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The icons of Onedrive on the Menu bar for 2 accounts get merged in Microsoft 365 on macbook

Anil Bagga 0 Reputation points
2026-05-06T03:38:55.81+00:00

I have 2 accounts of One drive - Personal which is an Outlook account and Business Exchange account. I used the business account icon on the menu bar to add the personal account. After starting the laptop I see 2 icons for the 2 accounts but after some time they get merged. How can I ensure that the icons are not merged, or can I switch between the 2 accounts?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For business | MacOS
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  1. Dora-T 13,745 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-06T04:25:47.24+00:00

    Hi Anil Bagga

    Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

    I tried to reproduce the behavior on my side but could not observe the same issue. After adding a business account and then a personal account in OneDrive, both icons remain visible. If I click one icon and choose “Quit OneDrive,” only one icon remains, but the accounts are not merged. When I launch OneDrive again, both icons appear as normal. 

    Additionally, after quitting OneDrive, both account folders are still shown separately in Finder. 

    To better understand your issue, could you please share a bit more information: 

    • The macOS version you are currently using 
    • The OneDrive version installed on your device 
    • A screenshot of the menu bar when the OneDrive icons appear merged, and at the same time please open the three dots (…) > Preferences > Account and include that view as well
    • A screenshot of your Finder showing your OneDrive folders (to check if they are still shown as two separate folders or not) 

    If possible, please share the screenshots via private message to avoid exposing any personal or organizational information. 

    Please understand that our initial reply may not always immediately resolve the issue. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.    

    I look forward to your update.  

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-05-06T03:39:13.1566667+00:00

    On macOS, OneDrive personal and OneDrive for work or school cannot be merged into a single storage, but both accounts are designed to run side by side in a single OneDrive app instance.

    Key points based on current behavior and documentation:

    1. Only one OneDrive app instance runs on the Mac
      • OneDrive for Mac supports adding both a personal account and one or more work or school accounts into the same app.
      • After setup, there is typically a single OneDrive cloud icon in the menu bar; that icon represents the OneDrive app, not a specific account.
      • Within that app, multiple accounts are configured and managed together rather than having separate, permanently distinct icons per account.
    2. How to add and use multiple accounts
      • Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the menu bar.
      • Select the three dots (…) → Preferences → Account tab.
      • Use Add an account to add either a personal or a work or school account (note: only one personal account is supported).
      • Once added, both accounts sync to separate OneDrive folders on the Mac. Files can be copied or dragged between them, but the storage remains separate.
    3. Switching between accounts
      • Switching is done inside the OneDrive app, not by separate menu bar icons.
      • Use the OneDrive menu bar icon → Preferences → Account to see and manage each configured account.
      • In Finder, each account appears as its own OneDrive location (for example, one for personal and one for work or school), so files for each account can be accessed separately there.
    4. When two icons appear
      • Two icons can appear temporarily if different OneDrive versions or setups are involved (for example, store vs standalone version), but the supported configuration is to run a single OneDrive app and manage multiple accounts within it.
      • If a “You’re signed in to 2 versions” message appears, follow the documented steps to remove the older/duplicate version so only one OneDrive app remains active.

    Given this design, there is no supported way to permanently keep two separate, independent menu bar icons for the two accounts. The supported approach is:

    • Run one OneDrive app.
    • Configure both accounts under Preferences → Account.
    • Use Finder and the Account tab to work with and switch between accounts.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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