Fix Acrobat Repeatedly Asking for Google Drive Authorization on Mac
Question details
Users experience an authorization loop where Adobe Acrobat or Reader continually prompts for Google Drive permission when attempting to save a PDF directly to online storage.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat and Reader
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Trying to save a modified PDF document directly to an integrated Google Drive account within the Acrobat application interface.
- Observed behavior
- The application repeatedly interrupts the saving process by requesting Google Drive authorization over and over, failing to successfully store the authentication token.
Before proceeding, ensure your macOS system is fully updated and check if the Google Drive desktop application has the necessary Full Disk Access permissions in your Mac's System Preferences.
Save the PDF Locally and Transfer via Finder
Bypass Acrobat's built-in cloud integration bug by saving the file to your Mac's hard drive first, then moving it to your cloud drive.
Since there is no permanent software patch confirmed by Adobe for this specific authentication loop on macOS Catalina, avoiding the in-app cloud save feature is the most reliable workaround.
In Adobe Acrobat, go to File > Save As and choose a local folder on your Mac, such as 'Documents' or 'Desktop'.
Launch Finder from your dock and locate the newly saved PDF file.
Drag and drop the PDF into your Google Drive folder within Finder. The Google Drive desktop application will automatically sync the file to the cloud.
Remove and Re-add Your Google Drive Account in Acrobat
Clearing the existing connection might resolve corrupted authentication tokens causing the repeated prompts.
Enjoy Stable PDF Cloud Saving with WPS Office
If Adobe Acrobat's constant authorization prompts disrupt your workflow, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides robust PDF editing capabilities alongside complete Word, Excel, and PowerPoint alternatives with smooth, stable cloud drive integration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does macOS block Acrobat from saving my Google Drive token?
Mac's strict privacy and security settings, particularly those introduced in macOS Catalina and later, can sometimes prevent third-party apps like Acrobat from permanently storing authentication credentials. This results in the app needing to ask for permission every time.
Can I disable the online storage options completely in Adobe Reader?
Yes. You can hide the online storage options by going to Acrobat's Preferences (Acrobat > Preferences on Mac), selecting 'General' from the left pane, and unchecking the option 'Show online storage when saving files'.
Does the Google Drive desktop app cause conflicts with Acrobat's built-in saving?
Sometimes running both the native Google Drive Mac application and Acrobat's internal cloud connection simultaneously can cause synchronization conflicts. Saving locally to your Mac's synced Google Drive folder usually bypasses this issue entirely.
