direct sync not updating entries on iPhone

lpn

Latest versions of OS's and 1Password -- 1P 3.8.20 on OS X 10.8.2 and 1P 4.1.2 on iOS 6.1. When using direct sync via iTunes, entries on the iPhone are not updated. When looking in iTunes at the file which is shared (1Password.agilekeychain) it turns out that it is from a month or so ago. Updating this file (adding the current one) fixes the issue, except for that after sync, the iPhone app says that it needs to merge the databases (or something like this). However, shouldn't the latest version of that file be used always when doing direct sync?

MikeT

Hi @Lpn,

Please try using the USB Sync tool instead. It should sync in both ways, which is better than using iTunes sync since it only works in one way.

lpn

I will try that, but it is subpar solution; I mean -- really, wired sync in year 2013. I had high hopes for the iTunes sync, but it seems that it wasn't even designed to work as one would expect sync to work.

MikeT

Hi @lpn,

We do support cloud sync with Dropbox and soon iCloud once 1Password 4 for OS X is released, which is what many of the population use in year 2013, it's just that the Wi-Fi sync doesn't work too well and there are no good solutions at the moment.

Many companies struggle with offering a Wi-Fi sync solution, look at how long it took Apple to provide a wireless iTunes sync and they have 100x the budget we do.

We actually use the same libraries as iTunes, we simply take advantage of it to build a better sync solution that allows for bi-directional sync, which is something iTunes does not do, it only allows for one way sync and it doesn't sync folders. It's designed for storing files for the apps, not for syncing data with.

Hopefully, Apple'll consider providing an wireless API to allow apps to sync through the Wi-Fi network rather than developers having to rely on building their own sync solutions that doesn't work too well.

We're always investigating for a solution for the local wireless sync, so hopefully, somebody will build one.

lpn

I understand that there are things that are up to Apple and beyond your control. I understand that probably Dropbox is the only working solution (I haven't used it due to policy restrictions here, and based on the blog entry about introducing direct sync, you are aware of the issue). What I think wound be fair to your users would be to say -- only Dropbox sync works reliably so far, so one has to use it or not expect to sync. Everything else -- Wi-Fi sync, iTunes sync -- should have been clearly labeled as beta and not part of software that is version 3 or 4. This said, I hope that the USB sync would work, as I like 1P very much.

MikeT

Hi @lpn,

I agree, we should've been more clear and I apologize that we weren't. We have labeled it in the user guide already and we'll make sure it's mentioned as such in other areas.