Share via

Onedrive will not respond to "files" app on iPad

Ossie Jellyman 20 Reputation points
2026-02-09T08:17:02.1866667+00:00

One drive will not respond to the "files" app on my relatively new and up to date iPad.

One drive app itself is working fine but when I try to get to a file on Onedrive from the "files" app I get a message that says "Content unavailable - the folder contents could not be displayed because of an unknown error".

On my iPhone it works fine. Why not on my iPad.

It has been suggested that, if i delete the Onedrive app and reinstall it, that will solve the problem but I have reservations about that.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | iOS
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
  1. Jhun Buala 5,000 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-02-09T15:15:14.45+00:00

    Hi Ossie Jellyman,

    Good day. I'm Jhun an independent advisor. In regards with your OneDrive and Files App issue, let's try these steps below and see what will fix the problem.

    A. Force-close both apps. This matters more than it sounds.

    1. Open the app switcher.
    2. Swipe Files up to close it.
    3. Swipe OneDrive up to close it.
    4. Reopen Files > Browse > OneDrive.
    5. If it still errors, continue.

    B. Toggle OneDrive’s Files integration. This refreshes the file-provider link.

    1. Open Settings on the iPad.
    2. Go to OneDrive.
    3. Turn Background App Refresh OFF.
    4. Restart the iPad.
    5. Turn Background App Refresh back ON.
    6. Then test Files again.

    C. Check Files app locations. Sometimes the OneDrive “location” is present but stuck.

    1. Open Files.
    2. Tap Browse.
    3. Tap ⋯ (three dots) > Edit.
    4. Toggle OneDrive OFF.
    5. Restart iPad.
    6. Go back and toggle OneDrive ON again.

    In regards with your hesitations on deleting and reinstalling OneDrive again I assumed that you are worried in losing data. Your concern is valid, so here's the case:

    You will not lose:

    1. Your OneDrive files, they are stored in the cloud.
    2. Your Microsoft account.
    3. Your folders or sharing permissions.

    What will be removed:

    1. Offline files stored only on the iPad.
    2. App cache and settings.

    If you don’t rely on offline-only files, reinstalling is safe and often fixes this instantly.

    If you want to reinstall the safest way:

    1. Open OneDrive.
    2. Make sure nothing says “Syncing”.
    3. Delete the OneDrive app.
    4. Restart the iPad.
    5. Reinstall OneDrive from the App Store.
    6. Sign in.
    7. Open Files > Browse > OneDrive.
    8. This forces iPadOS to rebuild the Files integration from scratch.

    I hope this helps.

    Regards,
    Jhun

    2 people found this answer helpful.

1 additional answer

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Q&A Assist
    2026-02-09T08:17:42.7233333+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    It seems you are experiencing an issue with OneDrive not responding in the Files app on your iPad, while it works fine on your iPhone. This could be due to various reasons, including app settings or potential sync issues. Here are some steps that might help resolve the problem:

    1. Update OneDrive: Ensure that your OneDrive app is updated to the latest version available in the App Store.
    2. Reset OneDrive: Sometimes, resetting OneDrive can help. You can find instructions on how to reset OneDrive here.
    3. Reinstall OneDrive: If the above steps do not work, you may consider uninstalling and then reinstalling the OneDrive app. This can resolve many issues, including sync problems. Instructions for reinstalling can be found here.
    4. Check Internet Connection: Ensure that your iPad has a stable internet connection, as connectivity issues can also lead to errors in accessing files.
    5. Reset Internet Explorer Settings: If you have custom settings in your Internet options, resetting them to default might help, as it can sometimes interfere with sync.

    If none of these solutions work, you may want to create a support incident with Microsoft for further assistance.

    References:

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.