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Finding the Synology Drive Client folders

Updated 2026-10-28 · 5 min read

Synology Drive Client uses a sync folder you pick, an on-demand folder that macOS controls, and a hidden settings folder. Synology does not publish all of these paths, so this guide gives each location with how sure it is, and commands to confirm yours.

Where your synced files are

It depends on how the sync task was created. Two cases:

Normal two-way sync. Your files are in the local folder you chose when you set up the task. Synology's docs say a single task is named "Synology Drive" and custom names apply when there are several, so the folder is commonly called SynologyDrive, but the location is yours to choose. The client's task list shows the exact path, and clicking the local folder path there opens it in Finder.

On-demand sync. Files appear as online-only placeholders and download when you open them. A third-party guide says macOS assigns this folder automatically at:

~/Library/CloudStorage/SynologyDrive

That path does not appear in Synology's own pages that were checked for this guide, and the folder name may carry a suffix. Check it on your Mac:

ls ~/Library/CloudStorage

That lists folder names only. If a Synology folder is there, that is your on-demand location. Synology's knowledge base says on-demand sync is chosen when the task is created, cannot be switched off afterwards and cannot be added to an existing task. On macOS it supports only two-way sync. Synology's release notes say on-demand sync came to the Mac in version 3.2.0 (October 2022) and needs macOS 12.3 or later.

Synology Drive Client is not installed on the Mac used for this guide, so nothing here was verified locally.

Hidden settings

A forum post reports a hidden settings folder at:

~/.SynologyDrive

with per-task settings under data/session. It is a community report, not Synology documentation. To check whether it exists on your Mac without opening anything:

ls -d ~/.SynologyDrive

The folder holds the client's internal state, probably including its sync databases. Do not copy it into a shared place, and do not edit or delete it while the client is running. If something is wrong with a task, use the client's own controls instead, or ask Synology support.

Finding the client's other files

Because Synology does not publish a full list, use these name-only searches in Terminal. They read nothing inside files:

ls -d ~/Library/Application\ Support/*ynology*
ls -d ~/Library/Logs/*ynology*
ls -d ~/Library/Group\ Containers/*ynology*

Each prints a path if one matches and an error if not. A "No such file" message is fine; it only means that location is not used on your version.

Placeholders and downloaded files

In on-demand mode, a file shows in Finder without taking its full size on disk until you open it. A cloud icon beside a name means it is online-only. Opening it downloads a local copy, which stays until you free it up. Because the files are real names in a real folder, you can search and preview them like any other file, but the contents come from the NAS each time they are first fetched.

Sync rules and filters

Filtering is done per task in the client, under the task's Sync Rules, as Synology's knowledge base describes. It is not a file you edit. On-demand sync on a Mac does not support file filtering.

Logs

Synology's client has a Logs view where you can see files that failed to sync and the reason. A log file location on a Mac is not documented in the pages checked for this guide, so open the client's Logs view first. The command above will show whether a Library/Logs folder exists on your Mac.

Freeing space with on-demand sync

Synology's release notes for Drive Client 3.2.1 (December 2022) added a one-click Free up space option for on-demand sync on macOS, which releases the local space taken by downloaded files while the originals stay on the NAS. It is far safer than deleting files in Finder, which removes them from the NAS as well when the task syncs the deletion.

Changing the sync folder

A forum user reported there is no option to move the on-demand folder to an external drive, which fits macOS assigning it. Drive Client 4.0.0 (October 2025) did add a choice of custom location for the on-demand folder's shortcut, so you can put a shortcut where you like while the folder itself stays put. For a normal task, the usual route is to remove the task in the client and add a new one pointing at the new folder. Before doing so, make sure everything is uploaded, and copy out anything that exists only locally, because removing a task is a destructive step in practice.

Backing up or moving to a new Mac

The NAS holds the real copy, so a new Mac needs the client, your login and a new task. Since version 4.0.0 the client stores its sync signature files inside the sync folder, according to the release notes, so you may see extra files there that you did not create; leave them alone. Copying the local sync folder across first can save download time on a large library, but the client may treat the copy as new files and re-compare them.

Why search misses it

~/.SynologyDrive is a hidden dot-folder, and any support or log folders sit in ~/Library, so Spotlight and Finder searches leave them out. Online-only placeholders in the on-demand folder are another weak spot, because their contents are not on the Mac to be indexed.

Finding it with Everywhere

Typing SynologyDrive into Everywhere shows every folder with that name, so you can see the on-demand folder, any older sync folder and the hidden settings folder in one list. The hidden folder in your home is indexed from the start; CloudStorage, and a sync folder you put inside Documents or Desktop, appear once Everywhere has Full Disk Access. It searches file names only, not what a document says. ⌘↵ reveals a result in Finder.

Common questions

Where is the Synology Drive folder on a Mac?

For a normal task it is the local folder you chose at setup, shown in the client's task list. On-demand sync is reported to use a folder under ~/Library/CloudStorage named after Synology Drive, which you can confirm with ls ~/Library/CloudStorage.

Where does Synology Drive Client store its settings on a Mac?

A community report places per-task settings in the hidden ~/.SynologyDrive folder. Synology does not document it, so check with ls -d ~/.SynologyDrive and avoid editing it.

Can I move the Synology Drive on-demand folder?

Not the folder itself: macOS manages that location, and users report no option to move it. Drive Client 4.0.0 and later let you choose where its shortcut appears. A normal sync task can be removed and recreated on another folder after everything has uploaded.

Is Synology Drive on-demand sync available on Mac?

Yes, since Drive Client 3.2.0, on macOS 12.3 and later. It is chosen when the task is created and supports only two-way sync without file filtering.