Sync¶
Sync keeps your collections, items, shared fields, and attached images in step across devices by reconciling them through a shared folder — for example a folder kept in a cloud-drive (Dropbox, OneDrive, a network share, …).
Setting it up¶
In Settings you configure:
| Setting | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Sync location | The folder used as the shared store. Point every device at the same folder. |
| Auto-sync | Whether Collectary syncs automatically on a timer. |
| Auto-sync interval | How often the timer runs (default: every 5 minutes; 0 disables it). |
| Tombstone retention | How long deletions are remembered so they propagate to other devices (default: 30 days). |
You can also trigger a sync manually at any time.
What a sync does¶
Each device writes one file of its own to the shared folder (named by its device id) holding the data it knows about, then reads the other devices' files and merges them in. Because a device only ever writes its own file, two devices syncing at once can never overwrite each other's changes.
The sync icon in the top bar opens a small status panel: press Sync now there and the panel stays open while it works — you'll see "Syncing…" turn into how many records were pushed and pulled, plus the updated last-sync time. There's nothing to resolve by hand — the merge is automatic (see below).
When two devices change the same thing¶
You no longer get a conflict prompt. If the same item is edited on two devices before they sync, Collectary keeps the most recent edit automatically and everywhere — both devices end up showing the same value, with no dialog to dismiss. (The other edit isn't destroyed; it stays in that device's file.) Editing different things — or different fields of the same item — keeps both, so a label change on your phone never erases the data on your laptop.
Deletions¶
When you delete something, the data is removed from disk right away and Collectary records a tiny deletion marker so the deletion travels to your other devices. A deletion always wins: once you've deleted an item it stays deleted everywhere, even if another device was offline and still had the old copy. (There's no undo — see the relevant page for the feature you're deleting.)
If the shared folder is simply missing an item — say you pointed sync at a fresh or different folder, or restored your database from a backup — Collectary treats that as "nothing to pull here," not as a deletion, so your local collection is never wiped by an empty or unfamiliar folder.
Where sync works¶
Sync runs on the desktop app (shared folder, OneDrive, or Google Drive) and on Android (shared folder or OneDrive). The in-browser demo has no persistent filesystem, so sync isn't meaningful there.
Signing in to OneDrive on Android
The first time you choose OneDrive on Android, sign-in opens a secure browser tab and returns to Collectary automatically. Your sign-in is stored in the device's encrypted keystore, so you stay signed in between launches.