Mac not receiving remote changes from other devices syncing

Noffica
Noffica
Community Member
edited January 2018 in Mac

1Password preferences, when launched, showed the last sync to be 4 days ago.
It just sat there and simply would not sync. Only when I locked the vault then unlocked it did it sync.

So, is there a way to manually trigger a sync operation?


1Password Version: 6.5.3
Extension Version: 4.6.3
OS Version: macOS 10.12.3
Sync Type: iCloud
Referrer: forum-search:Sync

Comments

  • rudy
    edited February 2017

    @noffica,

    There isn't a specific button to manually trigger as sync. Sync will happen when Locking and Unlocking, or editing an item.

    Rudy

  • Noffica
    Noffica
    Community Member

    So, how does one know if 1Password has synced? There is no indication unless one remembers to access Preferences.

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    @Noffica: Regardless of the sync method you're using for an individual local vault, it's automatic, so there's no need to babysit it. But as you mentioned you can find information on the when a given local vault was last sync'd in Preferences > Sync. But ultimately the point of sync is to be able to access our data across all of our devices, so I find that to be more satisfying. If your data isn't syncing to a device for some reason, be sure to let us know the details so we can help you narrow down the problem! With iCloud we don't have any real control over it, but we can certainly help determine the cause and point out in the right direction. :)

  • Noffica
    Noffica
    Community Member

    Quite often, 1Password does not sync the latest changes in the background. The browser extensions or the menu bar mini-app do not show the latest stuff.
    When 1Password is launched, the latest changes still do not sync; upon launching Preferences, I see the time of the last sync is quite old.

    Locking and unlocking the vault triggers a sync immediately.

  • Drew_AG
    Drew_AG
    1Password Alumni

    Hi @Noffica,

    1Password doesn't sync until it's unlocked, so if you make a change from another device, then unlock 1Password on your Mac and don't see the change right away, it's possible that it simply needs a few more moments to complete the sync. Is it possible that helps to explain why you aren't seeing changes sync right away?

    As Rudy mentioned above, editing an item (or adding/deleting an item) will also trigger a sync. If you have multiple vaults, sync should also be triggered if you switch from one vault to another. But even if you're not actively making changes or navigating the 1Password app, CloudKit should notify 1Password if/when changes are available. We don't really have control over that, so it can be difficult to tell if CloudKit simply hasn't alerted 1Password of the change, or why.

    If you don't think it's working as it should, there are a couple general (and easy) troubleshooting steps you can try to see if they help. First, you can open the main 1Password app and go to Help > Troubleshooting > Restart 1Password mini. If there still seems to be a problem after that, it might also help to reboot your Mac.

    It sounds like the problem doesn't happen every time, so once you try that, give it some time to see if you notice any difference. Let us know how it all goes, thanks! :)

  • Noffica
    Noffica
    Community Member

    That does nothing but lock the valut.

  • Noffica
    Noffica
    Community Member
    edited February 2017

    Let's imagine the following scenario...

    • A change is made on the mobile app
    • When one launches the macOS app at home, which is left unlocked since the home computer never leaves home, 1Password just sits there and never syncs

    The only way to enjoy a sync then is to manually perform two actions: lock the vault then un-lock it. Surely, the case of inconvenience here to the user is valid.

    1Password does not sync in the background nor does it do so when launched. The mobile does every time it is launched, why not the desktop app? There is ostensible inconsistency here.

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni
    edited February 2017

    @Noffica: I think that may be it. If you're making changes on a mobile device, they won't sync until you launch the 1Password app itself. 1Password can't send or fetch data in the background on iOS. Does that match what you're experiencing?

    Also, you said:

    That does nothing but lock the valut.

    and

    The only way to enjoy a sync then is to manually perform two actions: lock the vault then un-lock it.

    I'm having trouble reconciling these statements. It sounds like locking and unlocking did help — at least on the Mac. Is that the case?

    In either case, 1Password doesn't actually sync any data; rather, iCloud does, and individual apps don't have any control over that process, as it's handled entirely by the OS. The only time we have control over sync is using a 1Password.com Account. It really sounds like you may be making changes on your iOS device that cannot be sent or received by iCloud until you launch the app, but if you're still having trouble, definitely follow the steps in this guide, as they should help narrow down the problem:

    iCloud troubleshooting

    Let me know what you find!

  • Noffica
    Noffica
    Community Member

    Yes, locking and unlocking the vault does trigger a sync.


    If the OS controls the sync of data in iCloud then how does locking-un-locking the vault trigger a sync in 1Password. Locking-un-locking the 1Password vault is a 1Password action, not an OS action.

    I believe iCloud syncs all data in it as soon as I resume my home computer from sleep, as other apps that use iCloud sync in the latest changes within a second.

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    Yes, locking and unlocking the vault does trigger a sync.

    @Noffica: Great! That's encouraging. It at least means that iCloud will sync the data (or already has it) when 1Password accesses its database. So I guess that at least answers your question, "How does one force a sync operation?" ;)

    If the OS controls the sync of data in iCloud then how does locking-un-locking the vault trigger a sync in 1Password. Locking-un-locking the 1Password vault is a 1Password action, not an OS action.

    Correct, but when 1Password unlocks, it accesses the database (to get the latest data from iCloud). Are you seeing changes syncing in one direction normally, or is it always necessary for you to lock/unlock 1Password on your device to either send or receive changes?

    I believe iCloud syncs all data in it as soon as I resume my home computer from sleep, as other apps that use iCloud sync in the latest changes within a second.

    Technically, iCloud should sync continuously with any device connected to the internet, whenever changes are made on any of your devices. So far, it sounds like one of two things is happening in your case which is not quite working as expected: either iCloud isn't fetching the data right away, or it isn't notifying 1Password when it has new data.

    If you're still having trouble, the best thing to do will be to restart your device, reproduce the same issue (perhaps by creating a new test item), and then generate a diagnostic report so we can look at the logs to determine exactly what is (isn't?) happening:

    Sending Diagnostics Reports

    Please send it to support+forums@agilebits.com with a link to this discussion and your username in the email so we can 'connect the dots'. Also, knowing your timezone and the date/time of the incident will help us find it in the logs.

    However, you may want to consider a 1Password.com subscription, since it gives you access to all of the apps, the web interface, and does away with license management and sync configuration altogether — you simply login to your account to authorize a device and access your data. We don't have any control over 3rd party sync services, and frankly it always bummed us out that we couldn't fix sync issues — or simply make it something that users didn't have to worry about the first place — so we've built this to make the 1Password experience better. Definitely worth checking out. Either way, I look forward to hearing back from you!

  • Noffica
    Noffica
    Community Member
    edited September 2017

    Correct, but when 1Password unlocks, it accesses the database (to get the latest data from iCloud). Are you seeing changes syncing in one direction normally, or is it always necessary for you to lock/unlock 1Password on your device to either send or receive changes?

    No syncing occurs whatsoever until a lock-unlock or a CRUD operation is performed. The iOS app performs an explicit sync whenever it is launched, the 1Password macOS does not do so when launched nor does it do so automatically in the background.

    Technically, iCloud should sync continuously with any device connected to the internet, whenever changes are made on any of your devices. So far, it sounds like one of two things is happening in your case which is not quite working as expected: either iCloud isn't fetching the data right away, or it isn't notifying 1Password when it has new data.

    If you're still having trouble, the best thing to do will be to restart your device, reproduce the same issue (perhaps by creating a new test item), and then generate a diagnostic report so we can look at the logs to determine exactly what is (isn't?) happening

    I have restarted my MacBook but this has not resolved the issue.

    Expect a diagnostics report sent my email to the support+forums@agilebits.com address provided. A link to this discussion will be posted in the body of the e-mail.

  • Noffica
    Noffica
    Community Member
    edited January 2018

    Even though I use a 1Password.com account, I just experienced this issue.

    When I resumed my home computer from sleep, 1Password did not sync changes made to a login entry made on my work computer.

    I had to enter some dummy text into notes then save. Then all changes from both places synced and the login entry was finally up to date.

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    @Noffica: Thanks for getting in touch! I'm sorry for the trouble, but glad that making a change locally allowed you to connect to the server to receive remote changes. Unfortunately there are some issues with the app getting notified on Windows in some network environments, but we're working on improvements to work around this with each release. Keep an eye out for updates! :)

  • Noffica
    Noffica
    Community Member

    @brenty, I am the OP of this forum thread.

    I'm actually running macOS 10.12 and 1Password 6.8.6.

    The original problem was that 1Password wouldn't sync in the background if the sync service was iCloud. Now, it seems the problem exists with 1Password.com as well.

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni
    edited January 2018

    @Noffica: Sorry for the confusion. You're replying in a different thread in the Windows category (where I split off netcam to troubleshoot a different issue), not the one you started in the Mac category. I'll merge your last two posts back there.

    Since you originally posted almost exactly a year ago about iCloud, I'd like to get more current details from you. Can you tell me the exact steps you're taking, and what on your machine may be interfering with the connection — for example, "security" software, proxy, firewall, or something else that might affect networking?

    We just haven't had many reports of this type of issue other than you, and it seems telling that you're experiencing the same thing even using completely different servers to sync the data. So I'm wondering if something is blocking the inbound connection for the notification to let your Mac know that there are remote changes, since it seems to work just fine after connecting to send a local change to the server. Thanks in advance!

  • Noffica
    Noffica
    Community Member

    Allow me to offer details.

    The addition or modification of a one-time password field in a login entry is not synced between different computers (e.g. work and home) until a CRUD operation is manually performed.

    This is with a 1Password.com account.

  • sorig
    sorig
    Community Member

    I just experienced a similar syncing problem when adding an item to my vault on my mac that was not connected to the internet. 1Password did not sync to my iphone upon connecting to the internet. Neither did it update when I tried to cmd+q and relaunch, and unlock multiple times. In the end I had to google how to trigger a sync, make a change to an item in my vault while connected to the internet and saving before the changes were pushed through to my phone.

    Automatic sync should either happen flawlessly or there should be a button to manually trigger sync to avoid frustration. It seems like flawless automatic sync is hard to achieve due to the combinatorial explosion of device and connectivity possibilities. You should seriously consider adding a button somewhere in the interface (and status that indicates whether the sync was succesful) for use cases where instant sync between devices is required (e.g. typing in a login from you laptop for immediate use with your phone somewhere away from your desk).

    Mac details:
    macOS 10.14.2
    1Password version 7.2.4

    Phone details:
    iPhone SE
    iOS version 12.1.2
    1Password version 7.2.7

  • Hi @sorig,

    FYI, switching vaults or locking/unlocking will also trigger a sync. However, as you mentioned, it should sync flawlessly. It should detect when reconnecting to the Internet and initiate a sync. Does this happen every time you disconnect and reconnect, or just sometimes?

    Thanks,
    Kevin

  • sorig
    sorig
    Community Member

    @ag_kevin I believe it happens every time.

    Just to make sure you understand the user's perspective:

    Even as a fairly technical user I don't know what you mean by "locking/unlocking your vault". I assumed that would happen automatically when I quit and reopened 1Password (why that what was I tried upon finding this page after frustratedly trying to locate a sync button). You don't have to explain to me what locking/unlocking means because I do not really care. I care that I can sync my devices when I need to. Please add a button.

  • Hi sorig ,

    I'll pass your feedback along to the rest of the team. I can assure you that improvements to sync coming, but whether it involves a manual sync button or not, we do not know at this time.

    Regards,
    Kevin

  • sorig
    sorig
    Community Member

    Thanks a lot Kevin!

  • Lars
    Lars
    1Password Alumni

    @sorig - on behalf of ag_kevin, you're quite welcome. :)

This discussion has been closed.