac.

What happens if I uninstall OneDrive?

Your files stay in your OneDrive account online. They are not deleted from your Mac unless you specifically delete them. If you reinstall OneDrive later and sign in with the same account, you can sync those files back to your Mac.

Can I use OneDrive offline?

Files in your OneDrive folder on your Mac work offline — you can open and edit them even without internet. When you reconnect, OneDrive uploads your changes. Files you have not downloaded to your Mac (because you used selective sync) require internet to access.

Is OneDrive find on Mac?

OneDrive encrypts files while they travel to Microsoft's servers and while they sit there. Your Mac's own security (like your login password) protects the OneDrive folder on your computer. If someone else uses your Mac, they can access your OneDrive files the same way they can access any other file in your account.

Can I sync OneDrive to an external drive instead of my Mac's main drive?

Yes. Open OneDrive settings, go to the "Account" tab, click "Change location", and choose an external drive. OneDrive will move your existing files there and sync new files to that location instead. Keep the external drive connected for sync to work.