How to delete OneNote notebooks on an Intel Mac Pro

OneNote for Mac cannot delete an entire notebook inside the app; first consolidate any content you want to retain, close the notebook, and then delete its source file from OneDrive or SharePoint.

1. Consolidate notebooks before deleting them

Keep both the source and destination notebooks open in OneNote.

To move an entire section and all its pages:

1. Control-click the section tab in the source notebook.
2. Select Move Section To.
3. Select the destination notebook or section group.
4. Click Move.
5. Repeat for each section you want to retain.

Use Copy Section To instead if you want to verify the copied content before removing the original. For individual pages, Control-click one or more page tabs and select Move Page To or Copy Page To. Microsoft documents both operations for OneNote for Mac.^1^

After moving the content, open the destination notebook in OneNote for the web and confirm that the sections and recent changes are present before deleting the source notebook.

2. Rename notebooks

A notebook must be renamed at its storage location rather than only within the Mac app:

1. In OneNote, open the notebook.
2. Select Notebooks → Notebooks → Close This Notebook from the macOS menu bar.
3. Open OneDrive in a browser using the same Microsoft 365 account.
4. Locate the notebook, usually under My files → Documents. If it is stored elsewhere, navigate to that folder.
5. Select the circle beside the notebook without opening it.
6. Select Rename, enter the new name, and press Return.
7. Open the renamed notebook in OneNote for the web.
8. Select Open in OneNote to reopen it in OneNote for Mac.^2^

For a shared notebook, notify other users first because renaming can interrupt their access. Do not rename Class or Staff Notebooks, including ones created through Microsoft Teams.^2^

3. Delete entire notebooks

Deleting a notebook removes every section, page, attachment, and embedded file. Verify the consolidated copy before proceeding.

For each unwanted notebook:

1. Open it in OneNote for Mac.
2. Select Notebooks → Notebooks → Close This Notebook.
3. In a browser, sign in to OneDrive with the account that owns it.
4. Open My files → Documents, or its actual storage folder.
5. Hover over the notebook and select the small circle beside its icon.
6. Select Delete on the OneDrive toolbar.

Closing only removes the notebook from OneNote’s displayed list; deleting it from OneDrive removes the actual notebook.^3^

If Delete is absent:

• Ensure you are viewing the notebook in its actual My files folder, not under Recent or Shared.
• If the notebook belongs to someone else and appears under Shared, only its owner can delete the original.
• For a business notebook stored in SharePoint, open the notebook in OneNote for the web, select its name, and follow the displayed Location to the source document library. Deletion requires permission to delete items there.^4^

The Intel processor and macOS Sequoia do not change these procedures; the applicable workflow is determined by OneNote for Mac and the notebook’s OneDrive or SharePoint storage location.

References

1. Move or copy notes in OneNote for Mac | Microsoft Support
2. Rename pages, sections, or notebooks in OneNote for Mac | Microsoft Support
3. Delete a notebook in OneNote for Mac | Microsoft Support
4. Rename a OneNote notebook | Microsoft Support