How do I get rid of an upload pending, not enough online storage space error on my iPad?

Question

How do I get rid of an upload pending, not enough online storage space error on my iPad?

Susan Hall 0

Almost all my excel files have the error message “upload pending/ one drive, with explanation of not enough online storage space. I have almost 1 TB of available space. Have tried signing in and out of OneDrive and Excel apps several times and have also deleted and reinstalled these apps several times. I can save a copy of an excel file to my iPad without getting the error message. It is only OneDrive that seems to be the problem. Help!

2 answers

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Answer 1

Katerina-N 6,775 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello Susan Hall,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum!

I realize that you've encountered a problem with OneDrive. I truly understand your confusion. Let me assist you further.

Based on your description, you're seeing this message “Upload pending / not enough online storage space”. It can show up even when your OneDrive quota is nowhere near full, and it’s often caused by the OneDrive iOS app getting “stuck” with account/storage metadata or a sync state problem rather than real storage usage.

Below is the most effective “clean reset” sequence for iPad/iOS OneDrive:

Fix 1: Reset the OneDrive account inside the OneDrive iOS app

This is the step that often succeeds even when sign-out / reinstall doesn’t. Microsoft documents it as the primary fix for OneDrive iOS syncing issues.

Open OneDrive on your iPad.
Tap Profile (your picture/initials) > Settings > Account.
If you have more than one account added, select the account that’s having the issue.
Select Reset.

Why this helps: it refreshes the app’s local account/sync state that can incorrectly think you’re out of cloud storage.

Fix 2: Check iOS permission/settings that affect OneDrive’s ability to upload

If uploads are stuck “pending,” iOS background restrictions can contribute. Microsoft’s OneDrive iOS guidance specifically calls out Background App Refresh as something to enable.

Go to iPad Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
Make sure Background App Refresh is ON, and ON for OneDrive
Keep the OneDrive app running in the background during uploads (avoid force-closing it). Microsoft notes uploads may not run if the app has been forcing closed.

Fix 3: If the OneDrive app is “stuck,” do the Microsoft-recommended iOS soft reset + reinstall sequence

You said you already reinstalled, but Microsoft’s sequence is uninstall > iOS soft reset > reinstall, which can clear a stubborn state.

Uninstall OneDrive.
Perform an iOS “soft reset” as described by Microsoft (device-button restart method depends on model).
Reinstall OneDrive from the App Store and sign in again

Disclaimer: Before performing any troubleshooting steps, please make sure to back up your important files and data. These actions may remove locally stored content or cached files. Microsoft and this guidance are not responsible for any data loss during the process. For cloud-stored files, verify that they are synced to OneDrive before proceeding.

I hope this will help with your situation. Please feel free to reach back if you have further update or more questions.

Best Regards,

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Katerina-N 6,775 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-13T16:16:26.8966667+00:00

Hello Susan Hall,

I wish you all the best today! I am writing this to follow up and see if you need any additional help. Hope everything goes well. If you need further assistance, please feel free to tag me. I will be happy to assist you.
Susan Hall 0 Reputation points

2026-02-13T17:25:39.8833333+00:00

Nothing so far has worked. I still have the upload pending / not enough online storage errors. I would like to find a way to delete a lot of these files, but they won’t delete until they upload.
Katerina-N 6,775 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-16T00:47:15.14+00:00

Hello Susan Hall,

I’m sorry that the issue is still not resolved. For me support you better, could you please let me know which steps you have already tried?

Also, did you face any difficulties or errors while following the steps above? If possible, please share a screenshot or any details you see on your screen.

Thank you for your patience, and I look forward to your response.
Susan Hall 0 Reputation points

2026-02-16T01:05:03.95+00:00

Here is everything I have tried so far:

1.Check OneDrive Storage- I have almost 1TB of available storage

2.Sync Issues-signed in and out of Excel &One Drive multiple times

3.File Properties-I can save the problem files elsewhere but not in OneDrive. Not sure what exact Excel properties would cause upload to be stuck.

4.Update Apps-excel and One Drive are running most recent versions.

5.Reboot Your Device- have rebooted iPad several times.

6.Reset the OneDrive account inside the OneDrive iOS app- did the reset in OneDrive several times.

7.Check iOS permission/settings that affect OneDrive’s ability to upload-did app refresh and checked settings.

8.If the OneDrive app is “stuck,” do the Microsoft-recommended iOS soft reset + reinstall sequence-I uninstalled and reinstalled Excel and OneDrive several times.

Is there any way I can delete the problem files without uploading them?
Katerina-N 6,775 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-17T01:06:49.1266667+00:00
Hello Susan Hall,

Thank you for your respond. As your concern, yes, you can delete those problem files without uploading them on iPad. You could try:

Option 1: Delete them from Excel’s local storage

This bypasses OneDrive completely.

Open Excel on the iPad

Tap Open → On My iPad (not OneDrive)

Find the problem file(s)

Tap Select (top right)

Select the file(s) → Delete

This deletes the local Excel file only. No upload attempt. No OneDrive interaction at all

Option 2: Delete from the iPad Files app

This is the most direct method.

Open Files app

Go to: On My iPad (or sometimes: On My iPad > Microsoft Excel)

Tap Delete

Instant deletion. No sync. No upload attempt

Please note: Avoid these — they will try to upload first:

Deleting from OneDrive tab in Excel

Deleting from OneDrive app

Renaming/moving files inside OneDrive locations

If you need further assistance, please feel free to tag me. I will be happy to assist you.

Those actions trigger sync before delete.
Susan Hall 0 Reputation points

2026-02-17T01:52:19.6966667+00:00

All the problem files in Excel are attempting to upload to one drive.

I can save a copy of these files to on my iPad or files and then delete them there, but the original uploading error files remain in Excel.

When I try to move them from excel to either on my iPad or files, the only option I get to move them to is OneDrive, I assume because that is where it is trying to upload.

I can’t get anything in to OneDrive because it thinks I am out of online storage when I am not. This is the real problem that I cannot solve.
Katerina-N 6,775 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-18T00:37:00.7333333+00:00
Hello Susan Hall,

Thank you for your respond. I am so sorry for the inconvenient.

With your case, because you have already attempted all the basic troubleshoot steps, therefore I suggest you contact Microsoft support for the further assistance.

Go to https://support.microsoft.com/contactus

Select Microsoft 365

Select OneDrive

Select For home

Click Contact support

Choose Chat with a support agent

Sign in with your Microsoft account (Outlook/Hotmail)

They can help you to check again your subscription and storage and walk you through the process of fixing this issue. Please understand that this is a user‑to‑user support forum. Moderators, contributors, and external Microsoft staff cannot directly intervene in Microsoft product features or access back‑end systems. Our role is limited to providing technical guidance on reported issues, requests, or ideas. Still, I will do my best to assist you with everything I can.

Have a nice day!

Answer 2

The error message "upload pending/ OneDrive, not enough online storage space" can occur even if you have sufficient storage available due to various reasons. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot this issue on your iPad:

Check OneDrive Storage: Ensure that your OneDrive account is not frozen or restricted. Sometimes accounts can be frozen if you haven't accessed them in a while or if you exceed your storage limit. You can check the status of your OneDrive account.
Sync Issues: Since you mentioned that signing in and out of the OneDrive and Excel apps did not resolve the issue, try checking the sync status of your OneDrive files. Sometimes, files may be stuck in a pending state due to connectivity issues.
File Properties: If your Excel files have specific properties that are causing issues, try saving them locally and then uploading them to OneDrive through the web interface. This can help bypass certain restrictions that may be causing the error.
Update Apps: Ensure that both the OneDrive and Excel apps are updated to the latest version. Sometimes, bugs in older versions can cause unexpected issues.
Reboot Your Device: Restarting your iPad can sometimes resolve temporary glitches that may be affecting the OneDrive app.

If the problem persists after trying these steps, you may want to contact Microsoft support for further assistance.

Susan Hall 0 Reputation points

2026-02-12T17:20:33.6766667+00:00

I have done all of these things and none of them fixed the problem.

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How do I get rid of an upload pending, not enough online storage space error on my iPad?

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