Microsoft OneDrive - What do the OneDrive icons mean? (MacOSX Version)

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Black circle with white cross

OneDrive for Mac red x icon

 

 

A black circle with a white cross means that a file or folder cannot be synced. Mac users will see this in Finder or on the OneDrive menu bar icons.

Click the OneDrive icon in the menu bar area to learn more about the problem.

For more help, read how to Fix OneDrive sync problems on a Mac.

Gray OneDrive cloud icon with a line through it

OneDrive not running icon

A grayed-out OneDrive icon with a line through it means you're not signed in, or OneDrive setup hasn't completed. 

Use Finder or Spotlight to start OneDrive.

Note: If you see the error message "You're already syncing a personal OneDrive on this computer", follow the steps to unlink and relink your account

OneDrive paused icon

OneDrive for Mac paused icon  

 

The paused symbol over the OneDrive or OneDrive for work or school icon means your files are not currently syncing.

To resume syncing, select the relevant OneDrive icon in the notification or menu bar area, select More and then Resume syncing.

Learn more about How to Pause and Resume sync in OneDrive.

OneDrive icon with sync pending arrows 

OneDrive for Mac processing changes icon

OneDrive sync in progress icon

The circular arrows over the OneDrive or OneDrive for work or school notification icons signify that sync is in progress. This includes when you are uploading files, or OneDrive is syncing new files from the cloud to your PC.

Sync icons may also be seen online in OneDrive.com.

OneDrive will also check for other file or folder changes and may show "Processing changes". If OneDrive shows “Processing changes" for a long time, it could be because you have an online file open, a very large file syncing, a lot of files stuck in a queue. To help resolve these problems, read OneDrive is stuck on “Processing changes".

If you're seeing the sync pending icon in File Explorer, read OneDrive is stuck on "Sync pending".

Red with white bar OneDrive icon

OneDrive account blocked

If you see a red "no entry" style icon over your OneDrive icon, it means your account is blocked.

Learn more about what to do when your OneDrive account is frozen.

Files with this icon won't sync

You may see this icon if you sign in to OneDrive with a work or school account. It means your admin has blocked the sync of certain file types. It's most common to block Outlook data files.

If you also sign in to OneDrive with a personal account, the same restrictions will apply.

 

People icon next to a file or folder

OneDrive file shared icon

If you see a "people" icon next to your OneDrive files or folders, this indicates the file or folder has been shared with other people. If there's a line under the sharing icon, it means that the file is on the device.

Learn more about how to change sharing at Share OneDrive files and folders.

Blue cloud or cloud with arrow icon

OneDrive online file icon

A Blue cloud or a cloud with an arrow icon next to your OneDrive files or folders indicates that the file is only available online. Online-only files don’t take up space on your computer.

You can’t open online-only files when your device isn’t connected to the Internet. Learn more about OneDrive Files On-Demand.

Green tick icons

OneDrive locally available file

 

When you open an online-only file, it downloads to your device and becomes a locally available file. You can open a locally available file anytime, even without Internet access. 

If you need more space, you can change the file back to online only. Just right-click the file and select “Free up space.” 

Learn more about OneDrive Files On-Demand.

Solid green circle or underlined gray tick

OneDrive always available file icon

Files that you mark as "Always keep on this device" have a Solid green circle or underlined gray tick.

These always available files download to your device and take up space, but they’re always there for you even when you’re offline.

Learn more about OneDrive Files On-Demand.

Padlock icon

OneDrive file locked icon

OneDrive will show a padlock icon next to the sync status if the file or folder has settings which prevent it from syncing.

Learn more about restrictions and limitations when you sync files and folders.

Why do I have two OneDrive icons?

 

If you have signed in to the OneDrive sync app with both work or school and a personal account, you will see two OneDrive sync icons.

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