iCloud doesn't work on MacOS 14 Sonoma

SOLUTION: Create a new profile on your machine with same perms (e.g. Admin), then login to that new profile and sign in to your iCloud profile using your Apple ID.

FIXED!

Senior tech at Apple indicated iCloud with some user profiles not syncing with Sonoma update and this is the work-around. Soon a 14.1 release will be provided to address this issue.

Hello shellhornj,

Let's use the applicable set up steps below to boot your Mac into safe mode to see if that behavior persists from there:

Start up in safe mode

Find out whether you're using a Mac with Apple silicon, then follow the appropriate steps.

If you're using a Mac with Apple silicon

1. Shut down your Mac.

2. Press and hold the power button on your Mac. As you continue to hold the power button, your Mac turns on and loads startup options. When you see Options, release the power button.

3. Select your startup disk. It's named Macintosh HD, unless you changed its name.

4. Press and hold the Shift key, then click the “Continue in Safe Mode” button below your startup disk.

5. Log in to your Mac. You might be asked to log in again.

If you're using an Intel-based Mac

If you're not using a Mac with Apple silicon, you're using an Intel-based Mac.

1. Turn on or restart your Mac, then immediately press and hold the Shift key as your Mac starts up.

2. Release the key when you see the login window, then log in to your Mac. 

3. You might be asked to log in again. On either the first or second login window, you should see ”Safe Boot” in the upper-right corner of the window. If you can't start up in safe mode, make sure that your Mac isn't using a firmware password.

You can also find those steps in this resource: Use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support

It can take a few extra minutes to boot into safe mode. Your screen may flash or flicker while in safe mode. Those behaviors are expected. Testing in safe mode runs a check on your disk, removes some cached files, and can help isolate conflicts with startup items. Once you've tested that behavior in safe mode, you can restart to leave safe mode.

Let us know your results, and we'll keep moving forward from there.

I just resolved this with a very helpful Chat Support agent Bernadeth just now, Dec. 2 10:12am PST Asia Pacific. When MacOS users update to Sonoma, they need to logout/login their AppleID/iCloud ID on the MBP. Once you relogin, your iCloud will be synced. You may have to restart your router to to sync the "List of Devices" portion in Systems Settings. Works perfectly.

As of today, November 8, 2023 Sonoma 14.1.1 has solved this problem.

(I was about to buy an older used macBook.)

I had a similar issue.

My Mac wouldn't let me log into icloud so my notes were not showing up. The login to icloud credential window was greyed out or wouldn't let me select.

I disabled wifi

I was then able to logout of icloud. (Which It didn't indicate that I was logged in in the first place)

I then enabled wifi

Then I was able to login again and it started re downloading my notes.

The only thing that changed was that I installed the latest update for Sonoma to bring it to 14.1.1

Hope this helps someone

I looks like Apple Support has finally come through with a solution: If your user folder is stored on an external drive, the drive has to be formatted as APFS. Obviously making that change is a big deal (maybe you should just buy a new external drive), but once it's done, iCloud Drive works like it should...

Hi there,

I tried the Safe Mode that chuckbl suggested and it didn't help. But what it did is to log out of my apple id, restart my computer, and log back. All files appeared. Hope this might help someone with the same issue.

I finally got it to work, suddenly, like nothing was ever wrong.

Waiting a day logged out and no wifi did nothing.

I then tried a family share with my other account for which I had set up a second user on the computer; it did not work and so I deleted the family share.

After that, I saw under Account, Apps using iCloud, a line iCloud, switched off. Switched on and everything was there. After a few hours searching the day before and opening the settings multiple times, reading every line, I'm inclined to believe it was not there before and changing the family share setting brought it to the fore.

Rather crazy by the way, that "Should iCloud use iCloud?" is a setting and it's default is "off".

My iCloud quit working when I updated to Sonoma. With iCloud turned off, everything was normal. The user file for my Mac Mini 2018 is on an external drive. The solid state external drive was not formatted in APFS. I bought a new SSD, formatted it in APFS, and transferred my user file to it. Turned iCloud back on, and Presto! Everything works like a charm. SSDs in Sonoma must be formatted in APFS!!

Every other complex non solution should be deleted from this thread.

THIS IS THE ONE THAT WORKS. And it is the least complex.

Turn off WIFI.

Sign out of iCloud.

Turn on WIFI.

Sign in to iCloud.

Accept Terms and Agreements..

Well I have eventually sorted the issue. Now on 14.3.

After two long sessions on line to no avail and almost all day at an Apple shop with a genius still not sorted.

So decided to go nuclear 😳

I backed up my IMac then disconnected the Time Machine HD.

I then reformatted the main HD and started the IMac in recovery mode. Loaded up Somoza 14.3 .

Hey presto ICloud was restored.

Then took the decision to reload all my programs manually one by one, checking ICloud status each time.

after loading all that I required I tested it for two/three days and all was well.

Then took the big decision to reformat the Time Machine, as I felt the problem must have laid in there somewhere.

After reformatting I backed up the main drive . Touch wood all has been OK since.

Still don’t know what caused the original problem but at least it all works OK now.

Downside is I have lost my excuse to upgrade to the latest iMac 😂😂😂😂

So Sonoma 14.1 was released and I installed it yesterday. It fixed the iCloud access from Finder, fixed the Finder non-responsive, and iCloud sync issues I reported herein this chat.

Hi, I have got similar problem since this update.

Have tried a lot (first aid, reinstall, etc.).

In the end, I solved my problem by logging out of the Apple ID and logging in again.

Might works.

Hi !

I turn my VPN of and no everything working !

Try sign out and then sign in back. It works for me.