Safari Sync Problem

Michael Graubart · Aug 18, 2018

I have a Mac with MacOS 10.13.6 and an iphone SE with iOS 11.4.1, and I sync by means of iCloud.

Recently I realized that my bookmarks were no longer syncing either way. I tried the usual remedy of signing out of and back into iCloud on both devices, to no avail.

What is more, I have now discovered that my browsing history is also not syncing between Mac and iphone. Everything else — Calendar, Contacts, documents — is syncing perfectly well. So this is a general Safari problem, not a specific bookmarks one. Any help will be very much appreciated.

HunnieBunnie · Aug 18, 2018

Sorry to hear this. Since I upgraded the OS on my iphone 5s, my photos no longer open and sync. I also had a problem with Siri no longer working away from home. The latter seems to be resolved since the last update. It was the one before that one that caused me problems. I do not have a solution for you, but I am convinced that it is the iphone OS updates that caused the problems. I am sure someone here will be able to help you resolve this. If not, next best suggestion is to go to an Apple store or call their tech support which is excellent. Good luck!

Michael Graubart · Aug 18, 2018

Thanks for that kind and sympathetic response, HunnieBunnie. The problem may well have arisen when I updated the iOS to the currently latest version. I had a lengthy online 'chat' with an Apple advisor before posting here, but we did not get very far.

It would be very helpful if readers of this string could say if they, too, have experienced this problem, because, if so, that would tend to confirm that it is a general one caused by the update and not an individual one due to a fault in my phone or Mac systems.

carolineM · Aug 19, 2018

In the list of Apps using iCloud, which is under your iCloud Settings, have you double checked that Safari is toggled to ON on both devices?

Michael Graubart · Aug 19, 2018

Yes, double-checked. Now, as a result of your very relevant question, CarolineM, triple-checked. As I said in my original post, I toggled Safari off and back on on both devices, but left it toggled on on both.

I posted a question similar to my original one here in the Apple Discussions forum. There I received a reply from one of its experienced regular contributors, saying that there had been a number of similar posts, that the problem seemed to have arisen with recent updates to the iOS, and that it seems to be specifically a Safari problem. I wonder what the experience of iPhone Forum readers has been?

J. A. · Aug 19, 2018

No problems on my devices running iOS 11.4.1.

Michael Graubart · Aug 19, 2018

Curious! I have had an email, telling me that J.A. has replied, but I cannot see her reply here! Anyhow, her reply is 'No problems on my devices running iOS 11.4.1.', so I am back to square one: my bookmarks are not syncing.

J. A. · Aug 19, 2018

Michael Graubart said:
Curious! I have had an email, telling me that J.A. has replied, but I cannot see her reply here! Anyhow, her reply is 'No problems on my devices running iOS 11.4.1.', so I am back to square one: my bookmarks are not syncing.

I had removed my post, it’s there again.

I haven’t taken a look at my MacBook yet, but as far as I remember, Safari is syncing without problems there as well. I have the Public Beta version of Mojave installed on my MacBook, so it’s not exactly the same as the software on your Mac.

HunnieBunnie · Aug 19, 2018

I bet a dime to a doughnut that it is OS issue. Please let us know what you find out and what was done to correct it. Good luck.

Michael Graubart · Aug 19, 2018

Well, I had to leave the chat after spending a long time on it, with the intention of resuming when I had more time. Today I decided to take matters into my own hands once more. I did all the old stuff — first disconnecting and reconnecting just Safari from iCloud on both devices, then disconnecting and reconnecting from and to iCloud altogether. At that stage, syncing even of Contacts and Calendar became erratic, especially so from phone to Mac. I then disconnected and reconnected iCloud fully once more, but this time I took what seemed to me a risk and chose the option (on both devices) of not keeping copies of data on the devices (except for passwords), but hoping that I would be able to restore all my data from iCloud.

When I reconnected, I was (after some difficulty and after repeating part of the procedure yet again) able, to my great relief, to get all my data back onto both devices, but syncing of everything was still erratic. I was about to give up and try a chat with an Apple advisor again, when suddenly everything started working and bookmarks synced, too.

Maybe the problem had in fact lain with iCloud.com? I had in fact checked the service status and it had appeared to be OK, but maybe it was somewhat intermittent. Whether the problem will recur remains to be seen. And because of the complexity of syncing to and from two devices in several applications and the apparently erratic nature of the misbehaviours, I am not sure whether my repeated logging out and back in to iCloud was what repaired the situation, or whether it was indeed a temporary phenomenon at iCloud.com. In the meantime, I must say that the doughnut cost a lot more than a dime (in terms of time and nervous energy spent on it), but also that its apparent (fingers crossed!) solution is worth a lot more than a dime.

HunnieBunnie · Aug 19, 2018

"I must say that the doughnut cost a lot more than a dime (in terms of time and nervous energy spent on it)...."

Yep, that is always the case. I dread any time a problem arises. It often requires a lot of time to fix, but it still is better with Apple than with Windows and Android. Windows problems often took days and days and hours and hours with several techs to resolve, and often they were not resolved, which is why I finally bit the expensive bullet and switched to Mac and later to iPhone.

I hope this fix continues to work for you. Please keep up posted.