Automatic WLAN syncing: iOS app won't sync automatically

bitsme

This is has never worked for me (in years) but I'm tired of waiting for a fix.

I want to sync my iPhone to my Mac using the WLAN server option.
This works if I manually go to Settings > Sync > Primary > Start Syncing > Sync with WLAN Server > my Mac > Sync Now.

But the problem is I have to go through this whole chain of pages in order to manually sync every time.

This page https://support.1password.com/wlan-server/ , under the iOS section, says:

To sync your data

To sync your data in the future, unlock 1Password on both your computer and your iOS device while they are on the same wireless network.

Sync with a Mac
Your data will automatically sync.

But whenever I launch the app, only the Dropbox sync (for my secondary vault) actually syncs automatically.
The WLAN sync for my primary vault doesn't happen automatically and Settings > Sync > Primary always says "Set Up Syncing" even though I've already set it up (n fact, my Secret is remembered so I don't have to retype it.)

---

1Password Version: 6.5.1
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: OS X 10.11.6
Sync Type: WLAN Server
Referrer: forum-search:automatic sync WLAN ios

rickfillion

Hi @bitsme,

Hrmmm.... If the Primary vault says "Set Up Syncing" then it's not set up to sync and it won't do so. It sounds like something disconnected it and you'll need to reconnect it. It remembering the transport secret doesn't mean that it's set up. The iOS devices just remember the transport secret for the servers for your convenience.

Rick

bitsme

Thanks for replying @rickfillion .

But how do I "reconnect it"? When I go through the whole "Set Up Syncing" wizard workflow, there is no "Done" button to press. So there is no way to finish setting it all up. In fact, all I can do is then press "WLAN Server" and then "Cancel". Maybe this is actual bug: the "Done" button is missing from the entire wizard UI.

rickfillion

So here is what I see when I choose to setup sync for my Primary vault and then selected Wi-Fi

Here I can choose my Mac. So I choose it.

Like you, I've already configured the transport secret so there is nothing to do.

I can then tap "Sync Now" which starts the sync process. Since my Master Password on my phone is the same as on my Mac it doesn't prompt me for a password to unlock the vault that the Mac sends down.

Then I end up at a screen that looks like this that tells me that I'm using the WLAN sync service.

Can you tell me where this differs from what you're seeing?

Rick

bitsme

Oh wow, your last screenshot looks different from mine. I've never seen a Primary Vault screen that has the "Sync Now" button. For me on this screen, I have a "Start Syncing" button, which when pressed leads me through the same wizard flow as I mentioned above (Settings > Sync > Primary > Start Syncing > Sync with WLAN Server > my Mac > Sync Now.)

So yeah, for some reason my app refuses to save the sync settings. I guess I must be the only one suffering from this, so probably too hard to diagnose and debug. I'll have to live with it.

rickfillion

@bitsme : that doesn't sound like any fun. Let's figure this out, cause it's likely a bug on our side and I bet you that you aren't the only user experiencing it. Let's start with... is your master password on the iPhone the same as your Mac?

rickfillion

Oh and the obvious... you're up to date with the app, right? 6.5.3 is what I'm running here.

bitsme

@rickfillion Yes it's the same password.

Let me try reinstall 1Password after I sleep.

rickfillion

Let us know how that goes.

Rick

bitsme

Reinstalling worked! It now saved my settings and seems to sync upon launch.

I do have a new problem though: I can no longer set a 4-digit PIN code. I can only use fingerprint ID or not. But I don't want to use fingerprint ID cause it rarely works for me. I want the 4-digit PIN code back. How can I set it? It's no longer in the settings

AGAlumB

@bitsme: A PIN code is really not secure, so it's a legacy feature only available in the absence of Touch ID. You can still use it if you disable Touch ID (which isn't a bad idea if it really doesn't work for you anyway), but it's not something we recommend. While Touch generally works well, I have had some issues myself. So I've found that using the additional fingerprint "slots" allows me to better train it for my finger. Definitely worth a try. Touch ID is a more secure option than a PIN, but it isn't available to everyone as it's the only alternative on older devices. But even on a Touch ID device you can always use the Master Password, and the PIN option will be available to you if you disable Touch ID when it doesn't work for you anyway (or you don't want to use it).

bitsme

@brenty but the strange part is that the PIN option doesn't appear even if I disable the Touch ID option. Or did you mean disable Touch ID for the entire iPhone -- not just in the 1Password settings?

Ben

Correct -- the whole phone.

Ben

bitsme

Inconvenient but works for me.

Thanks!

AGAlumB

:) :+1:

getling

FYI, I have the same problem on my iPhone, and only realized it when my iPad started syncing automatically. I can try the reinstall method, but curious if any other solution short of that has yet been found?

Ben

@getling

I'm not aware of a different solution at this point. If you do uninstall/reinstall (after syncing!) please be sure to let us know how it turns out.

Thanks!

Ben

getling

@Ben

I did the reinstall and it worked. My guess is some of us who used WLAN sync from very early on may have run into some subtle upgrade bug. Thanks.

AGAlumB

Thanks for letting us know. It does sound like there may have been a problem migrating settings from an earlier version. I'm really sorry you ran into that issue, but I'm glad to hear that things are working well for you again. Cheers! :)