iCloud Sync Won't Authenticate on MacOS

[albiracer]

Although it seemed to be syncing find on iOS Bookends, Bookends for MacOS on my Macbook Pro started prompting me to sign in for iCloud drive syncing (as it periodically does). However, every time I've entered my password (and verified the code with 2 factor authentication), the interface in Bookends returns an "Authentication Error" window with "This Action Could Not Be Completed". I can log in to iCloud through System Preferences on the Mac and have also done so just now via the AppleID web browser interface as well...so I'm completely stumped why this won't work.

One idea: when I click on "Options" under iCloud Drive under Settings, I don't see Bookends listed as one of the listed apps under "Apps that store documents and data in iCloud will appear here". Would Bookends normally be on that list?

Any suggestions for how to get syncing working again?

[lostinasia]

I guess I've got the same issue. I keep trying to open Bookends on my Mac. I type in the password, it sends me the two-factor authentication code, I type it in, and I get the "Authentication Error" window.

For what it's worth, I've just come back from a month away, and the computer has been off for that time; but I've used iOS Bookends during that time.

So it seems like Bookends on my Mac is currently unusable, unless I'm missing something. Please help!

[Serge]

We reported this to Apple and should wait for their reply. As it simply stopped working, I think it's something on their side and can be fixed fast.

[albiracer]

I guess I've got the same issue. I keep trying to open Bookends on my Mac. I type in the password, it sends me the two-factor authentication code, I type it in, and I get the "Authentication Error" window.

Yes, sounds just like what I've run into. And, I hadn't opened Bookends on my Mac for a couple of months either, so I can't speak to when the problem began.

lostinasia: does Bookends show up as an option in the "apps using icloud drive" when you look at your iCloud Drive options under iCloud in System Preferences?

We reported this to Apple and should wait for their reply. As it simply stopped working, I think it's something on their side and can be fixed fast.

Thanks for that, Serge. I haven't been on the forums for a long time (b/c haven't had issues with Bookends!); are you part of sonnysoftware? Just didn't know if there was some reporting to Apple I should do as well...but sounds like you have a more direct route for reporting!

One other question, if you know: *should* Bookends show up in that "apps using icloud drive" under System Preferences -> iCloud -> iCloud Drive, if it were working properly?

[lostinasia]

lostinasia: does Bookends show up as an option in the "apps using icloud drive" when you look at your iCloud Drive options under iCloud in System Preferences?

No, it doesn't. Like you, I suspect that it should be there, but I don't know if that's actually the case.

Mildly annoying side issue: why does Bookends so often require a log-in on my Mac? I don't remember logging in as often to anything else that I regularly use, although of course I may be forgetting. Plus depending on research requirements I have a habit of opening Bookends a lot for a month or two, and then not again for another couple of months, so maybe that's part of it. Or is this just an App Store thing?

EDIT: Huh, I just realized that if I had a paper on deadline right now, this would be a giant, giant problem. I suppose on my iMac I could dig into the folder and find the articles - with quite a bit of work - but if I were on a notebook computer that relied on iCloud storage of my library, would I have any access to articles at all? Apple gave me so many headaches with sync around a decade ago, and it took me a long time to trust them. I hope this is just a tiny hiccup and not a warning sign.

[albiracer]

Mildly annoying side issue: why does Bookends so often require a log-in on my Mac? I don't remember logging in as often to anything else that I regularly use, although of course I may be forgetting. Plus depending on research requirements I have a habit of opening Bookends a lot for a month or two, and then not again for another couple of months, so maybe that's part of it. Or is this just an App Store thing?

I don't know for sure, but I think it is an Apple/iCloud thing, not a Bookends issue. That is, my sense of it was that the fairly frequent log-ins are a security feature of iCloud and iCloud Drive. I'm like you, though: I can go a couple of months not opening Bookends and then use it intensively for a few weeks.

EDIT: Huh, I just realized that if I had a paper on deadline right now, this would be a giant, giant problem. I suppose on my iMac I could dig into the folder and find the articles - with quite a bit of work - but if I were on a notebook computer that relied on iCloud storage of my library, would I have any access to articles at all? Apple gave me so many headaches with sync around a decade ago, and it took me a long time to trust them. I hope this is just a tiny hiccup and not a warning sign.

I agree it could be a big bummer, especially if you had made annotations on the iOS version and were waiting for them to sync up to the MacOS version for your writing process (like I do). However, I've also turned off iCloud syncing in Bookends for macOS until this issue is resolved, and you can continue to access all of your articles like normal. Bookends, in other words, is still totally functional, it just can't sync changes for the time being.

That having been said, one of the great strengths of Bookends, in my my view, is that pdf files remain local and readable. The issue we are running into is Bookends' access to the iCloud drive, not the Drive folder itself. So, although Bookends the app can't interface with the iCloud Drive folder currently, the contents of that folder is still available. Worst case: you can just go look into the Drive folder and find the pdf files. In my view, wouldn't as a big a headache as you might find it...but that's also because I have Bookends rename papers when they are imported, which I would totally encourage you to look into if you don't do it already. I have Bookends rename all papers using "Author Last Name, Year, Journal Title", so my iCloud Drive folder is arranged alphabetically by author name. You can easily get Bookends to rename existing files using whatever convention you want, even once they've been imported.

[Jon]

Don't forget that you can also sync Bookends Mac with Bookends for iOS with wi-fi. So while waiting for Apple to address this you can still move references and PDFs between devices.

Jon
Sonny Software

[laup]

What is the best way to synchronize custom formats and preference (e.g., Reference Types and words to be retained, as spelled)?

Two cases:
-- Access is available to Dropbox or iCloud Drive
-- Access is not available, in which case transferring with a USB 3 stick is apparently necessary

[Jon]

Custom format/filter sync can be set up in preferences and requires Dropbox, iCloud Drive, or some other file sync service. It's independent of cloud sync.

Reference Types and labels and a few globals (they are listed in the user guide) will be synced automatically if you use cloud sync.

You can move files yourself, of course, independently of any sync.

Jon
Sonny Software

[hendrix]

Hi,

I'm having the same problem but, weirdly enough, only on my desktop computer. The laptop seems to work fine.

Any news?

Thaks. All the best

Manuel

[Jon]

Nothing yet to report.

You mean you can sign into one machine but not the other? Or that you've only had to sign into one machine (the other was already signed into and is still working)?

Jon
Sonny Software

[mwclarke]

Same issue here - now has gone beyond frustrating to a small (personal) crisis!

[Jon]

No need for it to be a crisis. If you're syncing macOS <-> iOS know that wi-fi sync still works very well. And for Mac <-> Mac the libraries can be exchanged the old fashioned way (server, email, thumb drive, etc.). Not ideal, but it shouldn't be a crisis.

Jon
Sonny Software

[Serge]

Apple’s CloudKit team confirmed that the issue is critical and they are now actively working on it. We should wait for a fix or additional information from them.

[Serge]

Please try to sync again now, a hot fix was deployed by Apple. It may take a while to synchronize across all the servers though.