Can't Connect to Your Account
Google Drive Software
Severity: MinorWhat Does This Error Mean?
Google Drive for Desktop shows 'Can't connect to your account' when the app cannot reach Google's authentication servers or its cached token has been revoked.
Files already synced still open from your local Drive folder — but new uploads, downloads, and changes pause until the connection is restored.
Cause is almost always network (proxy, firewall, captive portal) or an expired token after a password change.
Affected Models
- Google Drive for Desktop on Windows 10 and 11
- Google Drive for Desktop on macOS
- Google Workspace and personal Google accounts
- PCs behind corporate proxies
Common Causes
- Recent Google password change invalidated the cached token
- Two-factor authentication required but not yet completed
- Proxy or firewall blocking accounts.google.com or drive.google.com
- Captive portal at hotel or coffee shop blocking auth traffic
- Account was suspended or its 2SV recovery codes used up
How to Fix It
-
Check basic internet.
Open drive.google.com in a browser.
If it loads and signs you in fine, the desktop app's token is the issue, not your network.
If the website also fails, fix the network first — Drive Desktop will follow once you can reach Google. -
Sign out of Drive Desktop.
Click the Drive icon in the system tray (Windows) or menu bar (Mac).
Click the gear icon → Preferences → click your account → Disconnect.
Confirm.
This forces the app to start fresh — local files stay where they are. -
Sign back in.
Click 'Sign in' from the same menu.
A browser window opens at accounts.google.com.
Complete the login including any 2FA prompt.
If a browser window doesn't open, your default browser may be set wrong — open Drive Desktop's preferences and use the link there. -
Check 2FA on a phone if needed.
If you have 2-step verification on, Google sends a prompt to your phone.
'Yes, it's me.'
If you don't see the prompt, scroll down on the sign-in page — there are backup options (text code, security key, backup codes).
Without completing 2FA the desktop app stays disconnected. -
If you're behind a proxy, allow Google's endpoints.
Drive Desktop talks to *.google.com, accounts.google.com, drive.google.com, and *.googleusercontent.com.
If your firewall or proxy blocks any of these (or category-filters them as 'cloud storage'), sign-in fails with this exact message.
Your IT admin needs to allow the endpoints — Google publishes the list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this happen right after I change my password?
Google Drive Desktop caches an OAuth token after first login.
When you change the password, that token is invalidated server-side.
The app keeps using the old token until it tries to refresh — at which point you see this error.
Sign out and back in once after a password change and the new token is cached.