{
  "schema": "https://storagestudio.us/schema/wiki-page.v1",
  "title": "My cloud accounts list is empty after signing in",
  "slug": "cloud-account-list-is-empty",
  "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/cloud-account-list-is-empty",
  "markdown_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/cloud-account-list-is-empty.md",
  "category": "Troubleshooting",
  "category_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/troubleshooting/",
  "tags": [
    "troubleshooting",
    "cloud accounts"
  ],
  "summary": "If you signed in to an account but Remotes & Accounts shows \"No accounts yet\", Storage Studio may simply have been unable to read the list at that moment. Refresh it, check for a missing-engine banner, and restart Storage Studio before adding the account again.",
  "published_at": "2026-10-01T05:53:44.000Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-01T05:41:12.000Z",
  "headings": [
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Reading the list versus having no accounts",
      "id": "reading-the-list-versus-having-no-accounts"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "What you might see",
      "id": "what-you-might-see"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Likely causes",
      "id": "likely-causes"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "How to fix it",
      "id": "how-to-fix-it"
    }
  ],
  "links_out": [
    {
      "slug": "engine-missing",
      "label": "Moves or transfers say a component is missing",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/engine-missing"
    },
    {
      "slug": "cloud-accounts",
      "label": "Cloud accounts",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/cloud-accounts"
    },
    {
      "slug": "testing-editing-and-removing-an-account",
      "label": "Testing, editing and removing an account",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/testing-editing-and-removing-an-account"
    },
    {
      "slug": "when-an-account-needs-signing-in-again",
      "label": "When an account needs signing in again",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/when-an-account-needs-signing-in-again"
    },
    {
      "slug": "connecting-google-drive",
      "label": "Connecting Google Drive",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/connecting-google-drive"
    },
    {
      "slug": "troubleshooting-start-here",
      "label": "Something's not working: start here",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/troubleshooting-start-here"
    }
  ],
  "links_in": [
    {
      "slug": "cloud-accounts",
      "title": "Cloud accounts",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/cloud-accounts"
    },
    {
      "slug": "connecting-google-drive",
      "title": "Connecting Google Drive",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/connecting-google-drive"
    },
    {
      "slug": "troubleshooting-start-here",
      "title": "Something's not working: start here",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/troubleshooting-start-here"
    },
    {
      "slug": "testing-editing-and-removing-an-account",
      "title": "Testing, editing and removing an account",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/testing-editing-and-removing-an-account"
    },
    {
      "slug": "the-cloud-folder-browser",
      "title": "The cloud folder browser",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/the-cloud-folder-browser"
    }
  ],
  "diagrams": [
    {
      "kind": "flowchart",
      "caption": "What to do when the account list is empty after a sign-in",
      "outline": "- Account list is empty after signing in\n  - leads to Is there a missing-engine banner?\n- Is there a missing-engine banner?\n  - Yes: leads to Reinstall Storage Studio, then click Re-check\n  - No: leads to Click the refresh button\n- Click the refresh button\n  - leads to Account listed?\n- Account listed?\n  - Yes: leads to Done - use Test connection to be sure\n  - No: leads to Restart Storage Studio and open the window again\n- Restart Storage Studio and open the window again\n  - leads to Account listed?\n- Account listed?\n  - Yes: leads to Done - use Test connection to be sure\n  - No: leads to Add the account again and wait for Account added\n",
      "source": "%% caption: What to do when the account list is empty after a sign-in\nflowchart TD\n  A[Account list is empty after signing in] --> B{Is there a missing-engine banner?}\n  B -->|Yes| C[Reinstall Storage Studio, then click Re-check]\n  B -->|No| D[Click the refresh button]\n  D --> E{Account listed?}\n  E -->|Yes| F[Done - use Test connection to be sure]\n  E -->|No| G[Restart Storage Studio and open the window again]\n  G --> H{Account listed?}\n  H -->|Yes| F\n  H -->|No| I[Add the account again and wait for Account added]"
    }
  ],
  "images": [],
  "screenshots_pending": [
    {
      "alt": "The Remotes & Accounts window on the Accounts tab showing the \"No accounts yet\" empty state with its Add Cloud Account button",
      "caption": "The Accounts tab with no accounts listed"
    }
  ],
  "faqs": [
    {
      "question": "Can I see all my cloud accounts in Finder on a Mac?",
      "answer": "Yes. Storage Studio adds a \"Storage Studio\" location to Finder's sidebar, with each connected cloud account and paired device as a folder inside, and a Finder button in the app's main window opens it. Files stay in the cloud until you open them. Folders you have visited open straight away and…",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/faq"
    }
  ],
  "text": "An empty account list right after a successful sign-in usually means Storage Studio couldn't read the list just then — not that your account is gone. Click the refresh button in Remotes & Accounts , look for a banner about a missing engine, and restart Storage Studio if needed. Add the account again only if it still doesn't appear. Reading the list versus having no accounts Storage Studio treats \"couldn't read the list\" and \"you have no accounts\" as different things. If a read fails, it keeps showing the list it had before rather than replacing it with an empty one — an out-of-date list is more useful than a wrong one. The one time you can see an empty list after a failed read is when it's the first read since Storage Studio started, because there's no earlier list to fall back on. What you might see No accounts yet — \"Add a Google Drive, Google Photos, or other cloud account to use as a transfer source or destination.\" An orange banner: The cloud transfer engine is missing . During sign-in: Could not add account or Authentication canceled (\"The sign-in was canceled. No account was added.\"). Likely causes The list was read at a bad moment, such as just after launch. The sign-in didn't actually finish. A finished sign-in ends on Account added . The part of Storage Studio that talks to cloud accounts is missing from this copy of the app. What to do when the account list is empty after a sign-in Flowchart outline: What to do when the account list is empty after a sign-in Account list is empty after signing in leads to Is there a missing-engine banner? Is there a missing-engine banner? Yes: leads to Reinstall Storage Studio, then click Re-check No: leads to Click the refresh button Click the refresh button leads to Account listed? Account listed? Yes: leads to Done - use Test connection to be sure No: leads to Restart Storage Studio and open the window again Restart Storage Studio and open the window again leads to Account listed? Account listed? Yes: leads to Done - use Test connection to be sure No: leads to Add the account again and wait for Account added How to fix it Open Connect Accounts… from the More menu (in the Advanced view, Cloud Accounts… ). The window is Remotes & Accounts ; stay on the Accounts tab. Click the round-arrow Refresh button at the top. The list is also read again each time the window opens. If you see The cloud transfer engine is missing , follow Moves or transfers say a component is missing and then click Re-check . Restart Storage Studio — right-click the menu bar icon and choose Restart Storage Studio — and open the window again. If the account still isn't there, click Add Account and sign in again. Wait for Account added before closing the sheet; if you see Could not add account , use Try Again . Once it's listed, select it and click Test connection to confirm it works. Your files in the cloud aren't affected by any of this. The list only shows the accounts Storage Studio is connected to. See also: Cloud accounts · Testing, editing and removing an account · When an account needs signing in again · Connecting Google Drive · Something's not working: start here Common questions Can I see all my cloud accounts in Finder on a Mac? Yes. Storage Studio adds a \"Storage Studio\" location to Finder's sidebar, with each connected cloud account and paired device as a folder inside, and a Finder button in the app's main window opens it. Files stay in the cloud until you open them. Folders you have visited open straight away and…",
  "markdown": "An empty account list right after a successful sign-in usually means Storage Studio couldn't *read* the list just then — not that your account is gone. Click the refresh button in **Remotes & Accounts**, look for a banner about a missing engine, and restart Storage Studio if needed. Add the account again only if it still doesn't appear.\n\n## Reading the list versus having no accounts\n\nStorage Studio treats \"couldn't read the list\" and \"you have no accounts\" as different things. If a read fails, it keeps showing the list it had before rather than replacing it with an empty one — an out-of-date list is more useful than a wrong one. The one time you can see an empty list after a failed read is when it's the first read since Storage Studio started, because there's no earlier list to fall back on.\n\n## What you might see\n\n- **No accounts yet** — \"Add a Google Drive, Google Photos, or other cloud account to use as a transfer source or destination.\"\n- An orange banner: **The cloud transfer engine is missing**.\n- During sign-in: **Could not add account** or **Authentication canceled** (\"The sign-in was canceled. No account was added.\").\n\n## Likely causes\n\n- The list was read at a bad moment, such as just after launch.\n- The sign-in didn't actually finish. A finished sign-in ends on **Account added**.\n- The part of Storage Studio that talks to cloud accounts is missing from this copy of the app.\n\n```mermaid\n%% caption: What to do when the account list is empty after a sign-in\nflowchart TD\n  A[Account list is empty after signing in] --> B{Is there a missing-engine banner?}\n  B -->|Yes| C[Reinstall Storage Studio, then click Re-check]\n  B -->|No| D[Click the refresh button]\n  D --> E{Account listed?}\n  E -->|Yes| F[Done - use Test connection to be sure]\n  E -->|No| G[Restart Storage Studio and open the window again]\n  G --> H{Account listed?}\n  H -->|Yes| F\n  H -->|No| I[Add the account again and wait for Account added]\n```\n\n*Flowchart — What to do when the account list is empty after a sign-in. Outline:*\n\n- Account list is empty after signing in\n  - leads to Is there a missing-engine banner?\n- Is there a missing-engine banner?\n  - Yes: leads to Reinstall Storage Studio, then click Re-check\n  - No: leads to Click the refresh button\n- Click the refresh button\n  - leads to Account listed?\n- Account listed?\n  - Yes: leads to Done - use Test connection to be sure\n  - No: leads to Restart Storage Studio and open the window again\n- Restart Storage Studio and open the window again\n  - leads to Account listed?\n- Account listed?\n  - Yes: leads to Done - use Test connection to be sure\n  - No: leads to Add the account again and wait for Account added\n\n## How to fix it\n\n1. Open **Connect Accounts…** from the **More** menu (in the Advanced view, **Cloud Accounts…**). The window is **Remotes & Accounts**; stay on the **Accounts** tab.\n2. Click the round-arrow **Refresh** button at the top. The list is also read again each time the window opens.\n3. If you see **The cloud transfer engine is missing**, follow [Moves or transfers say a component is missing](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/engine-missing) and then click **Re-check**.\n4. Restart Storage Studio — right-click the menu bar icon and choose **Restart Storage Studio** — and open the window again.\n5. If the account still isn't there, click **Add Account** and sign in again. Wait for **Account added** before closing the sheet; if you see **Could not add account**, use **Try Again**.\n6. Once it's listed, select it and click **Test connection** to confirm it works.\n\nYour files in the cloud aren't affected by any of this. The list only shows the accounts Storage Studio is connected to.\n\nSee also: [Cloud accounts](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/cloud-accounts) · [Testing, editing and removing an account](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/testing-editing-and-removing-an-account) · [When an account needs signing in again](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/when-an-account-needs-signing-in-again) · [Connecting Google Drive](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/connecting-google-drive) · [Something's not working: start here](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/troubleshooting-start-here)\n\n- **Can I see all my cloud accounts in Finder on a Mac?** Yes. Storage Studio adds a \"Storage Studio\" location to Finder's sidebar, with each connected cloud account and paired device as a folder inside, and a Finder button in the app's main window opens it. Files stay in the cloud until you open them. Folders you have visited open straight away and… (https://storagestudio.us/faq)\n"
}