# Making Anki IOS autosync on opening and closing **URL:** \ **Category:** Suggestions\ **Created:** [October 15, 2021, 6:00am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157 "2021-10-15T06:00:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Buri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/47e85d/32.png) [@Buri](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/Buri)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2021, 6:00am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/1 "2021-10-15T06:00:39Z")
Anki IOS only sync when you press the sync button. Unlike Anki desktop and Anki droid, It automatically syncs itself whenever you open the app (even better when you’re also closing the app, which only takes place on Anki desktop) Or If Anki IOS already has this feature. Please let me know how to setup 😅 ---
**Author:** ![dae](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/dae/32/65_2.png) [@dae](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/dae)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2021, 11:34am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/2 "2021-10-16T11:34:33Z")
The main issue is that iOS apps are not closed like desktop ones are. Every time you briefly switch away, that counts as “closing”, so syncing would end up happening at inconvenient times. iOS will only give apps a brief amount of time to run before they are frozen, so if AnkiMobile were to wait for a while, it would not end up being able to sync. A way around this would be to introduce the ability to sync in the background, but it will mean a redesign of the syncing protocol to handle this, and will take time. ---
**Author:** ![Buri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/47e85d/32.png) [@Buri](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/Buri)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2021, 4:00pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/3 "2021-10-16T16:00:02Z")
How about automatically sync whenever Ankimobile is open? ---
**Author:** ![dae](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/dae/32/65_2.png) [@dae](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/dae)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 11:12am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/4 "2021-10-18T11:12:15Z")
That has similar problems - it’s something the user may be doing frequently if they’re jumping back and forth between apps, and it could get in the way. ---
**Author:** ![Mikal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/0ea827/32.png) [@Mikal](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/Mikal)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 10:39pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/5 "2023-06-28T22:39:00Z")
I understand the complexity of background syncing. But what about a pop-up (or optional pop-up) to synchronize at the completion of a deck review (where it congratulates you) I always want to sync them, and I imagine others do as well. So it would prompt the desired flow ---
**Author:** ![dae](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/dae/32/65_2.png) [@dae](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/dae)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2023, 10:36am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/6 "2023-06-29T10:36:38Z")
If it were optional, that’s one possibility. Another alternative would be to allow syncing to be assigned to the top bar/a swipe/etc. Would that work for you too? ---
**Author:** ![Mikal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/0ea827/32.png) [@Mikal](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/Mikal)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2023, 7:04pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/7 "2023-07-01T19:04:25Z")
Yes, anything where it’s on the Congratulations screen as a visual reminder would be wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![CedrickTM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@CedrickTM](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/CedrickTM)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 2:50am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/8 "2020-10-28T02:50:51Z")
I was wondering if auto sync could be implemented into the anki app. Is that possible? Whether it’d be opening the app or after you finish cards, etc. ---
**Author:** ![dae](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/dae/32/65_2.png) [@dae](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/dae)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 11:13am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/9 "2020-10-28T11:13:55Z")
There are some technical issues that make this tricky at the moment, but it is a possibility for the future. ---
**Author:** ![katrielf](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/katrielf/32/8203_2.png) [@katrielf](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/katrielf)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2022, 11:41pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/10 "2022-01-27T23:41:25Z")
I’d really like this as a feature. Coming from Android and Desktop, I keep forgetting to sync because I’m assuming it’s happened automatically. ---
**Author:** ![dae](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/dae/32/65_2.png) [@dae](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/dae)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 9:08am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/11 "2022-01-29T09:08:00Z")
On iOS apps are only allowed to run in the background for a short amount of time before the system kills them off, and Anki’s current sync protocol has to redo all the work if it is terminated abruptly. The best way to solve this will be changes to the sync protocol, which I hope to get to later this year. ---
**Author:** ![lukas\_forum](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/lukas_forum/32/413_2.png) [@lukas\_forum](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/lukas_forum)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2022, 10:18pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/12 "2022-01-30T22:18:49Z")
Great! Until then could you give us a prompt after finishing all the cards? Or do an auto sync when finishing all cards (or actually it could even be done after finishing a single card). It doesn’t take much resources to sync, right? Some kind of intermediate solution. I’ve also had issues with library sync as I forgot to do it manually. Kind regards, Lukas ---
**Author:** ![dae](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/dae/32/65_2.png) [@dae](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/dae)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 2:25am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/13 "2022-02-01T02:25:12Z")
When you return to the deck list after finishing a deck, the sync button changes color as a reminder that a sync is required. ---
**Author:** ![Jindu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Jindu](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/Jindu)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 9:27am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/14 "2022-11-19T09:27:30Z")
@dae Another option rather than changing the sync protocol is to add location tracking permission. This would override the termination of background services running. You would probably also need to add a feature to justify the need for location tracking though. Maybe a map that shows where you studied in the last X time periods. TL:DR, As a side effect of turning on location tracking, background connections will no longer be interrupted. ---
**Author:** ![ferophila](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/ferophila/32/10566_2.png) [@ferophila](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/ferophila)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 10:15am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/15 "2022-11-19T10:15:15Z")
Anki should not join those programmes that demand location information without good reason. ---
**Author:** ![dae](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/dae/32/65_2.png) [@dae](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/dae)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2022, 11:33am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/16 "2022-11-21T11:33:48Z")
I’m afraid I agree - I don’t want to collect PII, and it would run the risk of angering Apple for misusing their background permissions. ---
**Author:** ![Ulgur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c77e96/32.png) [@Ulgur](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/Ulgur)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 7:33pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/17 "2023-05-24T19:33:26Z")
I just read a thread from 2020 where it’s stated that something like this would in development. Is this still being worked on and if so, when will it come to iPad/iPhone? ---
**Author:** ![dae](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/dae/32/65_2.png) [@dae](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/dae)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2023, 1:28am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/18 "2023-05-25T01:28:02Z")
Implementing this in a non-invasive manner requires changes to the way Anki syncs cards, and the way cards are reviewed (eg a card may be awaiting review, then no longer pending after changes have been synced). Updates to the sync protocol were a small step towards this, but I’m afraid the rest of the work has not bubbled up to the top of the priority list yet, as bugfixes and other lower-hanging fruit tends to take precedence. ---
**Author:** ![PWB97](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@PWB97](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/PWB97)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2023, 5:20pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/19 "2023-08-29T17:20:21Z")
Once an admin said that you are going to change the sync protocol before 2023 ends to make ios/ipados auto sync possible. Is it still valid? Could you inform us the timeline at least roughly ? I have paid a lot for this app but i am not using it because of this auto sync inability. Since anki earns income mainly from the ios app they should provide more support for the ios users. ---
**Author:** ![ferophila](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/ferophila/32/10566_2.png) [@ferophila](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/ferophila)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2023, 5:33pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157/20 "2023-08-29T17:33:04Z")
I don’t recall a date ever being given for the introduction of this feature. One of the last statements on the subject was this: [Is there an autosync upcoming on iPad/iPhone?](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/is-there-an-autosync-upcoming-on-ipad-iphone/30579/2) > [@PWB97](#): > > I have paid a lot for this app but i am not using it because of this auto sync inability. Hitting the sync button is quite an easy habit to build 😉 [Next page](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/making-anki-ios-autosync-on-opening-and-closing/14157.md?page=2)