[Tandava]

Hi there,

I have an Android tablet but a Mac computer, so I can't use the PC companion app. I have my library syncing to Google Drive as a backup. When I sync, I have every checkbox checked. (So it should sync annotations, find updates on both sides, sync with the most recent version, etc.)

What I would like to do is to be able to update annotations on either my computer or my tablet, and have them show up on the other device. But it doesn't seem to work. Here's what I've done:

1. Annotate a song in MobileSheets. (Just added some text.)
   
2. Sync library. All checkboxes checked.
   
3. Find the relevant PDF file in Google Drive. Observe that the annotation does not show. 
   
4. Edit the PDF on my computer, again just adding some text. 
   
5. Upload that file to Google Drive, replacing the one that MobileSheets had added. 
   
6. Sync library again. All checkboxes still checked. 
   
7. View the song in MobileSheets. Observe that it has the original annotation added in MS, but not the one shown in the PDF I just uploaded to Google Drive. 
   

I would like this to work in both directions. Am I going about it wrong? What am I missing? 

Thanks,
Tandava

[Zubersoft]

Tandava,

Generally, you are not supposed to change the files in the sync folder on Google Drive, as MobileSheets is supposed to manage that. The feature is intended for multiple devices to be able to synchronize their changes back and forth, but not necessarily for you to modify the sync folder to push updated files to the device. Having said that, you can enable that if you want, it's just a little slower because then MobileSheets has to scan every file in the Google Drive folder to know whether it has changed. You will see there is a checkbox on the "Sync to cloud folder" screen called "Check for updated files in cloud folders". That has to be checked if you are going to modify the files yourself.

As a side note, MobileSheets will be available on Mac fairly soon, or if you have a newer Mac with an M1 or M2 processor, you can run the iOS version on a Mac which would give you an easier way of adding annotations and such.

Mike

[Tandava]

Thanks. I did have that "check for updated files" option enabled, but it still didn't work. 

I don't have an M1 or M2 processor, so the iOS version isn't an option. But I'm glad to hear there's a Mac version coming soon! 

Thanks,
Tandava

[Zubersoft]

Just to verify - did you set the sync type to "Update device" when synchronizing to the folder? If you are wanting to pull down changes, I believe you would need to do that. I can look into this though.

Mike

[Tandava]

Sync type was set to "two-way sync," which seems like it should cover it (especially since I also wanted to go the other way). All checkboxes are checked (sync annotations, check for updated files, etc.) Merge behavior is to use the version that was modified last. I think it's all the default settings, actually, but it looked like what I wanted. 

Thanks,
Tandava

[amester1981]

Sync type was set to "two-way sync," which seems like it should cover it (especially since I also wanted to go the other way). All checkboxes are checked (sync annotations, check for updated files, etc.) Merge behavior is to use the version that was modified last. I think it's all the default settings, actually, but it looked like what I wanted. 

Thanks,
Tandava

Hello! I'm having this same issue. I can't sync my annotations on my tablet back into the Dropbox Folder despite thinking I am doing it right. 

1) Make annotation 
2) Press 'sync library' 
3) Press 'synchronize to a cloud folder'
4) Choose either '2 way sync' or 'update folder' (currently neither work so I have tried both) 
5) Check all boxes (have tried unchecking 'search for new files') 
6) Press Start 


Things look like they happen but when I am checking the folder in Dropbox there are no annotations saved. 
Can anyone help!?

[McAroni]

I don't use the synchronization to a cloud folder, but if Mobile Sheets uses the files in the same way as the synchronization to a device, then the original pdf files are not changed. So if you view the pdf files in the cloud folder with a normal pdf reader then you will not see your annotations. Only when you open (import) this folder again with Mobile sheets then the annotations should be visible.

Edit: I just saw that Mike has already answered similar above. If you have seen that then you can ignore my answer. :-)

[Zubersoft]

You would need to embed the annotations in the annotations editor if you want them saved in the PDF itself. It does make them more tedious to manage in MobileSheets then. How are you currently verifying if your annotations are saved? Are you just opening the PDFs as McAroni described? If so, that won't work unless you embed the annotations.

Mike