One Drive Files do not sync

Check the changed file on OneDrive.com first, then make the Android app display the same account and OneDrive location as the website.

1. Determine whether the laptop uploaded the change

1. On the Android phone, open a browser in Private/Incognito mode so the OneDrive app does not open automatically.
2. Go to https://www.onedrive.com and sign in with the account used by OneDrive on the laptop.
3. Search for and open one of the files recently changed on the laptop.

Microsoft recommends the OneDrive website as the first place to check because it is where devices store and synchronize their OneDrive files.^1^

2. If the updated file appears on the website

The laptop-to-cloud synchronization is working. Check which account the Android app is displaying:

1. Open OneDrive on Android.
2. Tap the profile picture/account icon.
3. Compare the displayed email address and account type—Personal or Work/School—with the account used on OneDrive.com.
4. If another account is listed, tap the correct account to switch to it.
5. If the correct account is not listed, tap Add account, sign in with that account, and then select it.
6. Open the Files view—not Photos—and browse to the same folder shown on OneDrive.com.

OneDrive for Android can contain a personal account and one or more work or school accounts, and account switching is done from the profile menu.^2^

Photos appearing on the phone does not establish that the Files view is using the same account: only one account can use camera backup, while the app can contain multiple accounts.^2^

If the website and Android app are definitely using the same account and folder but the app still shows old content, open OneDrive and leave it active while connected to the internet. The Android app does not automatically synchronize ordinary files to local phone storage; it displays files held at OneDrive.com and downloads them when requested.^3^

Since updating, signing out, clearing app data, and reinstalling have already been completed, do not repeat those resets. For a personal account, report the problem through OneDrive’s support option; mobile users can also open OneDrive and gently shake the device to contact support. For a work or school account, contact the organization’s IT administrator.^3^

3. If the updated file does not appear on the website

The issue is on the laptop-to-cloud side rather than Android:

1. Confirm the changed file is inside the laptop’s actual OneDrive folder, not a similarly named local folder.
2. Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the laptop’s notification area or menu bar and check whether it reports a sync error.
3. If the cloud icon is absent, start OneDrive from Start on Windows or Finder/Applications on macOS.
4. If OneDrive is running but the website remains outdated, unlink and relink the laptop’s OneDrive account. Microsoft lists relinking as the next action when sync issues persist.^4^

After the updated file appears on OneDrive.com, reopen the Android app under that same account and folder.

References

1. Find lost or missing files in OneDrive | Microsoft Support
2. Android
3. Troubleshoot OneDrive for Android app problems | Microsoft Support
4. Personal accounts