Sync and recover your library with iCloud

Swiftflip stores a library on each device and syncs changes through your private iCloud. You do not need a separate Swiftflip account. Sync takes time, particularly when a device is downloading a library for the first time.

Set up another device

1. Install Swiftflip on the other device.
2. Check that both devices use the same Apple Account for iCloud. The account used for App Store purchases can be different, so check iCloud itself.
3. In system settings, open your Apple Account’s iCloud settings and allow Swiftflip to use iCloud.
4. Open Swiftflip with an internet connection and let the first restore finish.

Decks, cards, media and study progress arrive through iCloud. You do not need to export and import a second copy just to add a device.

Let the first restore finish

On a new installation, Swiftflip waits for the initial iCloud restore before continuing into the library. A large collection or slow connection can take longer. Keep the app open while checking progress and use any retry action it offers if it reports a failure.

When the library opens, check a deck you recognize. Images and audio can take longer than text. An empty screen during a restore does not establish that the original library has been deleted.

Study offline

Cards already on the device remain available offline. You can study and make changes there; iCloud carries those changes to your other devices when a connection returns.

Widget counts can lag behind the app while sync or a widget refresh is pending. Open Swiftflip on the device with the old count and give it time to catch up.

If changes do not appear

Work through these checks on both devices:

• Confirm the iCloud Apple Account matches and Swiftflip is allowed to use iCloud.
• Check the internet connection and any iCloud sign-in message in system settings.
• Check available iCloud storage. A full account can prevent new changes from uploading.
• Open Swiftflip on the device where you made the change, then on the receiving device. Wait for any restore or sync message to finish.
• Check Recently Deleted if a particular item is missing. Search the library too, in case it moved to another folder or deck.

If Swiftflip reports an error, keep its wording when you contact us, together with the app version and affected devices. Do not send private card content unless it is needed to explain the problem.

Keep a recoverable copy

Before reinstalling, changing iCloud accounts or replacing a library, export a Swiftflip Archive from the device with the complete data. Keep that device’s copy until you have verified the destination.

iCloud sync is not a separate backup: deletions can sync too. Use Recently Deleted for recent mistakes and archives for a copy you control. Importing an archive is a recovery action, not a way to force a slow sync to finish.

Sync and Handoff do different jobs

iCloud carries library changes. Handoff continues an active practice session on another device. A library can sync correctly even when the system Handoff suggestion has not appeared.