One-way Sync Issue on Android App
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Hello Simplenote Support Team,
I am experiencing a specific synchronization issue with the Simplenote app on my Samsung Galaxy S26.
The Problem:
- What works: The app on my Samsung S26 successfully receives and syncs notes/text typed from other devices.
- What fails: Any text or notes I type directly inside the Simplenote app on my Samsung S26 do not sync back to the server or other devices at all.
Troubleshooting I have already tried:
- Logged out and logged back into my account.
- Cleared the app data and app cache.
- Set the app’s battery/data restriction to allow background activity and background data usage at all times.
- Tested typing via a web browser on the same Samsung S26, and it syncs perfectly. The issue happens only inside the official Android app.
Device Information:
- Device: Samsung Galaxy S26
- OS: Android (Latest One UI)
Could you please help me investigate and resolve this app-specific upload/sync issue?
Thank you.
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Hi. This is strange, since only uploading fails. Does it also fail when the phone is connected to WiFi?
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I tested on Wi-Fi. In the same network, the Web version syncs perfectly, but the official Android app fails to upload my notes.
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It sounds like there may be something in your Android system that prevents 3rd-party apps from uploading data, maybe some sort of diligent privacy protection. Maybe you need to give permission to allow Simplenote to transmit?
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Hi @l3ovv –
Thanks for the detailed report, and for the testing you’ve already done — it genuinely narrows things down.
One thing we can rule out: since the app receives notes from your other devices without trouble, it already has working network access and permission to talk to our servers. So this isn’t an Android privacy or background-data restriction — those would break sync in both directions. The problem is specifically in the app’s outgoing sync, which is a much narrower thing.
Before anything else, please protect the notes that haven’t uploaded yet:
- Don’t log out of the Android app or reinstall it again while notes are still unsynced — that discards anything not yet on the server, and it can’t be recovered afterwards.
- To spot an unsynced note, open it and tap the info icon. Compare “Synced” with “Modified” — if Synced is older than Modified, or a new note has no Synced date at all, that note exists only on your phone.
- For any note in that state, copy the text out somewhere safe — into the web app at https://app.simplenote.com in your phone’s browser, or any other app.
As a stopgap that should work today: use https://app.simplenote.com in your phone’s browser for anything important. You’ve confirmed it syncs correctly on that device, so it gets you writing on the phone again while we dig into the app itself.
Then, to get this in front of our developers, could you tell me:
- Your Simplenote app version — Settings, then About Simplenote. The current release is 2.38; if you’re on an older one, please update first and let me know whether it changes anything.
- When this started, and whether it lined up with an app update, an Android update, or a new phone.
- Is it every single note, or intermittent? For example, does it happen with brand-new notes as well as edits to existing ones?
- Do you ever have the web app open in your phone’s browser at the same time as the app? Editing the same note in two places at once can cause one to overwrite the other, and I’d like to rule that out.
With the version number I can get this properly logged. Thanks for your patience — and sorry for the wait on a reply here.
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Hi, staff
Thank you for your reply.
Here are the details: the app version on my phone is 2.38 (186). I noticed the sync issue immediately after installing the app on this new phone. Anything I type in the app does not sync at all. Whether creating a new note or modifying an existing one, the changes remain only on my phone, whether the new note or modifying the existing ones. I tried editing on the app and on the web browser one at a time but the issue only occurs in the mobile app.
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Thanks for those details @l3ovv.
Two things would help us dig in:
- In the app, create a new note containing just the word “test”, then tap the info icon and let us know whether a “Synced” date appears for it.
- We weren’t able to find a Simplenote account registered to the email you’re posting from here on the forums. If you’d rather not share your Simplenote account email publicly, email us at (email visible only to moderators and staff) and we’ll pick it up privately from there.
Look forward to your updates.
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Hi @l3ovv –
Glad to hear it’s working again, and thanks for coming back to let us know.
One thing worth doing while you’re here: while sync was only going one way, anything you typed on the phone during that period stayed local to the device. Now that uploads are working, it’s worth opening a couple of those notes on another device or in the web app to confirm the text actually made it up to the server.
If it ever starts again, a few details would help us dig in: whether it affects every note or only some, whether force-closing and reopening the app clears it, and the app version from Settings > About. We’re happy to take another look.
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