Office for Mac Issues

How to Stop SharePoint Keychain Permission Pop-Ups on Mac

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to stop continuous keychain permission prompts that appear when opening files linked to SharePoint or OneDrive.

Product: Microsoft Office for Mac, OneDrive
Device & OS: macOS
Scenario: Opening confidential or cloud-based files stored in SharePoint Online or OneDrive for Business.
Observed behavior: Office or OneDrive repeatedly displays pop-ups asking for permission to access confidential information stored in the macOS keychain.

Before you start

Before proceeding, ensure you have your Microsoft account email and password ready, as you will need to sign back into Office and OneDrive after clearing the cached credentials.

Solution 1Recommended

Remove Stale Credentials from Keychain Access

Clearing old or corrupted Microsoft credentials from the macOS Keychain often resolves repeated permission prompts.

macOS uses Keychain Access to securely store your login tokens. When these tokens become outdated or corrupted, Microsoft Office applications can get stuck in an authentication loop, causing repetitive pop-ups.

Quit Microsoft Applications

Close all active Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and quit the OneDrive app from the top menu bar.

Open Keychain Access

Go to Finder, navigate to Applications > Utilities, and double-click 'Keychain Access' to open it.

Search for Office Credentials

In the Keychain Access search bar, type 'Microsoft Office' and locate any saved credential entries.

Delete Stale Entries

Right-click the Microsoft Office entries and select 'Delete'. Repeat this process by searching for 'OneDrive' and deleting its cached entries as well.

Sign In Again

Relaunch Office or OneDrive and sign in with your work or school account to generate a fresh, error-free keychain entry.

Solution 2

Run License Removal Tool and Reinstall OneDrive

If clearing the keychain doesn't work, completely wiping Office licenses and reinstalling OneDrive provides a clean slate.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Experience a Bug-Free Office Environment on Mac with WPS Office

Tired of persistent keychain pop-ups, authentication loops, and licensing headaches in Microsoft Office? Try WPS Office. It is a highly compatible, free alternative that provides a seamless document editing experience on Mac without the complex account syncing issues.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the macOS version.
2. Install and Launch: Drag the WPS Office icon to your Applications folder and launch the app.
3. Open Your Files: Easily open your existing .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx files directly without worrying about Microsoft account permission prompts.

Highly compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats.Free and lightweight, taking up significantly less storage space on your Mac.No complicated keychain licensing bugs or repetitive sign-in loops.All-in-one workspace for documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and PDFs.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does macOS keep asking for keychain access for Microsoft Office?

This usually occurs when the cached login tokens for Office or OneDrive become out of sync with Microsoft's servers, causing the application to repeatedly request permission to read your saved credentials from the system.

Will deleting keychain items delete my Office files or emails?

No. Deleting Microsoft Office or OneDrive entries from Keychain Access only removes your saved passwords and login tokens. Your actual documents, emails, and cloud files remain completely safe.

What exactly does the Microsoft Office License Removal Tool do?

The tool deletes all local Microsoft Office license files and activation states from your Mac. This forces Office into a fresh state, prompting you to sign in again, which often resolves stubborn authentication loops and keychain errors.

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