What is fileproviderd on a Mac, and why cloud drives make it busy
fileproviderd links iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive into Finder. When it is busy, a cloud drive is listing or syncing. What to check.
What is fileproviderd?
Modern cloud storage apps plug into macOS through File Provider: their files appear in Finder, under Locations, and download when opened. fileproviderd is the system side of that, sitting between Finder and each provider. It lives in /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/FileProvider.framework and runs as you; ours used 3 MB and no CPU.
Why is fileproviderd using CPU?
- A cloud drive was just added and is listing everything in it.
- Many files changed at once on another device.
- An app is scanning a cloud folder, such as a backup tool or a search indexing it.
- A provider app is stuck and keeps retrying.
The cloud drives themselves live in ~/Library/CloudStorage. Quitting the provider app, then reopening it, resets most stuck states. Downloaded files take real space; see Google Drive for desktop's cache and cloud sync folders.
See it live
Free Mac's System tab ranks every process by processor use and energy impact, once a second, and marks the ones macOS will not let you quit as protected. See also bird for iCloud Drive.
Related: corespotlightd high CPU and triald.
Common questions
What is fileproviderd on a Mac?
The macOS process that connects cloud storage apps, such as iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive, to Finder.
Why is fileproviderd using high CPU?
A cloud drive is listing or syncing many files, or a provider app is stuck retrying.
Where are cloud drive files stored on a Mac?
In ~/Library/CloudStorage, one folder per provider and account.