Fix Personal Sync Errors

Personal Sync errors appear in Settings › Sync under Status. Each one says what happened and what to do. Most are fixed by approving a device from one you already use, updating Elephas, or checking your plan. Nothing on your computer is deleted by a sync error.

Personal Sync is part of the Professional plan.

Before you start

Keep at least one device that already syncs nearby. Approving a new or revoked computer happens on that device.
Make sure every device runs the latest Elephas. See update Elephas.
Sign in with the same Elephas account on every device, in Settings › Plan & Billing.

Device and approval messages

Message	Cause	Fix
This computer is waiting to be approved from one of your other devices.	You asked to join Sync from this computer, and no synced device has approved it yet.	On a device that already syncs, open Settings › Sync. Under Devices, find this computer marked Waiting for your approval, click Review, and approve it only if the five words match exactly.
This computer has not been given the encryption keys yet. Approve it from one of your other devices.	The approval did not finish delivering keys to this computer.	Open Elephas on an approved device and keep it open and online for a minute. If it stays, approve this computer again from there.
This computer was revoked from sync. Approve it again from one of your other devices.	Someone revoked this computer from another device.	If you meant to keep it, approve it again from a synced device. If you did not revoke it, check your Security History on a synced device.
This computer’s pairing can no longer continue. Start joining again.	The join request expired or was replaced.	In Settings › Sync, start joining again with Join from My Other Device.
The enrollment expired. Start again. or The other device rejected this enrollment.	The approval timed out, or the words were rejected on the other device.	Start joining again. Compare the words carefully on both screens.
Sync is already on for this account. Approve this device from one of your synced devices.	You chose This is my first device, but this account already syncs elsewhere.	Choose I already use Sync on another device instead, then approve this computer from a synced one.
Sign in to your Elephas account on this computer first, in Settings › Plan & Billing.	This computer is not signed in.	Sign in, then try again.
This computer’s sync permission needs renewing. Sign in again, then choose Sync Now.	Your sign-in or sync permission expired.	Sign in again in Settings › Plan & Billing, then click Sync Now.
Give this computer a name first.	The device name is empty.	Type a name for this computer, then turn on Sync.

Version and plan messages

Message	Fix
This version of Elephas is too old to sync. Update the app.	Update Elephas on this computer from Settings › Updates.
Another of your devices runs a newer Elephas. Update this one to sync with it.	Update this computer.
Sync needs a paid Elephas plan. Choose a plan in Settings › Plan & Billing; nothing on this device changed.	Your plan is not active. Renew or choose a plan. See when your plan ends.
Sync is part of the Professional plan.	Your plan does not include Sync. See upgrade your plan.
Your plan needs attention (status)	Open Settings › Plan & Billing to see what changed.

Connection and data messages

Message	What it means	Fix
The sync server could not be reached.	You are offline, or a firewall blocks Sync.	Check your connection. Everything on this computer stays available, and changes sync when you are back online.
The sync server is busy. Elephas will try again shortly.	Temporary.	Nothing to do.
Two devices sent the same change at once. Elephas will try again.	Temporary.	Nothing to do.
The encryption keys have moved on. Elephas will fetch the current ones and try again.	Keys changed, for example after a device was revoked.	Nothing to do.
A synced change did not arrive intact and was refused. Nothing on this computer was altered.	A change failed its integrity check, so Elephas did not apply it.	Click Sync Now. If it repeats, contact support with your log file.
Something synced here could not be opened with this computer’s keys. Nothing local was altered.	This computer received data it cannot decrypt, usually because its keys are out of date.	Click Sync Now. If it repeats, contact support with your log file.
The search model is missing. Get it back in Settings › Downloads, then choose Sync Now.	Synced documents need the search model to be indexed on this computer.	Open Settings › Downloads, download the Search model, then click Sync Now.
Elephas could not write to its local database. Restart the app; your data is untouched.	A local storage problem.	Restart Elephas. See Elephas won’t start if it continues.
Elephas could not reach the system keychain.	Elephas could not read its sync keys from Keychain (Mac) or Credential Manager (Windows).	Restart Elephas, then your computer if needed.
Sync request failed. Try again.	Something else went wrong.	Click Sync Now. If it repeats, contact support.

Steps

Read the status

Open Settings › Sync and read the message under Status.

Fix the cause

Use the tables above. Approvals happen on a device that already syncs. Updates happen in Settings › Updates.

Sync now

Click Sync Now. When everything has gone through, the status reads Up to date and Nothing is waiting to leave this computer.

The steps are the same on Mac and Windows.

How it works

Personal Sync moves your Brains, documents and chat history between your own devices as end-to-end encrypted data. Each device has its own keys, and a new device only gets them after you approve it from a device you already trust, by comparing five words. That is why approvals cannot be done from a website or by support. Search indexes, AI keys and app settings are not synced. Each device builds its own index, which is why a missing search model stops synced documents from being indexed. Sync is separate from AI. Turning it on does not send anything to an AI provider. See sync encryption.

There is no password reset and no recovery for Personal Sync. If you lose every synced device, your synced data cannot be recovered by anyone, including Elephas.

Troubleshooting

The other device never shows the approval request

Open Settings › Sync on that device and click Refresh next to Devices. Make sure both devices are signed in to the same Elephas account and online.

I lost my only synced device

You cannot approve a new device without one. See sync recovery.

Two devices changed the same name

The newer edit wins and the replaced value is kept under Sync Conflicts. See sync conflicts.

Home

Getting Started

Brains and Documents

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AI Options

Privacy and Security

Sync and Devices

Teams

Plans and Billing

Cancel Your Subscription

Settings

Troubleshooting

Resources

Before you start

Device and approval messages

Version and plan messages

Connection and data messages

Steps

How it works

Troubleshooting

Personal Sync overview

Add a device to Sync

Sync encryption

Device limits

​Before you start

​Device and approval messages

​Version and plan messages

​Connection and data messages

​Steps

​How it works

​Troubleshooting

​Related articles

Personal Sync overview

Add a device to Sync

Sync encryption

Device limits

Before you start

Device and approval messages

Version and plan messages

Connection and data messages

Steps

How it works

Troubleshooting

Related articles