How To Fix Google Drive Not Syncing On Mac.
Google’s Backup & Sync app works great, letting you sync your local content with your Google Drive account Sometimes errors can occur during the synchronization process. When syncing issues arise, you cannot sync any files from your Mac to your Google Drive account.
There are a few things you can do when Google Drive won’t sync on your Mac. These methods include restarting the sync process, disabling the proxy, etc.
Pause and restart sync
When your files stop syncing with the Backup & Sync app, the first thing to do is pause and resume the syncing process. This will refresh your sync connection and help solve the problems you are having when syncing files.
- Click on the application icon at the top, select three dots and click Pause. This will pause the current sync process.
- Click the application icon, select three dots and select Continue to continue the synchronization process.
Exit and reopen the application
Sometimes the app will run into small glitches that can be fixed by simply closing the app and then reopening it. This is the simplest method you can try and it works in many cases.
- Click the application icon at the top, click the three dots, and select End Backup and Sync
- Click the launcher in the Dock, search for “Backup and sync” and open it.
Log out of the app and log back in
If Google Drive still won’t sync on your Mac, you can try signing out and then signing back into the app on your computer. This should give it a fresh start for syncing your content.
- Click the application icon in the menu bar, click the three dots, and select Settings.
- Select Settings from the left sidebar.
- Click “Disable Account” in the right pane.
- Sign in to the application again with your account.
Restart Your Mac
If this is your first time encountering a backup and sync issue on a Mac, try restarting your Mac and see if that solves the problem for you.
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- Click the Apple logo in the upper left corner and select Restart.
- Start Startup and Sync when your Mac boots up and let it sync your files.
Turn off the firewall on your Mac
Firewall settings determine which connection requests your Mac can send and receive. Since Google Drive sync uses your network connection to transfer files, you’ll need to make sure your firewall isn’t interfering with it.
Leaving the firewall turned off while syncing files will fix most connection problems.
- Click the Apple logo in the upper left corner of your screen and select System Preferences.
- Select “Security & Privacy” on the next screen.
- Click the Firewall tab.
- Click the lock icon at the bottom of the screen and enter your login information.
- Click Turn On Turn Off Firewall to turn off Firewall on Mac.
Select the folders you want to sync
If you’re having trouble with Google Drive not syncing certain folders on your Mac, make sure those folders are enabled in the Startup and Sync app. The app only syncs checked folders.
Here’s how to do it.
- Click on the app icon at the top, select the three-dot icon, and select Settings.
- Click “My MacBook Pro” in the left sidebar. The app may display a different device name depending on what you are using.
- Make sure the folder you want to sync is listed and checked in the right pane.
- If the folder is not listed, click Select Folder to add it to the sync list.
Make sure to open the app when signed in for auto-sync
If the Startup and Sync app doesn’t automatically sync files, you might not have it set to start automatically at startup. You can fix this by adding the application to the startup items list.
- Click the Apple logo in the upper left corner of your screen and select System Preferences.
- Click Users and Groups on the next screen.
- Click the Login Items tab in the right pane.
- Make sure there is an entry in the list named “Google Backup & Sync”.
- If not, click the + (plus) sign, go to the Applications folder and select Backup & Sync to add it to the list.
Run the script attached with Backup and Sync
The Backup & Sync app comes with a script, and running it sometimes fixes many problems with the app on your Mac. You can access it by opening the contents of the app package
- Open the Applications folder using Finder and locate the Google Backup and Sync application.
- Right click on the application and select Show Package Contents.
- Open the Contents folder.
- Open the MacOS folder.
- Double-click the script labeled “Backup and Sync” and let it run.
Disable proxy connection
Proxy connections can sometimes interrupt the sync process. Therefore, turn off proxies while you are using the Backup & Sync app to sync files with your Google Drive account.
- Click the Backup & Sync icon in the menu bar, select the three – dots, and select Settings.
- Click Settings in the left sidebar.
- Select “Network Settings” in the right sidebar.
- In the Proxy Settings section, enable the Direct Connection option. Then click “OK” at the bottom.
Reinstall the “Backup and Sync” app
If Google Drive still won’t sync with your Mac, the last option is to reinstall the backup and sync app on your computer. This will clean up your old configuration and create new settings and account files for you.
- Download the AppCleaner app to your Mac.
- Start AppCleaner, search for backup and sync. , select it, and click Search.
- Check all files and click “Delete”.
- Close AppCleaner
- Go to the download backup and sync page, download the app and install it on your Mac.
- Open the app and sign in to your Google account to sync files.
When it comes to syncing files with a cloud storage provider, what’s the best for you? Is it Google Drive, iCloud, or something else? We’d love to know about this in the comments below.
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