Fixed: iCloud Not Working/Loading/Syncing on macOS Sonoma

Summary: This post covers verified ways to fix iCloud not working properly issues on macOS Sonoma. Since iCloud is not stable, you can choose a backup alternative like iBoysoft DiskGeeker to help you sync files on your Mac quickly and easily.

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macOS Sonoma which contains multiple new features drives you to experience it, but it is not as perfect as we expect. There are some issues with the new macOS, typically iCloud not working properly.

Below is a real case from the Apple Community:

After upgrading to macOS Sonoma, I tried to open iCloud. It asked me to allow iCloud in the System Settings. However, I failed to turn on iCloud in Settings. I no longer access the documents stored on iCloud after upgrading to macOS 14.

If your iCloud doesn't work on macOS Sonoma, including the iCloud not syncing, loading, connection, etc. problems, please read this post carefully. This post is right to help you out with the misbehaved iCloud on macOS 14 in specialty. All the possible scenarios you may be in are considered.

Solutions to fix iCloud not working/syncing/loading on macOS Sonoma:

Scenarios	Solutions
iCloud Drive is empty	1. Sign in iCloud 2. Customize the iCloud settings 3. Log out of your Apple ID and then in again 4. Create a new profile with the same permissions on your Mac 5. Turn off your network connection and then on 6. Update Mac
iCloud not show up in System Settings	1. Use the search box of System Settings to open iCloud 2. Log out of your Apple ID and then in again 3. Create a new profile with the same permissions on your Mac 4. Update Mac
iCloud is accessible but files stored in it are not	1. Customize the iCloud settings 2. Log out of your Apple ID and then in again 3. Turn off your network connection and then on 4. Create a new profile with the same permissions on your Mac 5. Start up your Mac in Safe Mode 6. Update Mac
iCloud won't work or connect to Notes, Photos, Drive, etc.	1. Customize the iCloud settings 2. Log out of your Apple ID and then in again 3. Turn off your network connection and then on 4. Create a new profile with the same permissions on your Mac 5. Update Mac
iCloud files couldn't be downloaded from storage	1. Log out of your Apple ID and then in again 2. Turn off your network connection and then on 3. Create a new profile with the same permissions on your Mac 4. Update Mac

Why not share these ways to help more people?

Why doesn't iCloud work on macOS Sonoma?

Many users say that the unworkable iCloud on Sonoma is due to the bugs in the system as this problem comes out after upgrading to macOS 14.

It can't be denied that the iCloud not loading issue is related to the system issues, but not only be attributed to those. Your improper settings, poor or unstable network, and interference from third-party applications are all possible causes.

iCloud not working/loading/syncing on macOS Sonoma, what to do?

Although iCloud not working on macOS Sonoma is a common issue, the specific circumstance varies. Here are the situations you may encounter.

iCloud fails to load after Sonoma install.
iCloud Drive is empty.
Can access iCloud, but cannot access the files stored in it.
iCloud won't sync files on Mac.
iCloud doesn't work with the Notes app.
iCloud wouldn't connect to drive, notes, photos, messenger, etc.
iCloud files could not be offloaded from storage.

In this part, you can get a series of workarounds to fix the iCloud that doesn't on macOS Sonoma. Since different ways apply to different situations, choose those that are suitable for your case.

Fix 1: Sign in iCloud

If you fail to access iCloud from the desktop or find a blank iCloud Drive from Finder, go to check if you've signed in iCloud in System Settings first.

To sign in iCloud, you need to:

Click on the Apple menu > System Settings.
Click on Sign in (Apple ID) on the sidebar.
Enter your email or phone number, and password, and click Continue.
Enter the verification code that is sent to another device. (Optional)
Enter your Mac password.
Enter the passcode you use to unlock the iPhone. (Optional)

Note: If you see a blank panel after clicking Sign in in System Settings, jump to Fix 3 to start your problem fixing.

Fix 2: Customize the iCloud settings

If you find that iCloud won't sync certain files on your Mac or won't sync the Notes app or others, you can reset your iCloud settings.

Go to the Apple menu > System Settings > Apple ID > iCloud.
In the Apps Using iCloud section, click Show All.
Check if the app you want iCloud to sync is on. If not, turn it on. If it has already been enabled but is not being synced, disable it and then on again.

Fix 3: Use the search box of System Settings to open iCloud

If you click Apple ID from the sidebar of System Settings, only to find that the Apple ID shows blank, you have no access to iCloud settings to make changes.

You have another way to access iCloud settings. Simply search for iCloud from the search box of System Settings. Next, click iCloud from the search results.

Fix 4: Log out of your Apple ID and then in again

As iCloud is bundled with Apple ID, errors in Apple ID will also lead to iCloud not working on your Mac. If iCloud won't load in System Settings after signing in to your Mac, you can try logging out of your Apple ID and then in again.

Enter Apple ID into the search box of System Settings and click it in the search results below to open Apple ID.
Scroll down the Apple ID window to click Sign Out at the lower left corner.
After your Apple ID is completely signed out, click Sign in (Apple ID) on the left sidebar and follow the on-screen guide to log in to your Apple ID again.

Fix 5: Create a new profile with the same permissions on your Mac

Let alone use iCloud, you can't even sign in or out of Apple ID or you get the message saying "Extension process Apple ID(10836) exited" while signing in to Apple ID. The misbehaved iCloud may be due to an issue on Apple's end. Apple's senior tech indicates iCloud with some user profiles is not syncing with the Sonoma update.

However, there is still a trick for you. You can create a new profile with the same permissions, and then log into your Mac with this profile and use your Apple ID to sign into your iCloud.

Here's how to create a new profile with the same permissions (like Admin) on your Mac:

Go to System Settings.
Scroll down the sidebar to select Users & Groups.
Click the Add User button and enter your admin password if asked.
On the pop-up new user edition window, select the New User type that is the same as yours.
Enter other information and click Create User.
Click the Apple menu > Log Out (your user name).
Enter the new username and password to log into your Mac again.
Navigate to System Settings and sign into iCloud with your Apple ID.

Fix 6: Turn off your network connection and then on

iCloud allows you to store data in an off-site location for remote access via the Internet. Thus, if your Internet connection is poor or unstable, you cannot connect to iCloud on your Mac. Consequently, fail to access files in iCloud Drive and data in apps that you enabled in iCloud.

To fix that, you can check the status of your internet connection, turn off your network connection, and then on.

Fix 7: Start up your Mac in Safe Mode

iCloud sync and load problems on Sonoma may be due to software conflicts as some of your installed third-party apps may haven't been upgraded to support the new system.

To verify that, you can boot up your Mac to Safe Mode. Safe Mode only loads the minimum and necessary startup items to start up the Mac machine while isolating all the third-party programs from working.

If iCloud performs well in Safe Mode, it means that third-party apps block its normal work. You can check the version of the third-party apps on your Mac and uninstall those whose latest version is earlier than the date of the macOS Sonoma release.

Fix 8: Update Mac

If all the ways of no use, iCloud doesn't work on macOS Sonoma is probably due to a bug in Sonoma. You can update your Mac to the latest minor version of macOS 14. Minor update always comes up with bug patches to the current major version and works to improve the built-in features on the Mac.

If the above solutions are workable, please share them with more people.

Best alternative to back up files on your Mac

iCloud is problematic in macOS Sonoma and is not stable as well. Storing data on Cloud storage via the internet is not as secure as you regard; it may experience virus attacks. So, why not change it to the best alternative?

iBoysoft DiskGeeker is your best choice to back up files on your Mac. This disk management tool contains the File Keeper feature that allows you to back up and sync files on your Macintosh HD. You can set it to back up files on your Mac hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly.

Different from Time Machine backup which requires an external hard drive, iBoysoft DiskGeeker helps you sync files to your Mac. When accidental data loss happens, you can load the backups from this tool to proceed with data restoration.