Sync Troubleshooting

Sync usually just works, quietly in the background, and most hiccups clear on their own within a few seconds. If a change is taking its time to show up on another device, this page walks through the common causes and how to fix each one.

Start here: the three quick checks

Before anything else, run through these. They resolve the large majority of sync questions in under a minute.

If all three check out and a change still has not appeared, read on for the specific situation.

My data isn't appearing on my other device

When the three checks above are fine and a recent change still has not landed, give sync a gentle nudge:

1. Open Kinu on the device with the newest data first. Let it sit for a few seconds so any queued changes finish uploading.
2. Then open Kinu on the other device. Bring it to the foreground and wait a moment for it to pull the latest changes.
3. If a device has been offline, it catches up automatically the next time it connects. You do not need to do anything special, just open the app while online.

Sync seems stuck

If changes are not flowing between devices even though both are online and on the same Plus account:

1. Close and reopen Kinu. This restarts the sync engine and clears any temporary hiccup.
2. Give it a few seconds. Kinu batches changes together before sending them, so a fresh edit may take 10 to 15 seconds to go out.
3. Re-check your connection. Load a website to confirm the device is actually online, not just showing a Wi-Fi icon.
4. Confirm Plus is still active in Settings > Account. If a subscription lapsed without you noticing, sync quietly pauses.

If it is still stuck after all of that, sign out and sign back in on the affected device. That refreshes your account status and kicks off a fresh sync.

I see an older version on one device

If you edited the same person on two devices before they had a chance to sync, Kinu keeps things predictable with a simple rule: the most recent change wins. Every edit carries a version number, and the highest one takes priority.

To settle it:

1. Make sure both devices are online.
2. Open Kinu on each one and let it sit for a few seconds to finish any pending sync.
3. The most recently edited version then shows up on both devices.

In practice this is rare. Sync usually happens within seconds, so you would have to be editing the same person on two devices at nearly the same moment for it to come up. For the full picture, see Sync explained.

I just upgraded to Plus but sync isn't working

Right after you subscribe, your app may need a moment to recognize the new plan:

1. Wait about 30 seconds. Subscription status sometimes takes a beat to propagate, then sync starts on its own.
2. Sign out and sign back in. This refreshes your account status and triggers an initial sync.
3. Open Kinu on every device you want in sync, signed in to the same account, and let each one settle for a few seconds.
4. If you subscribed on your phone, the web app may need you to sign out and back in to pick up the change.

If your app still shows as free after upgrading, it is usually a restore away. See Restore purchases to relink your subscription without paying twice.

My data is missing after a password reset

If you use email and password and you recently reset your password, you may be prompted for your previous password the first time a device pulls down your synced data.

Here is why. Your encryption key is derived from your password, so a new password produces a new key. Entering your previous password lets Kinu unlock the data that was encrypted under the old one. Your local data on each device is never affected by a reset.

If you do not remember the previous password, your existing local data stays intact on each device. New changes will sync going forward under your new password. For sign-in help, see Login problems.

A note on what is normal

A short delay between devices is expected, not a problem. Kinu favors a calm, battery-friendly approach over constant chatter, so it batches changes and syncs them in the background rather than the instant you tap save. If a change lands a few seconds later on your other device, that is sync working as intended.

Still stuck?

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Still need help? Contact support. Tell us which devices you are using, what you are seeing, and what you have already tried, and we will get you sorted.