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Ulysses Not Syncing Between Mac and iPhone

Ongoing macOS, iOS, iPadOS Updated October 21, 2026

Quick answer

Ulysses syncs only through Apple's iCloud Drive, so sync failures almost always come from iCloud settings: different Apple Accounts, iCloud Drive or Ulysses turned off, full iCloud storage, or stalled background services. Check those, restart every device, then contact Ulysses support.

Most likely fix: Check the Apple Account and iCloud Drive settings on every device.

Symptoms

New sheets or edits don't appear on other devices; groups show up empty or sheets never finish downloading; changes from one device overwrite another.

Why it happens

  • Devices signed in with different Apple Accounts
  • iCloud Drive or Ulysses disabled under Apps Syncing to iCloud Drive
  • iCloud storage full
  • iCloud background sync services stalled
  • Low Data Mode or cellular data blocked for iCloud Drive
  • Project stored locally instead of iCloud
  • Corrupted iCloud setup on the Mac

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

  1. 1. Check the Apple Account and iCloud Drive settings on every device

    1. Mac: System Settings > [your name] - confirm the same Apple Account on all devices
    2. Mac: System Settings > iCloud > Drive - turn on Sync this Mac and enable Ulysses under Apps Syncing to iCloud Drive
    3. iPhone/iPad: Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Drive - turn on Sync this iPhone/iPad and enable Ulysses
    4. Make sure your iCloud storage is not full

  2. 2. Restart all devices

    1. Restart the Mac
    2. Force restart (cold boot) the iPhone or iPad so iCloud background services start again

  3. 3. Allow sync on mobile data

    1. Use Wi-Fi and keep the device charging while syncing
    2. Settings > Cellular: enable Cellular Data, then enable iCloud Drive for Ulysses
    3. Turn off Low Data Mode if sync is slow

  4. 4. Test whether iCloud Drive itself works

    1. Put a DOCX, PDF or JPEG into the iCloud Drive folder in Finder
    2. Check if it appears in the Files app on iPhone/iPad (and the other way round)
    3. If it doesn't, the problem is iCloud - check apple.com/support/systemstatus and contact Apple

  5. 5. Nudge a stuck sync

    1. Create a new sheet with a little text on the device that isn't syncing
    2. Or turn iCloud sync off and on again in Ulysses' library settings
    3. Wait a few minutes for missing sheets to download

  6. 6. Sign out of iCloud and contact support

    1. If nothing helps, sign out of iCloud on all devices and sign back in (support has fixed corrupted iCloud setups this way)
    2. Email help@ulysses.app with Support Info: Mac Help > Copy Support Info; iOS Library > gear > Help & Support > Copy Support Info

This guide also covers

  • ulysses not syncing
  • ulysses icloud sync not working
  • ulysses not syncing between mac and iphone
  • ulysses sheets not downloading

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