Cloud Sync

AndBible can synchronize your bookmarks, notes, labels, study pads, and workspaces across multiple devices using Google Drive or Nextcloud.

Sync is automatic — once set up, changes are synchronized in the background while the app is open, as well as when opening or exiting the app.

Requirements

  • Android 5.1 or newer

  • A Google account (for Google Drive sync) or a Nextcloud server

  • Internet connection

Note

Google Drive sync is not available in the F-Droid build. If you installed AndBible from F-Droid, you can use Nextcloud instead.

Setting Up Sync

  1. Open the top left main menu (☰).

  2. Tap Sync settings.

  3. Choose your sync adapter: Google Drive (default) or Nextcloud.

  4. Toggle on the data categories you want to sync (Bookmarks, Workspaces).

When enabling sync for the first time:

  • If no sync data exists in the cloud yet, your local data will be uploaded automatically.

  • If sync data already exists (e.g. from another device), a dialog will appear with three options:

    • Copy from Cloud to this device — downloads the cloud data and replaces your local data with it.

    • Copy from this device to Cloud — replaces the cloud data with this device’s local data.

    • Cancel & disable synchronization — cancels and disables sync for this category.

    A confirmation dialog will follow to make sure you understand the consequences.

Setting Up Nextcloud

If using Nextcloud instead of Google Drive:

  1. In Sync settings, change the Sync adapter to Nextcloud.

  2. Enter your Nextcloud server URL, username, and password.

  3. Optionally specify a folder path on the server.

  4. Toggle on the data categories you want to sync.

What Gets Synced

Bookmarks (toggle: Bookmarks)

Bookmarks, highlights, notes, labels, and study pads — for both Bible and non-Bible documents.

Workspaces (toggle: Workspaces)

Workspace configurations, window layouts, and current document positions.

AI settings (synced with Workspaces)

Custom AI prompts and provider configurations (provider type, model, endpoint). API keys, cache, and usage data are not synced – you need to enter your API key on each device separately. See AI Bible Study Assistant for details.

Not synced:

Bible and commentary modules themselves are not synced. Download your modules separately on each device. App settings, preferences, AI API keys, and AI cache are also not synced.

How Sync Works

  • Sync runs automatically approximately every 60 seconds while the app is in the foreground and device is online.

  • Sync also runs when the app is opened and when exiting the app.

  • Only changes since the last sync are uploaded — not the entire database each time.

  • If two devices change the same item, the most recent change wins automatically (based on timestamps).

Multi-Device Usage

Each device is identified separately. When multiple devices are synced:

  • Changes from all devices are merged automatically.

  • If the same bookmark or workspace is modified on two devices between syncs, the last change (by timestamp) takes precedence.

  • There is no manual conflict resolution — the process is fully automatic.

Resetting Sync

To disconnect from cloud sync:

  1. Open Sync settings.

  2. Tap Sign Out.

  3. Confirm the reset.

This signs out, disables synchronization, and resets related settings. Your local data is kept intact. You can set up sync again at any time.

Tips

Compacting Cloud Storage

Over time, the sync data in the cloud can grow as incremental change patches accumulate. To compact the cloud storage:

  1. Make a backup first, just in case.

  2. On one device, open Sync settings and tap Sign Out.

  3. Set up sync again and choose Copy from this device to Cloud. This replaces the accumulated patches in the cloud with a clean snapshot.

  4. On your other devices, sync will detect that the cloud data has changed. When prompted, choose Copy from Cloud to this device to restore from the clean snapshot.

Privacy and Security

  • Google Drive: AndBible uses the app-specific AppData folder on Google Drive. It cannot access any other files on your Drive, and other apps cannot access AndBible’s sync data.

  • Data sent: Only your bookmarks, labels, notes, study pads, workspaces, and window configurations are uploaded — no personal information beyond what you explicitly create in the app.

  • Credentials: Authentication credentials are stored only on the device and are never included in backups.

Note

AndBible developers are not responsible for any data loss or damage that may occur during the synchronization process. Regular backups are recommended.