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Disconnect between the sync button and an actual sync

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andy

01 Nov, 2014 08:24 PM

On the iOS app (iPad and iPhone) there seems to be a disconnect between the sync button and iCloud syncing. If I go in to the app (having added a load of cards on my Mac) and click the circular arrow sync button. A little progress bar fills up and then nothing has changed.

If I then go to the Library slideout view I can see that the iCloud status is "downloading". Eventually when that finishes, I can then click the sync arrows icon, again the progress bar fills up and then it finishes still no different. Then about a minute later (or if I come out of the app and back in) then it's all updated.

So, from a user's point of view I'd like to see it work more like this - if iCloud is automatically syncing then immediately show the progress bar (to show the user it's currently syncing, there's no need to press the sync button). The progress bar should only be 100% full and revert to a sync button when the changes are downloaded, synced across and updated in the app.

Also - I went on my iPhone earlier and did a slideshow (of 114 items, bring my due count to 0). I then made sure everything was synced up (hit the sync button, waited for the progress bar, checked a minute later and the iCloud status still seemed to be up to date). Then I went to my Mac, gave it a few minutes (as there's no manual sync button it seems on the Mac app) and still had 114 due? It may be a coincidence (I have a case with 14 in it, so it may have just done those in the other order and 100 from the main case), but it seems like my getting through the due count on iOS was just lost/ignored from the Mac's point of view.

I love the apps, I really do - I just can't fathom how to properly sync things and know when it returns to a particular state that everything is actually done-done syncing.

1. 1 Posted by support on 02 Nov, 2014 05:21 AM

   

   Hi Andy,

   Thank you for writing in. We'll look into this issue, the sync button is only there as an extra and you shouldn't have to use it at all. The best way to force a sync is opening the app. iCloud sync can be a bit strange and it can take a few minutes before the data is moved over. We're continuously working on improving both the speed an reliability of it.

   Best,

   Sam R. — The Mental Faculty support

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2. support closed this discussion on 02 Nov, 2014 05:21 AM.

3. andy re-opened this discussion on 02 Nov, 2014 10:34 PM

4. 2 Posted by andy on 02 Nov, 2014 10:34 PM

   

   How about following 1Password's lead and allowing sync via a bundle on Dropbox?

   I've just added more notes (347) and studied all my due notes again. However on the iPhone I can't get it to go up from 280 total notes and it thinks I have 95 to study.

   I switched from another flash card app because the syncing wasn't very good and it looks like this one is no better. At this rate it looks like I'm going to have to write my own...

   It's a shame because it's such a nice app, but if the syncing between devices (on the current versions) is broken then it kind of defeats the whole point of having syncing apps.

   Here's a link to the dropbox sync API in case it helps (maybe provide it as an option for those of us that are fed up with iCloud's flaky syncing) https://www.dropbox.com/developers/sync

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5. 3 Posted by andy on 02 Nov, 2014 10:36 PM

   

   7 minutes after I opened the app after maybe 20 clicks on the sync button, now in the iCloud settings it shows it as syncing...

   Syncing via Dropbox would completely stop this problem (as 1Password's syncing works flawlessly for everyone I know) making it a killer app.

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6. 4 Posted by support on 03 Nov, 2014 12:12 PM

   

   Hi Andy,

   Thank you for writing back in. We're considering adding Dropbox sync to the app. We apologise for the frustration caused.

   Best,

   Sam R. — The Mental Faculty support

   • Edit

7. support closed this discussion on 03 Nov, 2014 12:12 PM.