How sync and offline work
Tavala keeps a full copy of your data on every device, so it works offline. With an account, changes upload when you are online and reach your other devices.
On this page
Tavala saves everything on the device first. Every screen reads from that copy, so the app works the same with or without a connection. If you have an account, the device also uploads your changes whenever it can and downloads the changes made on your other devices.
Without an account
As a guest, your data stays on this device with no backup. Deleting the app or losing the device loses the data. Nothing is uploaded and nothing is queued. When you create an account or sign in, what is on the device moves into the account.
With an account
- Offline. You can add, edit and delete as usual. The changes wait on the device and upload as soon as you are back online. Settings says it under your account: "Changes you make offline upload as soon as you are back online."
- Bills and recurring entries post on schedule, even offline.
- Needs a connection: creating an account, signing in, resetting a password, sharing a space, connecting a bank and buying Plus.
- Which devices sync. Plus syncs every device. The free plan syncs one device at a time; see devices on the free plan.
The sync status
Settings shows one status under your account: a short word and a sentence. On an iPad or a Mac with the sidebar, the same word sits at the foot of the sidebar. A phone has no badge on Home; Home shows a banner only when something needs your attention.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Synced | "Across your devices", with how long ago the last sync was |
| Syncing… | Your latest changes are uploading or downloading |
| Connecting… | Tavala is reaching the sync service |
| Offline | No connection. The sentence counts the changes saved on the device, and they sync when you are back online |
| On this device | You are a guest: your data lives only on this phone, iPad, Mac or browser |
| Last synced 3h ago | The last sync is more than 2 hours old, so changes from your other devices may not be here yet. Everything on this device is safe |
| Sync problem | Some changes have not reached the cloud yet. Tavala keeps retrying and everything is safe on the device |
| Some changes were rejected | Your account refused some changes. They are still on the device; see below |
Being offline is never reported as a sync problem. If the status stays on Syncing… or Connecting…, see my changes are not showing on my other device.
Changes that could not be saved
Sometimes your account refuses a change, for example because it hit a plan limit. Tavala keeps the change on the device and shows a Home banner such as "2 changes couldn't be saved to your account. They're still on this device." Tap Review.
The sheet Changes that couldn't be saved lists each change with the reason in words, for example "This space holds 2 currencies on the free plan." Each change has two buttons:
- Try again saves it again and re-queues it for syncing.
- Delete lets the change go.
Nothing is deleted unless you choose Delete.
When two devices edit the same entry
The last change received wins, with no merge prompt. If you edit the same entry on two devices before they sync, the later change replaces the earlier one.
Signing out
Signing out removes the account's data from that device. It stays in your account and comes back when you sign in. If changes have not synced yet, Tavala warns you first. See sign out.
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