WiFi Sync isn't broken, but I am having "issues"

[drh_001]

A little background here: I have an iPad that I have been using to read/annotate PDFs, and (my fault) I haven't sync'ed it since last year. If I remember right, I had problems getting it to work, and figured it was just me at that time. Since then, I have shattered the screen on the iPad; it is due to be replaced in the next few days (thanks to AppleCare). I would like to sync it and get the annotations back. I won't actually lose any PDFs since I haven't added any to the iPad since the last sync, just the notes and the annotations when the iPad is replaced.

A complication is that I have found the need to break up the database into parts, as it was getting so big that it was becoming most unwieldy. The plan was to get it fixed and cleaned up prior to syncing it to the iPad, but that plan is out now.

I know that sync works, since I can do it with an older iPad, using an older iOS. I just can't get it to work with the newer one.

I have rebooted the router; I have rebooted both the iPad and the Mac. The iPad has the latest iOS and the sync function still doesn't work. I get the iPad to give me the 4-digit code, but it never shows up in Devices in Bookends on the Mac. I tried making a network of just the Mac and the iPad, and still nothing works. I have made sure that everything is on the same network. So a few questions:

1. If I delete the app, does it delete the data (i.e., do I lose the annotations and notes applied to the PDFs)? Yes, I'm to the point of deleting it and reinstalling.
2. I searched the forum and tried the suggestions; is there some other thing that the Mac OS is doing to prevent the sync? I am using Mohave (10.14.6).
3. If it isn't the Mac, how about the latest OS on the iPad? There isn't anything I could find on the forum.

I strongly suspect that it's me and not Bookends. I'm just trying to figure out what is going on. If I lose the notes and annotations, I won't be happy but I'll just chalk it up to experience.

Diana

[DrJJWMac]

I would approach this problem in this way:

The PDFs are stored locally on your iPad. Go to the Files app. Enter the location On My iPad and go into the Bookends/Attachments folder. You can select the PDFs that you want and move / copy them to a folder in your iCloud drive. Move the iCloud files into your Bookends macOS Attachments folder at the Finder level (replacing the older, unannotated versions). Once you get your new iPad, wipe the Bookends library / libraries clean and start over.

As for breaking the library into smaller, more manageable parts, you might find my AppleScript to create a standalone library of use.

[Jon]

Serge is away for a week, but I'll try to help. Wi-fi sync works with Mohave and the current version of iOS. Are you saying that when you get the 4 number code on the iPad the popup list at the lower left hand corner of the library window on the Mac doesn't appear?

https://www.sonnysoftware.com/bookendsontap/wifisync/

Jon
Sonny Software

[drh_001]

Jon:

Yes, that is exactly what is happening.

The older iPad works, as in it pops up in "Devices" and I can then connect the older iPad to the Mac and initiate the sync. The newer one does not; I never see the "Devices" box pop up. I strongly suspect it is something specific to that iPad.

Diana

[Jon]

And the two iPads are on the same network? Can you try a different network (e.g. either at home or at your institution)? If it works for one and not the other in both cases, then I'm afraid we'll have to wait for Serge.

Jon
Sonny Software

[drh_001]

Jon:

Work can be problematic in what I'm allowed to do, so I always have synced at home. It's simpler and easier.

Same network (only one I have); both connected and can reach the internet; both can connect one to the other when I create an ad-hoc network (Mac--> old iPad and also Mac-->new iPad). The old iPad can be seen as a Device in Bookends, and the new iPad cannot.

Diana

[Serge]

I just reinstalled Bookends for a test and on Wi-Fi sync iOS asks for this permission:

IMG_3887.jpg (88.66 KiB) Viewed 25676 times

If it was not allowed on the first run please go to iOS -> Settings -> Bookends and enable "Local Network" there:

IMG_3888.jpg (43.65 KiB) Viewed 25676 times

[DrJJWMac]

Are your devices on the same WiFi band?

I have noticed that I cannot use WiFi sync when the macOS is on a different band (50 GHz) than the iPadOS (24GHz). The iPadOS recognizes that it is connected to the macOS library, but nothing gets updated between the two libraries. Immediately when I switch to the 50GHz on the iPadOS, the libraries sync.

[Nhaps]

I just reinstalled Bookends for a test and on Wi-Fi sync iOS asks for this permission:

IMG_3887.jpg

If it was not allowed on the first run please go to iOS -> Settings -> Bookends and enable "Local Network" there:

IMG_3888.jpg

Thanks, that worked for me.