Sync Updates Not Working

[Donna62]

Although the initial sync from iCloud worked, later sync sessions do not update the database for either the owner nor shared-with users. In my database, the original iCloud sync worked, but a record added to the database on the Mac has not been updated in any synced copy of the database since the original sync. This includes copies on other Macs and on iOS–nothing has been updated beyond the original Mac version of the database, which was manually edited.

All devices except the original Mac had the databases downloaded from iCloud, so they should be updating.

[Brendan]

Hi Donna,

Hmm… ya, that should be working.

Can you try closing and re-opening the documents or reboot your devices to see if that works?

If not, try selecting None on the Sync Services screen on one device and then re-enable it. And then see if the other devices sync. If not do that on the other devices, waiting each time for each device to sync again.

If that doesn’t work, you could try setting it to None on every device. Then re-enable iCloud sync on one device at a time.

[Donna62]

I’m sorry, but I’ve tried all these things and more (like deleting everything and starting over from scratch with the old version 5 archive). There are still problems. I’m attaching screenshots of sync results for the desktop and the iPhone version of the same database, taken after about a five-minute lag time (you can see the sync times in the screenshots). You’ll notice there are two more references in the iPhone version because they had been removed from the desktop copy of the database about 5 minutes before the first screenshot was taken. So there had been multiple “syncs” between the time of the removal of the records and the second (iPhone) screenshot. It is now 20 minutes since the screenshot on the desktop was taken and I just checked my phone again—those two records have still not been removed from the synced copy on the iPhone, and I had closed the database AND the app between checks on the iPhone.

Along with this, when I first opened the iCloud version on the phone, it spontaneously created a new record in the database, with no data. That record would not sync back to the desktop until I added some data to it. When I tried to delete the record on the phone, the app crashed.

As a further test, I just deleted the copy on the iPhone and redownloaded it from iCloud to the iPhone again. The extra records are still showing, as if the changes were never uploaded from the desktop copy to iCloud, even using the File>Sync Now command.

I don’t know if it matters, but within Tap Forms the size of the file is given as 26.5MB but in finder it is given as 26.1MB. I don’t know if this is important, but it’s another difference.

If you have any questions or want archive copies of the database, let me know.

Attachments:

You must be logged in to view attached files.

[Missy Ketchum]

I am having the same issue. I have 232 records in my Taprooms Pro iPhone app but only 228 records in my desktop version. I add records using my phone so I can add photos, but these records are not syncing with my desktop app. I have closed the app, turned sync to NONE and then back to iCloud, nothing.

Attachments:

You must be logged in to view attached files.

[Donna62]

It’s still not syncing correctly. The best I can figure out, when I delete a record on any device, it is not actually deleted, although it appears to be deleted on that device. Instead, it becomes a blank record when the database is synced. Then I need to try to delete the blank record (on the Mac seems to work best) and hope it will stop “syncing back.”

In TF5 this database syncs perfectly across six devices.

[cd13]

Have the same problem. Between my iPad and iPhone the auto-sync loops and loops continuously. After about ten minutes I closed the app on the iPad, re-opened it and selected the manual sync in Tools; the sync worked. Switched to another database and had the same issue except the manual sync in tools did not work.

[Brendan]

The looping will happen for a while. It’s processing all the sync files generated. Just let it finish. It might seem a bit strange at first, but it will settle down.

I have fixed the delete record becomes blank record issue for the 1.0.5 update. Sorry for that issue.

[Donna62]

Thank you, Brendan!

[Jon Cage]

I am having simiilar sync issues as the folks on this thread. Are there more reliable sync options than iCloud or is this a programming issue from your end, Brendan?

[Brendan]

The sync framework I use (Ensembles) works mostly the same for each of the different sync services. But each sync service has a different way of getting the files to and from the devices and the cloud. Once the sync files reach the other devices, that’s when the processing of them is the same.

Are you allowing it to finish even if it looks like it’s doing a bunch of stuff for a while? The progress indicator can go across a bunch of times before it finishes completely.

You could also try disabling sync and then re-enabling it.

Or as a last resort, disable sync on each device, delete the sync data from iCloud (there’s a popup button on the Mac to do that and a trashcan on iOS to do that). You would only need to delete from iCloud on one device since that’s the central location that stores the sync data. You could also delete the document and re-download from the cloud if you just can’t get it going again for some reason.

Thanks,

Brendan

[Jon Cage]

I have tried to analyze what’s going on with the files. Chatgpt tells me I should have a Tap Forms diectory on my ipad and iphone under the files app under icloud drive where the sync zip file supposedly resides. But I do not have a Tap Forms directory on either device under icloud drive and I can’t find any sync zip files.
Could you explain what files I should see and where they should be on my iphone and ipad. Is chatgpt correct or in error?

[Jon Cage]

I noticed that on my iphone under ios settings, privacy & security, files & folders, that Tap Forms Pro shows up and is on, but on my ipad Tap Forms Pro does not even show up in the app lists. Not sure why since Tap Forms Pro is loaded on my ipad and not sure if this has anything to do with sync problems with the ipad. How do I get TFP to show up in this setting on my ipad?

[Brendan]

ChatGPT has out of date information. In Tap Forms version 1 I used to write files to an iCloud folder in iCloud Drive. So you would see a Tap Forms folder there. But no longer. Tap Forms uses Apple’s CloudKit service to sync with iCloud.

But Tap Forms Pro should show up in your “Saved to iCloud” area in the Settings app.

Attachments:

You must be logged in to view attached files.

[Brendan]

Also, when you go to the iCloud Documents screen in Tap Forms Pro, the list of files you see there are actually database entries listed in a special table in CloudKit.

[Donna62]

Sorry, but I’m having problems with Sync again. I have a database I previously set up under an older build with a document password and a sync password, and it is working without problems.

However, today when I tried to set up a new password-protected OR sync-password-protected database, it won’t sync. I’ve tried just a password, a password and sync password, and just a sync password variations, and none of them will work. (I also turned off syncing and deleted the copy in iCloud between changes.) If I remove all password protection, it syncs without problems.

The way the problem appears is different on a Mac and iOS. On Mac, the sync finishes, but there are no forms or records in the database. Closing and reopening the database makes no difference. On iOS, the sync never finishes, the wheel just keeps spinning.

Other than the fact that the working database was set up under a previous build, the only other significant difference between the databases is that the new one contains text and photos while the older working one contains just text. It’s a very small database, with about ten records, so I cannot see the size as being the cause of the problem, and I have over 50G of storage space open on iCloud.

I’m out of ideas to try at this point. Is anybody else had this problem? If yes, did you find a way to fix it?

Thanks in advance.

[Gattopardi]

I don’t know if this could be affecting the failed synchronization, but I’ve noticed that the timestamp on my backups is twenty-four hours ahead: July 7 instead of July 6.Perhaps the synchronization timestamp is also incorrect?

[pwpphoto]

I will agree the syncing is terrible. initial sync seems ok but later syncs I find data is missing that should not be missing and data that has become corrupt.

[Dave Symington]

I’m having problems with sync too. On iPad my form works well; on Mac it has missing values from fields.

[Author]

Posts