[Bug]: 3.17.0 - MacOS Finder shows “Nextcloud is signed out” for Virtual Files domain; client UI stuck at “0.00 GB of 0.00 GB”

[AbramPro]

⚠️ Before submitting, please verify the following: ⚠️

• This is a bug, not a question or a configuration issue.
• This issue is not already reported on Github (I've searched it).
• Nextcloud Server and Desktop Client are up to date. See Server Maintenance and Release Schedule and Desktop Releases for supported versions.
• I agree to follow Nextcloud's Code of Conduct

Bug description

Environment

• Nextcloud Desktop (macOS VFS) version: [e.g., 3.17.0 or 3.16.7 — please fill in]
• Working fallback version: 3.16.6 (downgrading restores normal behavior). ([Wikipedia]1)
• Server version: [fill in]
• macOS: [e.g., 15.x Sequoia / 14.x Sonoma — please fill in]
• Hardware: [Mac model, Apple Silicon/Intel]
• Networking: [any VPN/proxy?]

Summary

Virtual Files stopped working on macOS: in Finder (under Locations) the Nextcloud domain shows “Nextcloud is signed out.” The desktop app itself remains signed in and reports no account error, but the Virtual files settings page shows “Local storage use: 0.00 GB of 0.00 GB remote files synced.” Resetting/cleaning the VFS environment does not help.
Regular (non-VFS) sync works fine; the problem is specific to Virtual Files. Downgrading the macOS VFS build to 3.16.6 immediately fixes it.

This matches other recent reports where Finder’s VFS domain appears “signed out” while the client says syncing is OK.

For reference: Nextcloud’s macOS VFS uses Apple’s File Provider and exposes a separate “domain” under Finder Locations—that’s the area showing as “signed out.”

Actual behavior

• Finder’s Nextcloud domain under Locations shows “Nextcloud is signed out.”
• Virtual Files page in the client shows 0.00 GB of 0.00 GB; no files appear via VFS.
• Resetting the VFS environment and removing the client data folder does not recover the domain.
• Non-VFS sync continues to work.

(Behavior is consistent with this report where Finder says “signed out” while the client claims “All synced.”)

Regression?

• It worked earlier the same day on the same machine. Later that day it stopped working without any local config changes.
• Downgrading to 3.16.6 restores correct behavior; re-updating reproduces the failure. ([Wikipedia]1)

What I tried (no change)

• Toggled Enable virtual files off/on.
• Reset virtual files environment (client UI) and rebooted.
• Deleted the Nextcloud desktop client data folder (e.g., ~/Library/Group Containers/com.nextcloud.desktopclient), then re-added the account.
• Fully removed/reinstalled the app.
• Verified that classic (non-VFS) sync still works.

Screenshots

• Finder: “Nextcloud is signed out.” (Locations)
• Client → Virtual files: “Local storage use: 0.00 GB of 0.00 GB remote files synced” and Reset virtual files environment button visible.

Logs

If helpful, I can attach client logs from the time the domain appears “signed out.” [Attach nextcloud desktop logs from macOS.]

Additional notes / hypothesis

Given macOS VFS relies on Apple’s File Provider and registers a Finder domain, this looks like the domain gets into a “signed out” state even though the client session is valid (a state similar to #7614).

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If you want, I can trim this to exactly match your versions/mac model once you fill in the bracketed fields.

Steps to reproduce

1. Install Nextcloud Desktop for macOS (Virtual Files build) version [problematic version].
2. Ensure Enable virtual files is checked (default).
3. Open Finder → Locations → Nextcloud (the File Provider domain).
4. Observe the badge/text “Nextcloud is signed out.”
5. In the desktop app, open Settings → Virtual files: the Local storage use reads 0.00 GB of 0.00 GB.
6. Try Reset virtual files environment and restart macOS.
7. Finder still shows “signed out.”
8. Disable Virtual Files and test a normal (fully downloaded) sync job → it works.
9. Re-install 3.16.6 macOS-vfs → Finder domain works again; VFS resumes normal sync. ([Wikipedia]1)

Expected behavior

• Finder’s Nextcloud domain should be signed in and browseable when the desktop client is authenticated.
• Virtual Files page should show a valid remote size and sync state.

Which files are affected by this bug

all

Operating system

macOS

Which version of the operating system you are running.

15.6

Package

Official macOS 12+ universal pkg

Nextcloud Server version

31.0.7

Nextcloud Desktop Client version

3.17.0

Is this bug present after an update or on a fresh install?

Updated to a major version (ex. 3.3.6 to 3.4.0)

Are you using the Nextcloud Server Encryption module?

Encryption is Enabled

Are you using an external user-backend?

• Default internal user-backend
• LDAP/ Active Directory
• SSO - SAML
• Other

Nextcloud Server logs

Additional info

No response

[jpros]

+1 with this issue. Can help with info if needed.

[AbramPro]

+1 with this issue. Can help with info if needed.

Yes, It would be nice. What is the solution?

[jpros]

@AbramPro I also have the issue. I don't know the solution.

[luddinho]

+1 with this issue.

[i2h3]

@AbramPro we already have reports with the same symptoms and it apparently is related to now the client app manages the file provider domains and the interprocess communication works (or breaks). Though, it can have a lot of different root causes, the "signed out" error bubbling up to the system, surfacing in Finder, might not be the exact problem. Can you please provide client logs? Actually, I am interested in only one particular log file: the one from the file provider extension.

Given macOS VFS relies on Apple’s File Provider and registers a Finder domain, this looks like the domain gets into a “signed out” state even though the client session is valid (a state similar to #7614).

The main app process only injects credentials into the file provider extension process once at the launch of the latter's run time through interprocess communication. The rest is functionally independent from each other (file provider extension and main app). Hence the file provider extension can have an issue in this regard while the main app is working fine. Something appears to be working unreliably in regard to file provider domain management and interprocess communication but I could not figure out yet what since I took over that project part a few weeks ago.

[luddinho]

I am interested in only one particular log file: the one from the file provider extension.

Where to find the log of the file provider extension?
Is it also located at $HOME/Library/Preferences/Nextcloud/logs
If yes, which is the keyword for searching in the log?

[i2h3]

Where to find the log of the file provider extension?

That's the thing: the file provider extension does not log to a file (yet, #8546 is about that) but the unified logging system which writes to a protected database from entries are extracted programmatically only on demand. In this case, when you create a log archive in the main app settings window. That should also contain a file named like macOS_vfs_<username>.log.