iCloud sync and update very, very slow

uploading and downloading of files to iCloud is ridiculously slow. I have fiber at home with a constant synchronous rate of 1Gb/s. There has to be a problem on the datacenter side. What gives?

I'm having the same issues. I have tons of room on iCloud, my internet connection is amazing and works great for everything else, yet trying to sync my iPhone to my PC is taking forever since the last iPhone update. I've never waited so long for 60 images to sync! Going on an hour now when it used to take just a few minutes. I made sure I wasn't using cellular data as that can sometimes be slow. This is ridiculous.

Big big issue with iCloud sync since last update. Nobody knows why ?

Same here but I'm still on Ventura 13.5.1. It started out of nowhere in June. Reset modem, changed DNS servers, etc. Still painfully slow despite a great internet connection. 'Get Info' on my iCloud Drive reveals it was created June 30th of this year. Maybe that's normal but seems odd as it most certainly wasn't just created.

OH MY GOD, thank you. I thought this was silly, because I kept trying it to no effect: dragging it out of iCloud, back to my local documents, or wherever, then back again somewhere else in iCloud...no better. Finally I just dragged it directly into the iCloud root directory and not inside any other folder in iCloud and it starts syncing super fast (i.e. normally) right away.

So maybe anyone else reading this, try placing it in the iCloud root directory first, and THEN change it to the desired folder inside iCloud afteward.

I am having the same problems...I will go to check a file and there is a long lag and then I have to go out of it and come back in? What is going on with ICLOUD?

iCloud syncying for photos just pauses for minutes at a time

I have plenty of space in icloud and on my devices and I am on a very fast wifi. It happens across all my devices.

It's acting exactly like Apple's servers can't handle the load and they are queueing people to upload.

I am facing the same problem of slow uploading. The download speed is ok otherwise.

I believe this is intended throttling by Apple for whatever reason which is unacceptable because I subscribed to the most expensive AppleOne and have tons of iCloud storage remaining.

Easiest fix is to drag the folders/files into a location that does not sync. Then, move the items back if you wish to continue syncing.

you could also try restarting in safe mode and see if your issue is present.

Same for me. Even very small files are incredibly slow to sync. Never had an issue in Ventura.

WiFi issues could be to blame as I've also had random disconnects too.

iCloud nowhere near full and a fast internet signal on all other devices.

This happened to me right now after updating to Sonoma 14.6.1 (Macbook Pro m3). It takes minutes to even load a small text file. I lost hours to sync my 55 GB Capture One photo catalog - this never happened before.

All local icloud files apparently are gone and I'll have to re-sync everything.

Thanks, Lodoghir. The work-around you explained

“I just dragged it directly into the iCloud root directory and not inside any other folder in iCloud and it starts syncing super fast (i.e. normally) right away”.

is VERY helpful and interesting. What does APPLE IT and engineering have to say about your strategy?

Hi,

Maybe this article can help you (https://eclecticlight.co/2023/10/25/macos-sonoma-has-changed-icloud-drive-radically/). It's not a solution, but it might explain the problem.

Luiz