Sync isn't working

Todebaran syncs through a storage location you control — a shared folder, WebDAV or S3 — rather than a central server. So when sync looks out of step, the usual cause is that two devices aren't truly pointing at the same place. Work through the checks below. (New to sync? Start with Syncing across devices.)

First checks#

1. Confirm every device uses the same backend and location. With a shared folder, it must be the same iCloud Drive or Dropbox folder on each Mac — not two folders that merely have the same name.
2. Check your internet connection (and, for a shared folder, that iCloud/Dropbox itself is up to date and finished syncing that folder).
3. Make sure both devices run a recent version — see the changelog.

Check the status#

Open Settings → Sync and look at the Status section:

• Up to date — you're synced; the issue may be elsewhere.
• Waiting for cloud files… — your shared folder provider (iCloud/Dropbox) hasn't finished downloading changes yet. Give it a moment; if it sticks, see Shared folder: keep files downloaded.
• Error — expand it for the reason; often a WebDAV/S3 credential or a folder that's no longer reachable.
• App update required — another device is on a newer version. Update this one.

Press Sync Now to force a round rather than waiting for the next automatic one, and check Last sync and the count of changes still waiting.

Shared folder: keep files downloaded#

The most common shared-folder snag is on-demand storage. If iCloud Drive or Dropbox keeps files online-only to save space, Todebaran can't read them and sync stalls on Waiting for cloud files….

• iCloud: turn off Optimise Mac Storage (System Settings → your name → iCloud → Drive), or right-click the sync folder in Finder and choose Keep Downloaded.
• Dropbox: set the sync folder to Local (Make available offline) rather than Online-only.

WebDAV and S3#

• WebDAV login fails. On Nextcloud (and similar), generate an app password for Todebaran instead of using your account password.
• Self-signed certificates aren't supported. A WebDAV server with a self-signed certificate won't connect — use one your Mac already trusts.
• S3 region errors. A wrong region shows up as a redirect/region error; set the region your bucket lives in (for Cloudflare R2, that's auto).

Still stuck?#

• Toggle sync off and on in Settings → Sync. Your local data stays intact.
• Restart the app on the affected device.
• Check the Mac's clock is set correctly (Set time and date automatically in System Settings → General → Date & Time). A badly wrong clock can make a device's changes look like they're from the future and quietly not reach the others.
• For a shared folder, open the iCloud/Dropbox folder in Finder and confirm files are actually present and downloaded there.
• If it persists, contact support with the approximate time the change was made — it helps us trace it.