iCloud Drive not syncing locally

I started this Discussion because there are several started already with the exact same issue, so I’ve tried to find them all and post links to this Discussion, mainly because I have spent over 4.5hrs on the phone with Apple today still with no solution and this is my story.

It’s obvious from these other Discussions that there is a problem and Apple needs to fix this issue. Overall Yosemite is working fine excluding this one very big problem.

I have updated to all the latest software apps, iOS’s & OS’s.

My iCloud Drive is working fine on my iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air & on iCloud.com.

My iCloud Drive is not syncing locally on my iMac.

My iCloud Drive on my iMac simply shows an empty folder or broken folders/files. If you place an item in there it doesn’t show up anywhere else and none of the items that are showing up on my iCloud Drive on my iDevices & iCloud.com will show up locally on my iMac.

Occasionally I have seen a handful of either Pages, Numbers or Keynote folders with my files with an iCloud icon & a dead progress bar next to them in my local iCloud Drive folder, but none of these files are accessible via their respective local app counterparts, they just appear to be frozen in time.

While on the phone with Apple and talking with 3 different representatives (including 2 Senior Advisors) they had me do a whole gambit of things which I have listed below, but none of them did anything constructive. I was told that my issue would now be sent to Engineering and I would have a solution in 1-2 business days.

Below are all the things that were attempted & requested by Apple to perform in no particular order. After each request the local iCloud Drive folder was checked and nothing ever changed.

1. Zapped the PRAM

2. Booted into Safe Mode (Extensions off)

3. Rebooted cable modem.

4. Rebooted router.

5. Rebooted iMac dozens of times.

6. Tried hardwired & Wi-Fi connections.

7. USB tethered to iPhone using LTE.

8. Signed out of iCloud account & logged back in.

9. Disabled iCloud Drive & reenabled dozens of times.

10. Created another Admin account and switched users.

11. Waited 24hrs+ and still nothing in local iCloud Drive.

12. Reinstalled Yosemite.

13. Repaired Permissions.

I hope Apple or someone has a solution for this very soon because it’s impossible to work efficiently when you can’t use your Pages, Numbers nor Keynote apps to create or edit documents locally.

The only thing they offered, which I was already aware of, was that I could download my documents from the iCloud Drive via iCloud.com and work with them locally or work with them online at iCloud.com. I’d prefer to work locally using my shared documents, but that’s exactly what I can’t do.

Please share if there are other things you have attempted and/or if you have also called Apple in utter frustration and if they offered any solutions other than what I have listed.

I’m willing to try anything at this point, but my guess is that there will be an update very soon to address this and other problems.

Thank you,

-Doren

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10), 3.5GHz Intel Core i7, 32GB, 27"

Posted on Oct 19, 2014 8:09 PM

Top-ranking reply

graemeyer

Level 1

4 points

Posted on Nov 19, 2017 6:23 PM

There are multiple different "Library" folders on your mac, you need to make sure you check the right one (the user library) which is hidden. You can find this by launching finder, holding down the option key, and clicking go in the menu bar (the library folder you want will only appear in this list when you hold the option key). You should see the CloudDocs folder in there.

Can't believe this is an issue that has persisted throughout the OS X upgrades over the past three years. I spent 10 hours on the phone with Apple trying to solve this, finally found this thread and fixed it in less than 30 seconds.

View in context

189 replies

Mar 22, 2015 8:46 AM in response to n6021n

Everyone seeing this issue, should goto the first post and click on: "I have this question too"

H2PINC

Level 1

4 points

Mar 22, 2015 12:41 PM in response to Doren_Sean_Michael

Yes, this is very frustrating. I updated a spreadsheet yesterday on my home mac. And, the update has not been reflected in iCloud. So, I have an outdated spreadsheet. I am going to travel the rest of this week. So, it's very frustrating.

Had to make a copy of the file. Then delete it from my local mac. I also removed the version in the cloud. Then, uploaded the copy I made though safari so I could have the latest version on my devices this week while I'm traveling. However, now it's not even updating on my devices. I can only get to it through the browser.

😟

-Huss-

Level 1

0 points

Mar 22, 2015 1:31 PM in response to Doren_Sean_Michael

I am having the same Issue Too! Apple has to fix this it is very frustrating. I have tried mostly every thing in this thread and still having the same problem. it doesn't download or sync the files to iCloud drive.I tried it on another apple ID was working so maybe its an issue with some apple ID's idk! but i know that apple should address it soon!

Mar 22, 2015 1:52 PM in response to Doren_Sean_Michael

I just started having this issue yesterday with Numbers files syncing with iCloud. I created some new files on my iPad and usually have them updated on my iPhone or Mac within seconds. Now it's either not syncing them at all or with one file it took all night to show up, but I couldn't click on it to open it on my other devices. I have an "updating # spreadsheets" message at the top, but it doesn't seem to update. I've never experienced iCloud drive issues before this weekend. And, I've made no changes to settings, etc. You don't realize just how much you rely on this functionality until it's not working properly. I wish Apple would update their page, currently it shows no issues, but people clearly are having issues. Just let us know and tell us you are working on it so we can quit wasting time messing with our device settings when that's not the problem.

H2PINC

Level 1

4 points

Mar 22, 2015 2:03 PM in response to Doren_Sean_Michael

I really agree with the last post. This is obviously this is a problem experienced now by more than one person around the same date, so something is up.What is really frustrating is, why have a system status page that always shows status as green. Because, it does waste everyone's time.

I'd be more relaxed if Apple just said, "yes, we know this is an issue and we are working on it."

https://www.apple.com/support/systemstatus/

Mar 22, 2015 2:19 PM in response to H2PINC

I am having the same problem. It's happening on my new computer so I spent a long time on the phone with Apple Support, who acted like this is an isolated problem (though I mentioned this thread - and the countless others - several times). It's also clear that they don't know how to fix the problem - after forty-five minutes I was told that it has to go to engineering. Ugh.

sldous

Level 1

4 points

Mar 22, 2015 3:21 PM in response to goodbyewaffles

I'm having the exact same issue - started several days ago (March 20, 2015). Why won't Apple listen to its users on this?

Mar 22, 2015 3:56 PM in response to Doren_Sean_Michael

Jeez, this is ridiculous... Over 100 replies in this thread now and nothing.

Back to Dropbox... again...

Mar 22, 2015 4:41 PM in response to Doren_Sean_Michael

Yep, I have the same problem.

iCloud seems to only sync at random and with a large delay.

I had hoped to use save files from my iMac on iCloud and open them again on my MacBook Pro at work, but I guess that Apple didn't envision that idea...

toninoh

Level 1

0 points

Mar 23, 2015 12:42 AM in response to Doren_Sean_Michael

Same problem here. I think it started after upgrading to iOS 8.2.

Mar 23, 2015 5:30 AM in response to Doren_Sean_Michael

Same problem happened to me one day ago when I purchased a new MBP.

Now all my files are on the iCloud and it's simply impossible to get them off the cloud to my local drive.

I have to pause my work and wait for Apple fixing this (if they know this issue does exist).

Really frustrating... better to keep a local copy next time...

Mar 23, 2015 5:36 AM in response to veggiebot

You can easily Goto http://www.icloud.com from your browser and download a copy to your hard drive - as all your files are current, just not locally.

Mar 23, 2015 2:10 PM in response to Michael Ginsberg

If I open the Console, I see a ton of HTTP 502 errors from iCloud.

gpoulson

Level 1

0 points

Mar 23, 2015 4:10 PM in response to Michael Ginsberg

I'm seeing the same thing here. also appears that the cloudd daemon stops trying? I see a number of entries from this morning, but none since then.

Mar 23, 2015 7:49 PM in response to Doren_Sean_Michael

GOOD NEWS!!!!

It looks like Apple fixed the iCloud Drive issue. Of my 3 Macs, 1 iPhone and 1 iPad, No Devices were syncing for the last week or so.

Happened to look 5 minutes ago and noticed my iMac at home was completely synced correctly 🙂

On my iPhone, I opened Keynote and documents that were stuck, were now syncing and counting down (same for Numbers & Pages), in fact, as of right now, iPhone is completely synced up. Same with iPad, syncing is counting down and syncing everything correctly (was previously stuck).

My MacBook Pro is in the process of downloading files now (didn't before).

I just screen shared my iMac at work and it is in the process of downloading files too (didn't before).

Will check tomorrow and do more testing - but it looks like tomorrow may be a good day.

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iCloud Drive not syncing locally