Syncing Gospel Library across multiple devices...

Back in the day, when I first got an iPhone, after downloading Gospel Library, I never thought I would get an iPad or multiple devices on which to use it so I checked the box to decline synching across devices. Now that I have iPad mini, I would love to sync to that device as well and save my notes/bookmarks, etc. But I don't know how to change my original decision. Any ideas out there on how to do this?

You can just sign in with your LDS Account under Settings, then it will sync all of your notes.

I have logged in on lds.org and can see all of my bookmarks and highlights there that I have done on my iPhone and iPad. However, neither my iPhone nor my iPad has synced with the same bookmarks and highlights I have made on each one of those devices to the other.

Any idea how I can correct this?

Same general problem: Windows 8.1 Gospel Library (GL) app, annotations not synching with GL on Android device.

It's interesting that the annotations I make on Android device WILL Synch to Windows 8.1 GL app, but not from Windows 8.1 GL to Android.

UPDATE: just discovered that if I log out of Android GL, then log back in (didn't have to close app), synchronization takes place (5-8 seconds), SUCCESS! Fully synched to Windows 8.1 GL annotations.

Thank you!

In my case, only some of my notations on my iPad make it to the LDS.org website notes. I have logged out of my iPad a number of times since I read that this might help, but still no syncing. Does anyone have any insight on this? I use the LDS.org website for some of my study and then my iPad for some so it is challenging when they don't sync. Thoughts anyone?

I posted notes last week on my Windows version of the app, then tried to sync. The app didn't tell me it couldn't sync, so I tried syncing from the app on my Android phone, and it told me the sync was successful -- but the notes I had added via Windows did not appear on the phone. I finally realized I wasn't logged in on the Windows app, so I logged in and retried the sync. This time, the "last updated" date/time changed. Success! Or so I thought. Upon review, all my new notes on the Windows app had been wiped out. Today, I made sure I was logged in on the Windows app, added a note, successfully completed a sync there, and then synced on my Android phone, and the Windows notes appeared as hoped/expected. So, I entered a few more notes on my Windows app, synced them to the server, then synced my phone, and those new notes appeared on my phone as well. Then, I logged into lds.org and viewed some of my notes in the Notebook just for fun, thinking it would sure be great if I could view the notes in context with the scriptures online as well as via the mobile apps. I returned to adding notes in my Windows app, clicked Sync again, and some of my notes disappeared! So, it seems that last week's and today's experiences indicate bugs in the sync process. Does anyone have any better info or guidance on that?

Found this in another post and it worked:

I had a similar issue with mine, and found success with deleting the app, then re-downloading and signing in again

I think the issue is probably that when transferring to my new phone, some information was cached that made the app think the content was already sync'd.

The sync issue is still a problem. I have a copy of the Gospel Library on my Windows 10 desktop and on my iphone 6 - the iphone tells me that it "synched just seconds ago." and the Windows 10 version tells me it sync 1 minuted ago - and then when I log in to my LDS account on Chrome - I have three sets of markings. The ones that are on Chrome make absolutely no sense - random spaces are highlighted, important words dropped, just some "the"s marked. if we need to log in an out to get latest sync - seems there should be a better way to keep devices together.

djdickson wrote:The sync issue is still a problem. I have a copy of the Gospel Library on my Windows 10 desktop and on my iphone 6 - the iphone tells me that it "synched just seconds ago." and the Windows 10 version tells me it sync 1 minuted ago - and then when I log in to my LDS account on Chrome - I have three sets of markings. The ones that are on Chrome make absolutely no sense - random spaces are highlighted, important words dropped, just some "the"s marked. if we need to log in an out to get latest sync - seems there should be a better way to keep devices together.

There's a bug currently on LDS.org where different words show as highlighted depending on whether or not the "Show/Hide Footnotes" option is on. That could explain why you're seeing words like "the" marked. When footnote links on LDS.org are on, in my experience, it matches what's highlighted in the app.

I had lots of annotations on my iPod and when I got my new phone I would log in and nothing would appear so I logged out and logged in again and I waited. Under my username I saw syncing annotations ... and it wouldn't do it

mrfew43002 wrote:I had lots of annotations on my iPod and when I got my new phone I would log in and nothing would appear so I logged out and logged in again and I waited. Under my username I saw syncing annotations ... and it wouldn't do it

Was your iPod ever signed in?
Do you see your annotations if you sign in at LDS.org?

ebyers wrote:In my case, only some of my notations on my iPad make it to the LDS.org website notes. I have logged out of my iPad a number of times since I read that this might help, but still no syncing. Does anyone have any insight on this? I use the LDS.org website for some of my study and then my iPad for some so it is challenging when they don't sync. Thoughts anyone?

I deleted the app (iPhone) and after downloading it again, it completely synced. Yea!! Thanks!!

Is there a button to sync across my android and PC (Windows 10) or does is it supposed to just happen when you login to the PC? Right now there is no sync between the two.

Both are supposed to sync to LDS.org. Butb that requires that you input your ldsaccount into GL.

Make sure you're using the same ldsaccount on both devices.

I took my laptop to institute today and typed in a bunch of notes. When I got home, it wouldn't sync. I clicked on the menu and hit reset settings (as was suggested by an online user). I went back into JS-H and the notes were there ... for about 30 seconds. Then everything disappeared!! I can't find them anywhere. Please help!

Also, I have a desktop, a laptop, and a phone. How does GL keep everything straight when syncing? This is the first time I ever tried to sync from anything other than my desktop. Do I always need to sync from only one computer? How does it know what information to push/pull. For example, if I type a note on my desktop then delete it on my phone then type another note in another place on my desktop, how does it know whether to keep or delete the note?

Thanks,
Mary

mtaylor36 wrote:I took my laptop to institute today and typed in a bunch of notes. When I got home, it wouldn't sync. I clicked on the menu and hit reset settings (as was suggested by an online user). I went back into JS-H and the notes were there ... for about 30 seconds. Then everything disappeared!! I can't find them anywhere. Please help!

Also, I have a desktop, a laptop, and a phone. How does GL keep everything straight when syncing? This is the first time I ever tried to sync from anything other than my desktop. Do I always need to sync from only one computer? How does it know what information to push/pull. For example, if I type a note on my desktop then delete it on my phone then type another note in another place on my desktop, how does it know whether to keep or delete the note?

Thanks,
Mary

Is it Gospel Library for Windows you were using when things wouldn't sync and disappeared? (iOS Gospel Library doesn't have a "reset settings" option.)

Annotation sync uses "last modified date" timestamps to know what needs to be synced up and down. Each installation of Gospel Library keeps track of when it last synced, and the next time it connects to the sync server to sync, it sends up everything modified on the device since that date, and fetches everything modified on other devices since that date. If the same annotation is edited on two different devices at the same time (before either device is able to sync), the one with the most recent modified date will "win."

sbradshaw wrote:Annotation sync uses "last modified date"

Is that in UTC or is that subject to time zone and DST issues?

On a Win10 machine, it's possible that the clock is correct as far as local time, but the time zone is incorrect resulting in a wrong UTC.

For knowing which annotations to sync down, the app uses a timestamp provided by the server the last time you synced. The next time the app syncs, it provides that timestamp to the server, and the server sends down everything it's received since (no matter what the timestamps on the individual annotations are).

For knowing which annotations to sync up, the app uses a timestamp generated on the device the last time you synced, and keeps track of the modified dates of individual annotations on that device. The annotations that were modified since, according to the device clock's time, will sync up. There may be hiccups sending up annotations if the time zone or clock changes on the device before you have a chance to sync – but even if those annotations don't sync up, they should remain on the device.

That said, my experience is mainly with the iOS and Android apps – the Windows app may connect to the sync service differently.

I am still experiencing sync problems as noted above. I've tried to close the apps. Log in again. Still missing links and highlights from one device to the other. Is this still a bug?

Yes... it would be nice to have someone from the church respond concerning this problem. It seems reasonable to have a "Sync" button to force a sync.

davidwhipple50 wrote:Yes... it would be nice to have someone from the church respond concerning this problem.

The Tech Forum is primarily user-to-user help and support. There is little change anyone with responsibility for, or have authority to speak for, the app will ever see this thread. The official method to give feedback is to use the in-app feedback.

davidwhipple50 wrote:It seems reasonable to have a "Sync" button to force a sync.

You can force a sync by signing out of the app and then sign back in. The issue with that method is the loss of data that has not been synced with the website.

I have my scriptures on an IPhone, IPAD, and Kindle. I am trying to since my kindle with the others. My verification says my name or password is wrong. So I changed my password on all my accounts and it still will not let me in.. I can sign into my gospel account on the Church website on my kindle, but when I try to sync my scriptures, I receive the error message. Help!!

davidwhipple50 wrote:Yes... it would be nice to have someone from the church respond concerning this problem. It seems reasonable to have a "Sync" button to force a sync.

iOS Gospel Library now has a way to force a sync – if you go to the main library screen, you can pull downward, which will show a spinner, then check for content updates and do an annotation sync. Pulling to refresh in Notes > All also does an annotation sync.

I just purchased a new Samsung Galaxy A42 5G cell phone and when I opened my scriptures, all of the notations that I have made over the years are gone. Is there anyway that I can sync my phone to the Gospel Library app and retrieve it back, and if so, please walk me through the steps. Thank you.

mcdonaldlaureljean1 wrote: Wed Sep 15, 2021 11:12 am I just purchased a new Samsung Galaxy A42 5G cell phone and when I opened my scriptures, all of the notations that I have made over the years are gone. Is there anyway that I can sync my phone to the Gospel Library app and retrieve it back, and if so, please walk me through the steps. Thank you.

Make sure your devices are all logged into the same church account.

The Gospel Library app on my Samsung Galaxy phone has quit syncing with my laptop and android tablet. All devices are logged into the same church account.

abair135 wrote: Wed Sep 29, 2021 8:39 am The Gospel Library app on my Samsung Galaxy phone has quit syncing with my laptop and android tablet. All devices are logged into the same church account.

It sounds like the issue is on your Samsung phone, since it's the odd one out of the three devices.

Do you have notes or annotations on your Samsung phone that aren't on your other devices, or is it the other way around? Where do you do most of your studying?

You could try signing out on your Samsung phone, then signing back in. However, any annotations that are only on your Samsung phone – that have not synced to your tablet and laptop – would be deleted.

I logged in on my new phone, and it synced to where it was several months ago. I logged into it on the computer, since the old phone had already been factory reset, hoping it would pull back up my current notations. Unfortunately, it synced on the new phone, so the computer pulled up the old data,too.