Are you having problems with iCloud synchronization?
Ulysses synchronizes the content via your iCloud account. There may be various reasons for the content not being synchronized.
Important: For seamless cross-device synchronization, ensure you are signed in with the same Apple Account on all your devices. If a device is not signed in to your Apple Account or has iCloud Drive disabled, you won’t be able to access the content on that device.
Please go through all the steps listed below to rule out common reasons for a synchronization error:
On Mac
- Restart your Mac to guarantee the iCloud background synchronization services are running.
- Go to System Settings and click your name at the top of the sidebar. Make sure that you are using the same Apple Account on all devices.
- Click iCloud › Drive and make sure the option “Sync this Mac” is activated. Additionally, Ulysses must be enabled in “Apps Syncing to iCloud Drive.” Please check Apple's iCloud User Guide for more information.
- Ulysses must also be enabled in System Settings › Apple Account › iCloud › Saved to iCloud › See All. More information can be found here.
- Please verify that you don‘t exceed your iCloud storage limit. Otherwise, Ulysses cannot sync across devices.
- If the problem only occurs in the Projects section, please ensure this section is enabled in the library. On Mac, go to Ulysses › Settings… › Sidebar. Additionally, please verify that your project is synced via iCloud and not stored locally. More on that in our Projects guide.
- Please be aware that all iCloud syncing is handled using Apple’s background services. Therefore, our capabilities and insights regarding iCloud problems are limited: Ulysses cannot force a sync, for example. To test if iCloud is fully functional, please open Finder on your Mac and add a random file from your personal Documents/Downloads folder (DOCX, PDF, JPEG) to the “iCloud Drive” folder and check if it shows up in the Files app on your iPhone/iPad and vice-versa. If the file is not synchronized across your devices, your iCloud setup might be generally corrupted, and you should contact Apple's iCloud support directly.
- In rare cases, iCloud might be slow or inaccessible due to server issues. Please look up its status on Apple's system status page.
On iPad/iPhone
- Cold-boot your iPhone/iPad to ensure the iCloud background synchronization services run.
- To rule out issues due to low battery and bad reception, make sure you are connected to Wi-Fi and your charger. If you are using a cellular network (4G, LTE, 5G, E), please go to iOS Settings › “Cellular” and ensure “Cellular Data” is enabled. Then scroll down to “Cellular Data,” find “Ulysses” in the list of apps, and toggle on “iCloud Drive.” If iCloud syncing is slow while you’re on a mobile device, please check whether Low Data Mode is activated.
- Go to Settings › [your name] and ensure you use the same Apple Account on all devices.
- Tap iCloud › Drive and activate the option “Sync this iPad/iPhone.” Additionally, Ulysses must be enabled in “Apps Syncing to iCloud Drive.” Please check Apple's iCloud User Guide for more information.
- Please verify you don‘t exceed your iCloud storage limit. Otherwise, Ulysses cannot sync across devices.
- If the problem only occurs in the Projects section, please ensure this section is enabled in the library. On iPad/iPhone, open Ulysses' Settings by tapping the gear icon in the library. Then, select Edit Library. Additionally, please verify that your project is synced via iCloud and not stored locally. More on that in our Projects guide.
- Please be aware that all iCloud syncing is handled using Apple’s background services. Therefore, our capabilities and insights regarding iCloud problems are limited. Ulysses cannot force a sync, for example. To test if iCloud is fully functional, please open the Files app on your iPhone/iPad and add a random file from your personal Documents/Downloads folder (DOCX, PDF, JPEG) to the “iCloud Drive” folder and check if it shows up in the iCloud Drive folder on your Mac and vice-versa. If the file is not synchronized across your devices, your iCloud setup might be generally corrupted, and you should contact Apple's iCloud support directly.
- In rare cases, iCloud might be slow or inaccessible due to server issues. Please look up its status on Apple's system status page.
If you checked everything, but your sheets are still not syncing, please contact our support team.
Also, please note that Ulysses uses iCloud only to synchronize data across devices. iCloud is not a backup service—this is done using Time Machine.
Why is there no Ulysses folder in iCloud Drive?
iCloud Drive is Apple’s solution for providing file storage in the cloud – similar to Dropbox or Google Drive. While Ulysses uses iCloud to sync your sheets, it does not provide a public folder on iCloud Drive to display those sheets. This does not mean that your sheets are not in the cloud. They’re just not visible in the iCloud Drive folder.
How can I manually transfer Ulysses’ sheets or groups between devices?
On Mac, you can drag a sheet or a group from Ulysses to Finder or your Desktop. If you drag out a group, you can then compress the folder by right-clicking it and selecting “Compress <Folder>.” You can then send the sheet file or the zipped folder via Mail to your iOS device. Open the file in Ulysses on iOS to import it.
To transfer from iPad/iPhone to Mac, touch and hold the sheet or group you want to transfer. Tap “Share” and use a share action such as AirDrop, Message or Mail to send it to your Mac. Finally, drag the sheet file or the unzipped folder into Ulysses on Mac.