Office for Mac Issues

Fix OneNote Not Syncing on Mac When Microsoft Sign-In Skips Authenticator

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is unable to sync OneNote notebooks on a Mac because the Microsoft sign-in process skips the Authenticator prompt, leaving the app seemingly signed in but without restoring notebook access.

Product: Microsoft OneNote
Device & OS: macOS
Scenario: Attempting to reauthenticate and synchronize OneNote notebooks on a Mac.
Observed behavior: The sign-in process bypasses the Microsoft Authenticator prompt and appears successful, but the notebooks remain inaccessible and do not synchronize, whereas syncing works fine on other devices.

Before you start

Manually copy any unsynchronized local notes and confirm your existing notebooks are intact by logging into OneNote on the web before proceeding, as clearing the cache will delete unsynced local data.

Solution 1Recommended

Clear Mac Keychain Entries and OneNote Cache

Removing corrupted Office identity tokens from the Mac Keychain and wiping the OneNote cache forces a fresh authentication prompt.

When the Microsoft Authenticator prompt is skipped, it usually means OneNote is trying to use an outdated or damaged authentication token saved in the macOS Keychain. Clearing these tokens alongside the app cache will reset the sign-in sequence.

Sign out and quit applications

Open OneNote and sign out of your Microsoft account. Once signed out, completely quit OneNote and all other Microsoft Office applications running on your Mac.

Remove Office entries from Keychain

Open the 'Keychain Access' app from your Mac's Utilities folder. Search for and delete the following entries: 'Microsoft Office Identities Cache', 'Microsoft Office Identities Settings', and any items containing 'ADAL'.

Clear the OneNote cache folder

Open Finder, press Command+Shift+G, and enter '~/Library/Containers/'. Locate the folder named 'Microsoft OneNote' (or 'com.microsoft.onenote.mac') and move it to the Trash.

Restart and sign in

Restart your Mac, launch the OneNote application, and attempt to sign in again. The Microsoft Authenticator prompt should now trigger normally.

Keep Apps Updated: If the issue continues after resetting the Keychain and cache, check the Mac App Store or Microsoft AutoUpdate to ensure you are running the latest versions of macOS and OneNote.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Microsoft sign-in skip the Authenticator prompt on my Mac?

This typically happens when the authentication tokens saved in your Mac's Keychain Access become corrupted or outdated. The application incorrectly attempts to use the saved local token instead of triggering a new Authenticator request from the server.

Will clearing the OneNote cache delete my unsynced notes?

Yes, moving the OneNote container folder to the Trash will erase any notes that have not yet been successfully synced to the Microsoft cloud. Always manually copy unsynced notes to another location or confirm they appear in OneNote on the web before clearing the cache.

What should I do if removing Keychain entries doesn't restore syncing?

If removing the 'Microsoft Office Identities' and 'ADAL' entries does not resolve the issue, ensure both macOS and OneNote are fully updated. You may also need to completely uninstall Office for Mac and reinstall a fresh copy from your Microsoft account portal.

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