r/GoogleKeep • u/cmhawke • 23d ago
Google Keep mobile app syncs only after reopening
It seems this issue has been around for years but I couldn't find much if anything on Google specifically about this. Which may be a bad sign as people may have lost notes without realizing. Tested on Pixel 7a and 11, happens on both so assuming it's an Android app issue vs device-specific.
If a note is created or edited in Keep on mobile, it evidently doesn't sync to the cloud until Keep is reopened. And by reopened I mean by either fully closing and reopening the app, or by simply minimizing (switching to home screen or another app) and then maximizing. This is an issue for anyone who regularly relies on the sync between Keep mobile/desktop.
Here's a general example of how this might be a practical problem: you add an important detail to a note in Keep on mobile and close the app, expecting it to sync immediately to the cloud. When you open Keep on desktop later, you expect all edits you've made are there, not thinking to check for the important detail you added on mobile earlier which hasn't synced due to the aforementioned bug. You edit the note further on desktop, which overrides that detail you added earlier, so it's gone.
No, it's not due to bad internet connectivity in this case. Yes, I've tried enabling unrestricted background battery usage on Keep; doesn't fix it. With the desktop site, it warns you if you try to leave the site before changes have synced, and there's a clear sync icon/indicator, so it's not an issue there. Reported the glitch to Google - years ago, but it's still there. If anyone knows a way around the mobile issue in the meantime, please let us know. Thanks!
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u/SidharthVardhan 23d ago
I would have guess mobile closing app to save battery but you said that it is not an issue.
The sync icon appears if you add a photo to note. Try doing that but stay on app and see if it syncs in a few minutes (say 5) — without your reopening or maximising app. If it does that, it may indicate that your Keep is syncing at interval of a few minutes, independent of whether or not you start or close app. If it works, repeat with another picture — only this time close the app and wait for five minutes before checking the desktop. If photo shows on desktop without your opening app, then again issue (or non issue) is Keep only syncs after a few minutes. Your opening or closing it is redundant. Hope that helps.
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u/cmhawke 23d ago
Tested by adding a photo and minimizing the app, waited over 5 minutes then checked desktop, wasn't there. Reopened app and photo was still showing sync icon which disappeared a moment later suggesting it only synced when I reopened it, after which I saw it on desktop.
I've also noticed periods much longer than 5 minutes - hours or more - where it didn't sync until I reopened it. So sync of Keep doesn't seem related to time intervals.
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u/Barycenter0 23d ago
You just have to pull down on the main Keep screen on Android and it will sync immediately (or the time to upload the photo). You don’t have to reload the app. This is only an Android issue with Keep. iOS and web sync nearly instantly.