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Should there be a proactive way to trigger an iCloud sync across devices?

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12 Comments

  • Rexford J. Gibbs - 2 years ago

    There's already a means for force a sync and is better than nothing - until we have an Apple solution.

    This ruby script forces an iCloud sync:

    ## force-sync-icloud.rb
    # ---------------------
    Dir.chdir "$HOME/Library/Application Support" do
    system("pwd")
    # 'system' sets the global variable $? to the exit status of its sub-process.
    puts $?
    # 'bird' is the daemon that syncs iCloud documents
    system("killall bird")
    puts $?
    system("rm -rf CloudDocs-Old")
    puts $?
    system("mv CloudDocs CloudDocs-Old")
    puts $?
    system("brctl log -w")
    end

    This suggestion from Dwight McKay also works:
    Cf https://www.thoughtco.com/commenting-ruby-code-2908193

    In the Mac Terminal program (in the Utilities folder), type:
    killall bird
    cd ~/Library/Application\ Support
    mv CloudDocs CloudDocs-Old
    brctl log -w

    If everything goes well, then you can delete the CloudDocs-Old folder afterwards in Terminal:
    cd ~/Library/Application\ Support rm -rf CloudDocs-Old

    If something goes wrong you can recover the CloudDocs-Old folder:
    cd ~/Library/Application\ Support rm -rf CloudDocs mv CloudDocs-Old CloudDocs

    You can find more information at Dwight's page:
    * bird is the daemon that syncs iCloud documents
    * ~/Library/Application Support/CloudDocs contains the iCloud meta-data store

  • Andrew K - 3 years ago

    Replying to Bill from 2 years ago!

    **Also, does iCloud have any rollback feature? Like when you kid accidentally deletes a bunch of contacts. It should really have versioning.**

    That wasn't my scenario, but it wasn't far off. And I was stuck. Some vital information had disappeared from Notes.

    I rang Apple Support, in desperation. The lady I spoke to asked me a couple - literally - of questions about the contents of the particular note that I was looking for and my missing information was back in my Note, on my Mac, in less than 5 minutes.

    She wouldn't tell me how she did it. She just said that Support have certain tools at their disposal.

    I was very grateful!

  • Frederik Hansen - 3 years ago

    It would be nice that the sync that is currently there stays put that you could right click and choose to remove local copy or force to sync immediately, and not wait for the best time according to the smart sync. Not sure why apple doesn’t have this feature. From a programmers perspective it wouldn’t be that hard to implement

  • Susan Rushworth - 3 years ago

    I have this problem with photos. My daughter has the good camera and she air drops photos to my iphone, then I have to wait until icloud chooses to sync them. This is really annoying when you're working on a project like a photo book as I am now and trying to get all the photos in one place.

  • Daryl Boggs - 3 years ago

    If I can update my address book by swiping down, why not the same with my reminders? All of my family are on ios14.3, so that negates Apples argument of needing to be on the same, or most recent version. This has given me the iris since the inception of Reminders. Yes, it is quite often prompted to update by leaving the app and asking my address book to synch, but not always. Just make it work Apple - surely it can't be that hard!!!

  • Charles Knobloch - 4 years ago

    If not an overt gesture or command, there needs to be better indication that a folder is NOT sync'd. Apple also needs to have better sync prioritization. Use case example: On an iPad, an Attachment from an email is saved to a new icloud subfolder. User then goes to laptop (MBP) to open the attachment and work on it. There is NO indication that the folder is NOT sync'd. Instead, the entire subfolder simply does not exist at all. Other files, folders, etc may be sync'ing in the background --- but no priority appears to be given to the currently incomplete folder that the user opened.

    What would be ideal is that the folder have a different border or color to indicate that it KNOWS that it is not yet sync'd, and that "sync-focus" has been given to getting that folder up-to-date. Likewise, an indicator if the folder is unable to tell if it is up-to-date and if it is not capable of being sync'd (such as lack of network connection).

    "It just works" is beautiful, as long as Apple is able to make a functionality actually "just work". When it is not possible to achieve "it just works", there needs to first be a passive way to keep the user informed and in control (not "silent", as Apple tends to favor). If a passive way is not possible, then there needs to be an overt way for the user to exert imperative control (e.g., swipe gesture, button click, etc).

    Before I became a patent attorney, I first ran into this above problem in the early 80's, when creating a multi-user platform on a mainframe. The internal flagging and other coordination and bookkeeping is no small task -- so, now is the perfect time to start working on the user face of Apple's sync'ing features.

  • Lee Carter - 4 years ago

    I think a Gesture is the Best option. To "Drag down" on the app seems to be about as prevalent, for updating most apps, as any.

  • Bill - 5 years ago

    I just think that iCloud is still implemented in a BRAIN DEAD way. Why should I have to constantly worry whether one of my devices is updating? Shouldn't iCloud have a built in consistency check and self-repair protocols. Also, does iCloud have any rollback feature? Like when you kid accidentally deletes a bunch of contacts. It should really have versioning. We all pay money for this feature in inflated hardware costs (and with the new Mac Pro, they are more inflated than ever). Acceptance of substandard performance is unacceptable.

  • Stephen - 5 years ago

    No, Apple should just fix syncing so it works as expected.

  • Eric - 5 years ago

    I notice that iCloud does not sync when on a dying battery probably to conserve battery life. The only issue with mine is that network passwords won’t sync from my iPhone to my MacBook Air.

  • Duncan Clark - 5 years ago

    I’ve never had a problem with just using iCloud back up now as a forced sync. I click it on the first device, then when it finishes on the second device, then if I need a two direction sync, I click it again on the first device. I’ve never not have everything sync when i do this....

  • Ron - 5 years ago

    My biggest issue is Address Book. All my devices are set to iCloud but I still need to add a new contact on at least two if not most of my devices. It seems to be random which devices will sync with which. At a minimum, I need to add a new contact on my iPhone and my desktop Mac Pro. Most of the time the new contact will propagate to my iPads and MacBooks.

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