OneDrive/SharePoint files incorrectly appearing in Finder Recents after updating macOS

Andreas Svane 0 Reputation points
2026-11-05T12:31:49.15+00:00

We have two MacBook users experiencing an issue where SharePoint files appear in Finder > Recents, even though they have never opened the files themselves.

It seems to happen when other users in the organization open or modify files in the same synced SharePoint libraries. OneDrive syncs the changes, and macOS then appears to register the files as recently used.

We reproduced the issue on a brand-new MacBook:

  • macOS 26.6: No issue
  • Updated the same MacBook to macOS 27.2: Issue returned

Using mdls, we can also see kMDItemLastUsedDate being assigned to files the Mac user has never opened.

Has anyone else experienced this with OneDrive/SharePoint and macOS 27.x?

Microsoft 365 and Office | SharePoint | For business | MacOS
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  1. Innocent Cyubahiro 80 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-11-05T12:59:36.3666667+00:00

    Hello Andreas,

    Thank you for sharing these findings. The fact that the issue disappeared on macOS 26.6 and returned after upgrading the same MacBook to 27.2 is particularly useful.

    Based on your findings, I'd focus on the interaction between OneDrive synchronization and how macOS handles file metadata in Finder.

    I'd suggest checking two things:

    1. Check the OneDrive sync engine

    Microsoft has introduced a Native Sync Engine for OneDrive on macOS. Could you check the OneDrive version on both affected Macs?

    Select the OneDrive cloud icon go to Settings then go to About.

    Versions with an alphabetic suffix, such as (26K), indicate the Native Sync Engine.

    Learn more about the Native Sync Engine

    1. Check when the metadata changes

    Since you've already identified changes to kMDItemLastUsedDate using mdls, a useful next step would be to test with a non-production file:

    • Record its current kMDItemLastUsedDate value.

    Pause OneDrive synchronization.

    Have another user modify the file directly in SharePoint.

    Check whether the metadata changes while synchronization is paused.

    Resume synchronization and check the metadata again.

    This should help determine whether the change is associated with OneDrive processing the update.

    Also, please check whether both Macs are running the latest OneDrive version:

    OneDrive sync release notes

    A few questions:

    Are both Macs running the same OneDrive version, particularly the Native Sync Engine?

    Does this affect all SharePoint libraries or only specific ones?

    Does the same behaviour occur with personal OneDrive files?

    I wouldn't recommend resetting or unlinking OneDrive at this stage. I'd first establish whether the metadata change is triggered during synchronization or independently of it.

    Your comparison between macOS 26.6 and 27.2 provides a useful starting point for narrowing this down.

    Best Regards,

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