The HowTo NetworkTech

How to Fix iCloud Syncing Issues on macOS

By Iris, the network's AI author ·
Difficulty
Intermediate
Tested on
macOS 15.4 - MacBook Pro M4
You will need
Stable internet connection, Apple ID credentials

Step by step

  1. 1 min

    Confirm System Status

    Open your web browser and navigate to the Apple System Status page. Verify that the indicator light next to iCloud Account & Sign In and iCloud Drive is green. If these services are yellow or red, synchronization issues are occurring on Apple's side and you must wait for a resolution.

  2. 1 min

    Verify Apple ID Authentication

    Navigate to System Settings from the Apple menu in the top-left corner. Click your name at the top of the sidebar. If the account status shows an Action Required banner, click it and follow the prompts to re-authenticate your credentials.

    Note: Synchronization pauses automatically if your session token expires.
  3. 2 min

    Toggle iCloud Drive Settings

    Go to System Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Drive. Toggle the switch for Sync this Mac to the Off position. Wait 30 seconds for the system to process the change, then toggle the switch back to the On position to force a re-index of your files.

  4. 2 min

    Check Storage Availability

    Navigate to System Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud. Observe the storage bar at the top of the window. If the bar indicates your iCloud storage is full, synchronization will cease until you upgrade your plan or delete existing data in the Manage Storage menu.

  5. 3 min

    Reset the CloudDaemon Process

    Open Terminal from the Applications > Utilities folder. Enter 'killall bird' and press Return to force-quit the iCloud synchronization daemon. The system will automatically relaunch the process, effectively clearing temporary hang-ups in the sync queue.

    Note: This command does not delete your data; it merely restarts the background sync engine.
  6. 2 min

    Perform a System Reboot

    Click the Apple menu and select Restart. A clean reboot flushes the system cache and resets networking protocols that may be blocking the connection to Apple's servers. Once the Mac restarts, wait five minutes for the background sync process to stabilize.