ICloud Sync

iCloud Sync

JustChords keeps your songs, setlists, tags, and media in sync across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac using your personal iCloud Drive — no account sign-up and no JustChords servers involved.

How it works

When you're signed in to iCloud, JustChords stores your library in your iCloud Drive instead of only on the device. Any device signed in to the same iCloud account will see the same songs, setlists, folders, and tags, usually within a few seconds of a change.

Syncing includes:

Songs, setlists, folders, and tags
Images, PDF notesheets, audio tracks, recordings, and pad sounds attached to your songs
A handful of app preferences, such as your custom folder list, instrument list, and section formatting rules

Some settings are per-device on purpose (for example, view and print preferences) and do not sync, since they're often tuned to the specific device or stage setup.

Turning it on

There is no separate on/off switch for iCloud sync in JustChords. It follows your device's iCloud sign-in status automatically:

Signed in to iCloud → your library and media sync automatically.
Not signed in, or iCloud unavailable → JustChords keeps working normally, but everything stays local to that device only.

To enable sync, sign in to iCloud in your device's system Settings and make sure iCloud Drive is turned on.

Large files and downloads

Audio tracks, recordings, and pad sounds can be large, so they aren't always downloaded to every device immediately — they sync as "available in iCloud" and download on demand when you open the song that needs them. If a file hasn't finished downloading yet, JustChords shows a download status until it's ready.

If your library is still downloading when you open the app, you may briefly see a message that local data is shown while the latest iCloud data finishes loading.

If you edit the same song on two devices

If two devices change the same library file while offline from each other, iCloud detects a conflict once they reconnect. Instead of silently picking a winner, JustChords shows a version picker in the Library screen so you choose which version to keep. The version you don't pick is safely backed up first, so nothing is lost outright.

Old, unresolved conflicts (older than about a month) are cleared automatically to avoid clutter.

Shared Folders (band/collaborative folders) use a different, always-online sync path and resolve conflicts automatically per song or setlist based on which was edited most recently — see Collaboration.

Troubleshooting

Changes not appearing on another device? Make sure both devices are signed in to the same iCloud account and connected to the internet.
Missing audio/pad files? They may still be downloading — open the song and wait for the download to finish.
Stuck "waiting for iCloud" message? This usually resolves within a few seconds; if it persists, check your device's iCloud storage isn't full.