What is the Sync Log?
The Sync Log is a built-in diagnostic tool that gives you a complete, real-time picture of everything happening with iCloud sync on your device. It’s the single best place to check when something doesn’t seem right with your data.
You’ll find it at Profile → Help & Feedback → Sync Logs.
When to Use the Sync Log
- Data isn’t appearing on another device
- You’re not sure if sync is working at all
- You want to verify both devices are using the same iCloud account
- You’ve been asked to share a diagnostic log with support
- You’re curious about what’s happening under the hood
What the Sync Log Shows
The Sync Log is organised into four sections: Diagnosis, Details, System, and Event Log.
Diagnosis
The top section runs automatic checks on the most common sync problems and shows a green checkmark or amber warning for each one:
| Check | What it means |
|---|---|
| Network connected | Your device has an active internet connection (shows WiFi, Cellular, or Ethernet) |
| iCloud account available | Your device is signed in to iCloud and the account is accessible |
| CloudKit store active | The app is using the CloudKit-backed store (not a local-only fallback) |
| Push notifications registered | The app can receive push notifications from iCloud when data changes on another device |
| CloudKit setup succeeded | The initial CloudKit handshake completed successfully |
| Sync failure count | How many sync operations have failed this session |
| Last sync time | How long ago the last successful sync happened |
| Low Power Mode | Whether Low Power Mode is on (iOS only) — this can throttle background sync |
| Disk space | Whether your device has enough free storage for sync to work |
If everything shows green, sync is healthy. If you see amber warnings, the message tells you exactly what’s wrong.
Details
A detailed view of your current sync state:
- Store — Whether you’re on CloudKit (syncing) or Local only (not syncing)
- iCloud Account — The status of your iCloud account (Available, No Account, Restricted, etc.)
- Push Notifications — Whether the app is registered to receive sync pushes
- Network — Your connection status and interface type (WiFi, Cellular, Ethernet)
- Setup — Whether CloudKit’s initial setup completed successfully
- Last Import — When data was last received from iCloud
- Last Export — When data was last sent to iCloud
- Since Last Sync — Elapsed time since the last sync in either direction
- Events — Total sync events this session, with a count of any failures
System
Technical information useful for support:
- Bundle ID — The app’s identifier
- Container — The CloudKit container being used
- CloudKit User — A masked version of your CloudKit user record ID (useful for verifying two devices are on the same iCloud account)
- Store Path — Where the database file is stored on disk
- KVS Keys — How many settings are stored in iCloud Key-Value Storage
- Disk Space — Available disk space on your device
- Session — How long the app has been open
Event Log
A live, chronological log of every sync event this session. Each event shows:
- Type — Import (data received), Export (data sent), or Setup (initial handshake)
- Status — Started, Succeeded, or Failed
- Time — When the event happened
- Error — If the event failed, the error message is shown
Events appear in real-time as they happen. You don’t need to refresh — the log updates automatically.
Understanding Sync Status
The Sync Log header shows one of these statuses:
| Status | Indicator | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Checking sync… | Grey dot | The app is waiting for its first sync event |
| Syncing… | Spinning indicator | A sync operation is currently in progress |
| Synced just now | Green dot | Sync completed recently and everything is up to date |
| Synced [time] | Green dot | Sync is working, with the time of the last completed sync |
| Sync error | Orange dot | The most recent sync operation failed — check the event log for details |
| Local only | Red dot | The app is not connected to CloudKit — data is stored on this device only and nothing syncs |
Sharing the Sync Log
If you need to send the log to support, or save it for your own records, tap the share button (square with arrow) in the top-right corner. You’ll see two options:
Email Log
Composes an email to support with the full diagnostic report attached. The report includes everything visible in the Sync Log plus additional system information. This is the fastest way to get help with a sync issue.
Save Log
Saves the diagnostic report as a text file to a location of your choice (Files, iCloud Drive, etc.). The filename includes your device type and the date for easy reference.
Common Diagnosis Scenarios
Everything Green — But Data Still Not Appearing
If all diagnosis checks are green on both devices, sync is working correctly. The most likely explanation is:
- Different iCloud accounts — Compare the CloudKit User value in the System section on both devices. If they don’t match, the devices are signed in to different iCloud accounts
- Give it a few more minutes — Sync is usually fast but can occasionally take 5–10 minutes
- The change hasn’t been saved yet — Make sure you’ve tapped Save on the device where you made the change
“Local only” Store
This means the app fell back to a local-only database and nothing is syncing. Common causes:
- iCloud is disabled for TradingPlan on this device
- The device isn’t signed in to iCloud
- A database migration issue prevented CloudKit from starting
Try: Settings → [your name] → iCloud → make sure TradingPlan is enabled. If it was already on, try signing out and back in to TradingPlan.
“Push notifications not registered”
Without push notifications, your device won’t know immediately when data changes on another device. Sync will still happen, but only when the app checks on its own schedule — which can mean delays of several minutes or more.
Try: Go to Settings → Notifications → TradingPlan and make sure notifications are allowed.
“CloudKit setup failed”
The initial handshake with CloudKit didn’t complete. The error message in the event log will give more detail. Common causes:
- Temporary iCloud service disruption
- Network issues during app launch
- iCloud account in a restricted state
Try: Close and reopen the app. If it persists, restart your device.
“Low Power Mode enabled”
On iPhone, Low Power Mode reduces background activity including sync. Your data will still sync, but it may be significantly delayed. Turn off Low Power Mode (Settings → Battery) if you need sync to be responsive.
“Low disk space”
If your device is very low on storage, iCloud may refuse to sync new data. Free up space and sync should resume automatically.
The Sync Status Bar
You don’t need to open the Sync Log to get a quick read on sync health. The sync status bar appears at the bottom of various screens in the app, showing a small iCloud icon and status text:
- Checkmark iCloud (green) — Synced and healthy
- Rotating arrows — Sync in progress
- Exclamation iCloud (orange) — Sync error
- X iCloud (red) — Local only, no sync
- Plain iCloud (grey) — Waiting for first sync event
If you see anything other than the green checkmark during normal use, open the Sync Log for more detail.
Tips
- Open the Sync Log on both devices when diagnosing a cross-device issue. Compare the CloudKit User IDs to confirm they’re on the same account, and check that both show a healthy green status.
- The Event Log is session-only — it shows events since you last opened the app. If you close and reopen the app, the log starts fresh.
- Manual Sync (Profile → Help & Feedback → Manual Sync) forces a save of any pending data and triggers a KVS sync. This can help nudge data that seems stuck.
- Share the log before contacting support. If you email or save the diagnostic report before describing your problem, the support team has everything they need to investigate immediately.
Still need help?
If this article didn't answer your question, our support team is happy to help.
Email support@tradingplan.io