Sync Troubleshooting
How Syncing Works
Understanding the shape of it prevents most confusion:
- Your changes save locally first, instantly — that's why the app is fast and works offline
- They push to the cloud automatically when you're online. You don't have to trigger it
- Other devices pick them up when they load — on sign-in, refresh, or a manual sync
So the push is automatic; the pull is not live. A change made on your phone in the barn won't appear on an already-open laptop tab until that tab refreshes or syncs.
My Data Isn't Syncing
- Check you're online. Offline changes are held and pushed when the connection returns — nothing is lost, it's just waiting
- Tap ☁️ Sync in the header to push immediately
- Confirm you're signed in — check Settings
- Refresh the page
My Other Device Shows Old Data
Expected, not broken. Sync on the first device, then refresh or sync on the second.
If a device has been sitting on an open tab for hours, refresh it before trusting what it shows.
I Edited on Two Devices While Both Were Offline
When both come back online, the later write wins for that record. To avoid it:
- Sync before you switch devices
- Avoid editing the same goat from two devices in the same session
- If you use a phone in the barn and a laptop at the desk, treat the phone as authoritative during chores and sync before you sit down
Herd Manager is built to work with no signal. Logging milk in a dead-zone barn is normal use — the data isn't at risk, it just hasn't been pushed yet.
Sync Seems Stuck
Sign out, sign back in, and sync again. If it persists, use 💬 Feedback from the header — bug reports automatically attach your device, browser, and current page, which is usually what makes the problem diagnosable.
Before Anything Drastic
Don't clear your browser data or reinstall to "fix" sync without exporting a full backup first. If something hasn't pushed yet, clearing local storage is the one action that can actually lose it.