Why Is Google Drive Not Working on Mac OS? Easy Tips to Fix It

Approved By Anuraag Singh

Published On June 26th, 2024

Reading Time 8 Minutes Reading

Experiencing the issue of Google Drive not working on Mac OS can cause trouble for you, especially if you use Drive storage for business and professional needs. Certainly, these problems can carry bad consequences for any Drive users. Fortunately, this article will help you to find easy troubleshooting guidance to fix this error.

On the other hand, this problem can happen with any user, preventing Drive users from accessing or managing their data seamlessly. Now, read this technical write-up to discover the best go-to ways to resolve this issue on macOS.

What is the Impact of Google Drive Not Working on Desktop for Mac?

Receiving the error message of Google Drive not working on Mac or Google Drive not running on Mac machine, certainly triggers disruption. The bad consequence of this issue includes the inaccessiblity of files or documents, prevent automatic backup, real-time collaboration issues, and more.

The syncing error unable users to share the files with integrated apps of Google Drive. This may raise problems when it comes to managing the storage, impacting complete workflow and productivity. Hence, it brings delays in backup, collaboration, and syncing with another platform. Unfortunately, these issues may also increase the risk of data loss while managing the files.

The issue of Google Drive not opening on Mac may happen due to several reasons. So, let’s dive into this article to find those pesky reasons at once.

Why Is My Google Drive Not Working on Mac? Know Reasons

Google Drive is not merely a cloud-based storage solution. It is synonymous with as complete suite for managing, storing, and sharing different types of file formats. Further, this revolutionary platform allows users to increase their productivity and ensure real-time collaboration.

On the flip side, experiencing the syncing conflict between Drive for Desktop and Mac OS prevents users from managing the Drive Docs or files. The potential reasons behind Google Drive not working on desktop for Mac are:-

Drive Storage is Full:- This error message often displays if your Drive doesn’t have enough storage. Once the space is full; it will automatically show the syncing issues. With this, users can’t access or share Drive files or folders.
Disk Storage is Almost Full:- Similar to the Google Drive Storage issue, if the Mac storage is already filled. Then, users might experience the issue of Google Drive not syncing Mac as the local storage is insufficient.
Too Large Files:- The issue of Google Drive not working on Mac comes if Drive files are too large. It mainly includes photos that are larger than 200 MB or videos that are more than 10 GB. Similarly, if files are larger, it certainly causes syncing problems with Mac OS.
Files Exceeded Download Limits:- There is a limit over the number of downloaded files on Drive a day. If exceeds the recommended upload or bandwidth limit then, there is no syncing of files on Google Drive.
Poor Network Connection:- Unstable or weak working connection completely disrupts the workflow and causes syncing or not opening of Drive on macOS. Ensuring the unbreakable connection leads to seamless file transfer and data management.

Overall, these are the basic to advanced issues behind receiving the error message of Google Drive not syncing Mac. Now, seeking methods to fix this issue instantly; it is quite simple with the below-suggested troubleshooting guidance.

7 Best Tips to Fix “Google Drive Not Running on Mac” Error

In the following section, we will recommend some tested and proven troubleshooting guidance to fix the issue of Google Drive not working on Mac. These tips are simple and free to implement, hence, Mac users can find them easier to perform. Now, discover the advanced ways to resolve the issue.

Restart Google Drive on Mac
Strong Network Connection
Check Available Space in Drive & MacOS
Quit Google Drive
Clear the Cache Files
Reinstall Drive for Mac
Disconnect and Reconnect Drive

Now, let’s closely understand all the above-suggested methods in detail.

Method 1: Restart Google Drive on Mac

If encountering the issue of Google Drive not working on Mac OS. To fix this problem, users can restart Google Drive, one of the basic troubleshooting guidance. Now, if question: how to restart Google Drive on Mac, read the simple steps to restart Drive on your macOS.

Open Google Drive on Mac.
Select the gear icon i.e. Settings from top> press Quit.
Now, reopen Drive on your Mac machine.

Method 2: Strong Network Connection

Ensuring uninterrupted network connectivity prevents the issue of Google Drive not working on desktop. Additionally, the incorrectly configured settings of the Firewall, proxy, etc can cause interference to Drive for the desktop. Therefore, check the settings of these applications to make seamless connections.

Method 3: Check Available Space in Drive & MacOS

In the absence of sufficient space on both Drive and Mac OS, users can’t avail the services of Google Drive for desktop. To check the available storage of the Drive, follow the below steps:-

Check out the page of one.google.com.
Now, click on the Storage box to find the vacant space.

Similarly, if looking for how much storage space is left on your Mac? Here are the easy steps to find free space on macOS.

Open your Mac OS machine, and move to the Apple Menu.
Now, select System Settings > tab on General.
After this, click on Storage.
With this, anyone can check the available space on the Mac system.

Method 4: Quit Google Drive

Quit is another way to fix the problem of Google Drive not working on Mac OS. It helps to restart the Drive application and restore the syncing issue. Here are the steps to perform it on your system.

Select Google Drive from the desktop.
From Settings, tab on Quit from the displayed drop-down menu.
Now, click on the Apple Menu and press Restart.
Lastly, wait for a few seconds to reboot and resume the services.

Method 5: Clear the Cache Files

Often Cache files trigger the issue of Google Drive not running on Mac. The impact of these files may conflict with the performance of macOS and Drive. To remove these cache files, follow the quick steps:-

On your Mac desktop, enter Command + Shift + G.
From the pop-up window, type ~/Library/Application Support/ and press Go.
Move to the Application Support Folder and select Google Folder.
After this, click on DriveFS and click on Move to Trash to remove all cache files.
In the end, reboot your macOS to fix the issue.

Method 6: Reinstall Drive for Mac

Reinstalling the Drive for desktop is one of the go-to troubleshooting steps for fixing the issue of Google Drive not syncing Mac. It will allow Mac users to access the Drive content on macOS easily. So, if you’re looking for how to download Google Drive on Mac. Now, follow the detailed steps to reinstall the Drive on Mac.

On your macOS, go to the official page of Download Drive for Mac.
Tab on Download for Mac and then, follow the instructions.
Now, install the Drive on your Mac.

Method 7: Disconnect and Reconnect Drive

Reconnecting Google Drive on Mac is capable of fixing the problem of Google Drive not working on desktop. Before using this method, users first need to create a copy of the important file in a safe location to prevent chances of data loss. Here are the steps to follow:-

Go to Drive > Settings.
Now, move to Preferences and click on Advanced Settings.
After this, look for the account, you wish to disconnect.
Press Disconnect account.
Now, sign in on the same account.
And, check if the issue is fixed or not.

Google Drive Not Working on Mac – FAQs

Q. Why is Google Drive not running on my Mac?

Several factors are behind this issue such as Drive storage is full, outdated software, bad network connection, and temporary Google Outage issues. These problems result in the inaccessiblity of Drive data or files.

Q. How do I get Google Drive to work on my macOS?

Here are the best troubleshooting tips to fix the error of Google Drive not working on desktop:-

Check the Stable Connection
Delete the Cache Files
Reinstall Google Drive
Restart Drive on Mac
Update Your Mac OS System

Concluding Words

Google Drive is one of the most powerful applications for managing cloud data efficiently. Unfortunately, the issue of Google Drive not working on Mac causes the issues of inaccessibility of Drive files. Using the above troubleshooting steps allows Mac users to fix this issue instantly while ensuring a seamless connection with Drive on Mac.