Guides
Syncing across devices
Keep your tasks in step through storage you control — no server, no lock-in.
Sync keeps your tasks, projects, notes and files in step across your Macs. It works differently from most apps: there's no Todebaran sync server. Instead, your devices exchange changes through a storage location you choose and control. Your data is never parked on someone else's server.
Choose a backend#
Open Settings → Sync and pick how your devices talk to each other:
| Backend | Good for |
|---|---|
| Shared folder | The easy path — point it at an iCloud Drive or Dropbox folder that already syncs between your Macs. |
| WebDAV | Your own WebDAV server (URL, username, password). |
| S3 | An S3-compatible bucket (endpoint, region, bucket, keys). |
Every device must point at the same location. With a shared folder, choose the same iCloud/Dropbox folder on each Mac.
Don't have a location yet?
Setting up your sync storage walks you through getting one for free — a shared folder, an S3 bucket (Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, Amazon S3), or WebDAV — with the exact values to enter here.
One location per pipe
Give each thing its own location: don't point your own device sync and a shared space at the same folder or bucket. Reuse one for two purposes and Todebaran will refuse it rather than tangle them.
Adding another Mac#
Once one Mac is syncing, bring a second one in:
- Install Todebaran and sign in to Pro on the new Mac.
- Open Settings → Sync and choose the same backend and location as the first Mac — the same iCloud/Dropbox folder, or the same WebDAV/S3 details.
- Wait for the first round to finish. The new Mac pulls everything down; the Status section shows the progress and settles on Up to date.
That's it — from now on both Macs stay in step automatically. You can repeat this for any number of Macs.
Set up fresh, don't copy
Set up each Mac by installing the app and turning on sync — don't copy Todebaran's data folder from one Mac to another. A copied install looks like a duplicate device and Todebaran has to re-register it, which just slows things down.
How it keeps up#
Sync is automatic. Changes are sent a few seconds after you make them, and Todebaran also checks periodically, on wake, and when you focus the window. There's a Sync Now button when you want to force a round.
Sync runs while Todebaran is open. Edits you make offline are saved on your Mac and sent the next time the app is running with a connection — a Mac that's closed won't sync until you reopen it, and then it catches up automatically.
The Status section shows the current backend, when it last synced, and how many changes are still waiting.
When two devices disagree#
Todebaran merges changes field by field, so edits rarely collide. Rename a task on one Mac while you reschedule it on another and both changes survive — they touched different fields. Only when two devices change the same field does one have to win, and the most recent edit does.
Deleting wins over an edit made around the same time: if one Mac deletes a task while another is still editing it, the task goes — but it lands in the Trash, so it's recoverable for 30 days.
Images and attachments#
Your tasks and slips sync first; the images and files attached to them follow right behind. Until an attachment finishes downloading on a device, you'll see a placeholder where it'll be — it fills in on its own once the file arrives. Large files simply take longer. See Files & attachments for the file library itself.
What stays on each Mac#
Sync carries your content — tasks, projects, notes, tags, slips and their files. Your app settings don't sync: window layout, printer setup, AI keys and similar preferences are set per device, so each Mac stays configured the way you want it there.
Your data in that storage#
Sync writes your data to the location you chose as plain, unencrypted files — much like a folder of documents sitting there. Todebaran doesn't add an encryption layer of its own, so treat that storage as you would any folder holding your notes: anyone with access to the folder, bucket or WebDAV server can read what's in it. Pick a location you trust accordingly.
Your credentials are the exception — WebDAV passwords and S3 secrets live in your Mac's Keychain, never travel to the storage, and never leave the device in the clear.
Your devices#
The Devices section lists everything syncing through the location. You can rename a device, or Forget one you no longer use — that removes it from the list and cleans up its sync files without touching any data it already synced.
Turning it off#
Turn sync off any time. Your local data stays exactly where it is, and your other devices keep their copies. You can turn it back on whenever you like.
To share specific projects with other people rather than sync your own devices, see Shared spaces. If something's out of step, see Sync isn't working.