sync reading location between devices

I'm reading a book with Logos. Not my favourite way to read, but I used my "birthday money" and so it goes... Anyway, I decided to try reading on my phone. It's OK, but I got stuck with a footnote that fills the screen and I can't make it go away (I posted about this elsewhere). I thought I'd be able to go to my computer and that Logos would 'sync' the devices and I'd be able to close the footnote on the computer and continue reading. Unfortunately, that isn't the case... I've pressed the 'sync' arrow thingy in the upper right corner and typed the command 'Sync now', but I'm not getting to where I was on the phone. :-( My impression is that this is supposed to happen automatically; or am I expecting more than what Logos is designed to do?

Appreciate any help. I've tried searching the Forums, but I keep getting an error: "Either the site is offline or an unhandled error occurred."

Find more posts tagged with

Mobile App

Comments

Graham Criddle

I thought I'd be able to go to my computer and that Logos would 'sync' the devices and I'd be able to close the footnote on the computer and continue reading

Logos will sync locations between devices - but only if the resource is not open on the second device. If it is already open the location will stay unchanged.

I've pressed the 'sync' arrow thingy in the upper right corner and typed the command 'Sync now', but I'm not getting to where I was on the phone.

The Sync arrow thing synchronises documents - controls things such as Reading Plans and Notes Documents - but not locations.

I don't currently use an Android device for Logos so can't comment on the other issue, sorry.

Paul Unger

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/835438#Comment_835438

I thought I'd be able to go to my computer and that Logos would 'sync' the devices and I'd be able to close the footnote on the computer and continue reading

Logos will sync locations between devices - but only if the resource is not open on the second device. If it is already open the location will stay unchanged.

Hmmm... That's not very helpful. That means that I have to /close/ the resource I'm reading on device A before I open it on device B, if I want device B to pick up where I was on device A? That kind of obviates the convenience of reading on a second device...

In terms of my current issue, I tried closing the resource on my computer (it /was/ open) and re-opening it, but it still hasn't synced with my phone... I'm really quite stuck. :-(

Paul Unger

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/835452#Comment_835452

I just noticed that if, on my computer, I click "Resource information" (the circle with an 'i' inside) for the book I'm stuck in, there's a "Devices" section. The device (phone) I was using to read with has a checkmark beside it. What does that mean/do? I.e., what would happen if I /un/checked it?

Graham Criddle

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/835460#Comment_835460

. The device (phone) I was using to read with has a checkmark beside it. What does that mean/do? I.e., what would happen if I /un/checked it?

It means the resource has been downloaded to the device so you can access it even when disconnected from the Internet.

It won't affect your current issue - sorry

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/835438#Comment_835438

I don't currently use an Android device for Logos so can't comment on the other issue, sorry.

Neither do I, but here are the steps I would recommend on iOS:

Kill the app. (Completely close, however that is done on Android)
Perform a full shut down of the device
Delete and Reinstall the app.

Those should be performed one at a time to see if it fixes the issue.

Kevin Byford (Faithlife)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/835452#Comment_835452

Hmmm... That's not very helpful. That means that I have to /close/ the resource I'm reading on device A before I open it on device B, if I want device B to pick up where I was on device A? That kind of obviates the convenience of reading on a second device...

What do you think should happen - that both devices should always sync with each other while the resource is open on both devices?

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/835488#Comment_835488

What do you think should happen - that both devices should always sync with each other while the resource is open on both devices?

Yes. That is what most people would expect.

Paul Unger

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/835488#Comment_835488

Hmmm... That's not very helpful. That means that I have to /close/ the resource I'm reading on device A before I open it on device B, if I want device B to pick up where I was on device A? That kind of obviates the convenience of reading on a second device...

What do you think should happen - that both devices should always sync with each other while the resource is open on both devices?

Yes.

Kevin Byford (Faithlife)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/835499#Comment_835499

So (just to make sure I understand properly) if you had two (or more) devices right next to each other sitting on a desk with the same resource open to the same location and you scrolled and/or turned a page on one device, you would expect all of the other devices to automatically scroll and/or turn a page?

Paul Unger

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/835508#Comment_835508

So (just to make sure I understand properly) if you had two (or more) devices right next to each other sitting on a desk with the same resource open to the same location and you scrolled and/or turned a page on one device, you would expect all of the other devices to automatically scroll and/or turn a page?

Taken to that extreme end, I guess so... But perhaps a step (or two) back from that end: when one leaves off reading on device A and resumes on device B, that after pressing the yin&yang / refresh / sync button in the upper right (as I did on my computer), that it would find how far I had gotten on device A and adjust accordingly. Without having to close the resource on device A ('cause, hey, I just might continue reading on it).

Maybe I should ask you: how does sync currently work (as it seems my expectations are beyond how Logos currently operates)? Is closing a resource on a device necessary in order for it to update in relation to its state on a different device? If so, how do you close a resource in Android...? Just choose a different one to replace it in the reading screen?

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/835508#Comment_835508

So (just to make sure I understand properly) if you had two (or more) devices right next to each other sitting on a desk with the same resource open to the same location and you scrolled and/or turned a page on one device, you would expect all of the other devices to automatically scroll and/or turn a page?

I know you haven't been involved in emails / forum discussions with Bob, Eli and myself, but a brief account of MY opinion:

FL needs to create something called "projects." The location data for "projects" should always sync.
On mobile, a user can open any given "project" and the resource would always keep in sync.

This solves so many problems. Some users read different things on various mobile devices. For example: Someone may only use the mobile app on their phone for a devotional reading plan. They would not want their bible to change to a different location (hence the current behavior). When you get to a tablet, however, you will find many more people switching back and forth between desktop and the mobile app. They DO want to have the location sync.

One of the problems FL has is that it is advertised that you can study on one device and seamlessly move between them, including on mobile... but this isn't quite true. The idea of "projects" would solve this because anyone who ALWAYS wanted resource location to remain in place on a mobile device could simply have the default (device specific) "project" open at all times. Users who hand off study from one device to another, however, could open any given project at will and pick up right where they left off.

I have been griping about this for four years. [:'(]

Kevin Byford (Faithlife)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/835516#Comment_835516

I know you haven't been involved in emails / forum discussions with Bob, Eli and myself, but a brief account of MY opinion:

I'm quite familiar about your request for "Projects" but it is unrelated to this thread.

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/835519#Comment_835519

I'm quite familiar about your request for "Projects" but it is unrelated to this thread.

It may be unrelated to the thread, but it is directly related to your question.

Some users would want the current behavior to remain. Many users expect something different. It would be a poor decision to change the behavior without thinking it through.

Derek

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/835520#Comment_835520

I've asked many, many times to have the recent list of scriptures read, synced between devices. This would solve this problem.....

Kevin Byford (Faithlife)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/847826#Comment_847826

I've asked many, many times to have the recent list of scriptures read, synced between devices. This would solve this problem.....

This thread is about syncing reading location, not syncing recent history across devices. Please create a new thread or create a UserVoice suggestion: https://community.logos.com/forums/t/65558.aspx .

Paul Unger

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/847878#Comment_847878

If I could be so bold, I do think that this thread is about syncing recent history across devices... I think alabama24 hit the nail on the head when he wrote:

One of the problems FL has is that it is advertised that you can study on one device and seamlessly move between them, including on mobile... but this isn't quite true.

Kevin Byford (Faithlife)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/847923#Comment_847923

If I could be so bold, I do think that this thread is about syncing recent history across devices... I think alabama24 hit the nail on the head when he wrote:

One of the problems FL has is that it is advertised that you can study on one device and seamlessly move between them, including on mobile... but this isn't quite true.

Please see https://community.logos.com/forums/t/119923.aspx where Derek says "I'm constantly losing my "recent verses" list on Logos." I believe that is what Derek is referencing (please correct me if I'm wrong, Derek).

The Recent verses panel and History panel are unrelated to syncing reading location across devices as referenced in this thread. Recent verses and History are per-device and don't sync across devices. There are not any plans that I am aware of to enable overwriting Recent verses and History on one device with those of another device.

"Seamlessly moving" between devices works well if you 1) read a resource on device A, 2) close the resource on device A, 3) sync the app, 4) open the resource on device B. If that isn't a seamless enough experience please create a UserVoice suggestion.

Matthew

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/835495#Comment_835495

What do you think should happen - that both devices should always sync with each other while the resource is open on both devices?

Yes. That is what most people would expect.

This could potentially be downright annoying if there were not an option to disable it. Many husbands and wives use the same account. Imagine what would happen if a husband and wife attended separate Bible classes on a Sunday morning and each was using the same Bible at the same time on separate devices. See the problem? I am all for improving the app's capabilities, but the suggested change would definitely need an option to disable that feature. Yes, you could shut off the Internet connection, but then you would lose all sorts of other features as well.

Kevin Byford (Faithlife)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/847945#Comment_847945

This could potentially be downright annoying if there were not an option to disable it.

Something also unaccounted for is the sheer number of network calls that would be required by both devices while attempting to sync as fast as possible from our servers. The bandwidth would be prohibitive - we're not Google or Amazon. Also, I've never seen any other reader app sync a resource automatically between devices when that resource is open on both devices. If there is one out there please point it out.

Fr Devin Roza

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/835438#Comment_835438

Logos will sync locations between devices - but only if the resource is not open on the second device. If it is already open the location will stay unchanged.

FWIW, in general I am happy with this current behavior of the app. I think it strike the right balance. I would personally be against aggressively active syncing as some have proposed here.

I think as long as it sync when opening a resource (either because you open the book, or because you open the app, and the book happens to be open), that is enough.

The only other case where I could see syncing would be normally helpful is if the app had been inactive for quite some time, but running in the background. Then if anything the app could ask if you wanted to sync to the latest location if it has changed on another device. But I don't know how easy that would be to check inactivity time, and wouldn't be a priority for me either (I usually close the app when I'm not using it).

Paul Unger

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/847964#Comment_847964

Guess I'm odd one out, here. It's not the first time! ;-P But I probably work differently from many here... I use Logos on my laptop to do my work--checking linguistic and exegetical issues in minority language translation. Logos is always open on my laptop with ~ 20 resources open at a time (yes, it's that useful; and no, I don't close it every time I leave my desk because it's not the fastest loading program in the world...) Unfortunately, if Logos is open on my laptop and I leave my workplace and want to look up something on my phone (or continue reading a commentary or other resource), I'm hooped when it comes to syncing. Guess it's just something I have to learn to live with.

Thanks for the discussion!

James Powell

As a multi-device user, I've been looking for a workable sync in Logos for a long time. Kindle seems to have a solution, although it is limited. I read Kindle books on up to four devices. Whenever I open a book I've been reading on a different device, a message pops up asking me if I would like to go to (sync) 'page such and such from the other device. Yes, Kindle sync certainly has a few drawbacks (I'm very aware of them) but it meets a large percent of my needs. Couldn't Logos at least give us this level of sync?

Paul Unger

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/848573#Comment_848573

I don't use Kindle, but from your description that sounds like a reasonable approach to me.