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iCloud Sync and Conflicts

The Atlas iCloud Settings on macOS

The Atlas iCloud Settings on macOS

Atlas uses iCloud to synchronize your projects, documents, tags, templates, canvases, version history, themes, and settings across Mac, iPad, and iPhone.

Setting Up Sync

iCloud sync requires an active iCloud account on your device. Once signed in, Atlas syncs automatically — no additional setup is needed.

Sync has three states, visible in Settings > iCloud:

  • Enabled — Sync is active and running in the background
  • Paused — Sync is temporarily stopped, likely due to an account issue, but can be resumed
  • Disabled — Sync is turned off entirely

To manage whether iCloud sync is enabled, open the Settings app and follow the instructs provided by Apple. You can safely disable or enable iCloud access for Atlas at any time and it will ask you how you want to manage any data that has changed.

What Syncs

Everything in your project synchronizes across devices:

  • Projects, documents, and folder structure
  • Tags (including hierarchical relationships)
  • Templates
  • Canvas items and edges
  • Sketches
  • Version history
  • Conflict records
  • Custom themes
  • Custom Export Styles (HTML, ePub, and PDF)
  • Editor settings — active theme, line height, and text size multiplier (toggleable in Settings > iCloud)

Theme Sync

Custom themes sync automatically via CloudKit. Themes upload when created or edited and download from other devices. Deleting a theme propagates the deletion across all devices. If the same theme is edited on two devices before syncing, the most recent edit takes precedence.

If you sign out of iCloud, your themes remain on the device as local copies. Signing back in uploads them again.

Resolving Sync Conflicts

When the same document is edited on multiple devices before changes sync, Atlas detects the conflict and presents a resolution interface. Smart detection distinguishes between actual content conflicts and metadata-only changes, so editing a synopsis on one device while editing the body on another won't trigger a false warning.

The conflict resolution dialog

The Conflict Resolution Notice.

Each conflict version displays the device name and type where the edit originated, helping you identify which changes came from where. You have three options:

  • Keep cloud version — Use the version from iCloud, discarding local changes
  • Use local version — Keep your local changes, discarding the cloud version
  • Custom merge — Provide your own merged content when you want to combine changes from both versions

If multiple documents have conflicts at the same time, Atlas merges them into a single conflict resolution session so you can work through them together.

Info

A safety snapshot is automatically created before any conflict resolution, protecting your local content regardless of which option you choose. You can always find it in the Version Browser.

The Merging Interface

The Markdown Document Conflict Resolution Screen

The Markdown Document Conflict Resolution Screen

When you open a conflict, Atlas presents a side-by-side split view: the cloud version on the left and your local version on the right. Each side shows the device name and icon where that version originated, so you can tell at a glance which edits came from where.

At the top of the screen, a "Start editing from" picker lets you choose which version to use as your base — Cloud or Local. The selected side becomes editable, and you can copy or rework content from the other side into it. This means you're never locked into an all-or-nothing choice; you can start from the cloud version but pull in a paragraph you wrote locally, or vice versa.

If there are multiple local conflict versions (for example, edits from both your iPad and iPhone arrived before the cloud version synced), a version picker on the local side lets you switch between them.

Tip

If you're unsure which version to keep, read through both sides first before selecting one. The base you choose becomes your working document — the other side stays visible for reference until you finish.

For sketch documents, the merging interface shows image previews on both sides instead of text, so you can visually compare the two drawings before choosing which to keep.

Troubleshooting

Documents Not Appearing on Another Device

  1. Verify both devices are signed into the same iCloud account
  2. Check that sync is enabled in Settings > iCloud on both devices
  3. Confirm you have an active internet connection
  4. Try a manual sync by tapping the sync button
  5. Check iCloud storage in your device's system settings — a full account can block sync

Conflict Warnings

Conflicts occur when the same document is edited on multiple devices before changes sync. See Resolving Sync Conflicts above for how to handle them.

Custom Export Style Missing on Another Device

Custom HTML, ePub, and PDF Export Styles sync via iCloud alongside your other project data. If a style you imported or created on one device isn't appearing on another:

  1. Verify iCloud sync is enabled for Atlas on both devices
  2. Give sync a moment — styles propagate shortly after import
  3. Re-open the Export Styles screen to refresh the grid

See Custom Export Styles for more on how styles are managed.

iCloud Account Issues

Verify iCloud is signed in and has available storage in your device's Settings > Apple Account > iCloud. Signing out and back into iCloud may resolve persistent sync issues.

See Also