# Select collection to keep. The collections can't be combined **URL:** \ **Category:** Syncing & AnkiWeb\ **Created:** [September 22, 2023, 10:08am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/select-collection-to-keep-the-collections-cant-be-combined/34851 "2023-09-22T10:08:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OnceUponATime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c89c15/32.png) [@OnceUponATime](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/OnceUponATime)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2023, 10:08am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/select-collection-to-keep-the-collections-cant-be-combined/34851/1 "2023-09-22T10:08:15Z")
Hi, I’ve had problems with syncing since September 13th. Has anything been changed on AnkiWeb? I’ve got this message on my AnkiDroid many times: ![Anki_AnkiDroid_Select collection to кееp.The collections can't be combined_short](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/anki2/original/3X/8/6/86893b08a6a9663866a95a93ddfa52017af4286d.jpeg) I have two devices for Anki. Anki Desktop is on the notebook (Windows 8). AnkiDroid is on the smartphone. I repeat and learn the words on my smartphone only. After learning I always make sync to AnkiWeb. Once a week I start Anki Desktop and make sync also there, in order just to have a copy of my desks on the PC. Syncing worked like a charm the whole time. There are **no reason for any conflicts between the devices** because I learn the words only on the smartphone and **make** **syncs manually**. Now it’s different. Once or twice a day the sync works on AnkiDroid but then I get this message again: “Select collection to кееp. The collections can’t be combined. Which collection do you want to keep? CANCEL ANKIWEB ANKIDROID”. In this case, I click “CANCEL” and I go to my notebook and try to sync Anki Desktop first, even though the “Sync” button is not marked blue. After that it often works with Ankidroid Sync again. But this message “Select collection to кееp…” comes again and again. What is the reason for NOT syncing in this case? I mean… **Why the app asks to choose between ANKIWEB and ANKIDROID, if AnkiWeb can’t have any changes?** **How can I solve the problem?** ---
**Author:** ![abdo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/abdo/32/654_2.png) [@abdo](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/abdo)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2023, 3:11pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/select-collection-to-keep-the-collections-cant-be-combined/34851/2 "2023-09-22T15:11:07Z")
Sounds similar to this: > [@Problems syncing anki and ankiweb with new phone](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/problems-syncing-anki-and-ankiweb-with-new-phone/34371): > > Hello Anki Support, I’ve been using the Ankidroid app for quite a while now and I’ve been really enjoying it and learning a lot from it. To ensure that my data stays safe even if something were to happen to my phone, I made an Ankiweb account and synced it, and I also downloaded the Ankidroid application on my laptop. However, after some time I got a new phone (going from a Samsung Galaxy S8 to a Samsung Galaxy S20). Anki on my old phone, my Ankiweb account and the Ankidroid application on my l… Can you try the solution suggested there and let us know if it works? ---
**Author:** ![PitrusCitrus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/pitruscitrus/32/15983_2.png) [@PitrusCitrus](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/PitrusCitrus)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2023, 6:28pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/select-collection-to-keep-the-collections-cant-be-combined/34851/3 "2023-09-22T18:28:55Z")
While I’m not sure about what causes the problem to begin with, I’m confused as to why in the case of a conflict you don’t overwrite the AnkiWeb data with your local data directly form AnkiDroid (i.e simply clicking “ANKIDROID”) if that’s the only device you’re actually using. Does that not work for some reason? Syncing between anything other than the two sources which are in conflict in this case seems weird to me ---
**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:** [September 23, 2023, 3:03am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/select-collection-to-keep-the-collections-cant-be-combined/34851/4 "2023-09-23T03:03:18Z")
Both your AnkiDroid and desktop version appear to be somewhat out of date. Please upgrade to the latest desktop, use tools\>check database, and force a one-way sync to AnkiWeb, then download on your phone, and see if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![OnceUponATime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c89c15/32.png) [@OnceUponATime](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/OnceUponATime)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2023, 3:19pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/select-collection-to-keep-the-collections-cant-be-combined/34851/5 "2023-10-02T15:19:16Z")
@dae , thanks for your reply! Should I try to sync (AnkiDroid → Ankiweb → Anki Desktop) them before upgrading? All my latest scheduling data is on the mobile phone after all. . My Windows 8 has now Anki 2.1.44 (b2b3275f), I can upgrade to Anki 2.1.49. I have Android 6 on my mobile phone, Ankidroid has vers. 2.15.6, I can update to the latest version, 2.16.5 I think. ---
**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 3, 2023, 5:57am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/select-collection-to-keep-the-collections-cant-be-combined/34851/6 "2023-10-03T05:57:42Z")
Staying on the latest possible version is always a good idea, as it will minimize the chances of compatibility issues. If your Android phone has your latest changes, please upload from it, and download to the desktop, then use check DB and upload again, downloading to AnkiDroid. ---
**Author:** ![OnceUponATime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c89c15/32.png) [@OnceUponATime](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/OnceUponATime)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2023, 2:02pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/select-collection-to-keep-the-collections-cant-be-combined/34851/7 "2023-10-03T14:02:51Z")
@dae Thank you, then I am going to take this way. Do you think, it is a good idea to enable the option “V2 scheduler” in AnkiDroid (in the advanced preferences), before upgrading it? Will it make the “communication” und sync between AnkiDroid - Ankiweb - Anki Desktop better or not? ---
**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 4, 2023, 4:12am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/select-collection-to-keep-the-collections-cant-be-combined/34851/8 "2023-10-04T04:12:42Z")
It probably won’t make a difference either way. If you want to try it, make sure you enable v2 using the computer if you have any cards currently in learning. ---
**Author:** ![OnceUponATime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c89c15/32.png) [@OnceUponATime](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/OnceUponATime)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 3:34pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/select-collection-to-keep-the-collections-cant-be-combined/34851/9 "2023-10-05T15:34:43Z")
Thanks to the tips and replies I’ve updated everything as we said above, check DB, uploaded to AnkiDroid etc. I hope it will work. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![OnceUponATime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c89c15/32.png) [@OnceUponATime](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/OnceUponATime)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 4:04pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/select-collection-to-keep-the-collections-cant-be-combined/34851/10 "2023-10-05T16:04:50Z")
What I don’t understand… Why after the Start Anki Desktop shows “Sync” with blue colour (normal sync required?) if there is nothing new on AnkiWeb? If there can’t be something new on AnkiWeb? ---
**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 7, 2023, 7:32am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/select-collection-to-keep-the-collections-cant-be-combined/34851/11 "2023-10-07T07:32:34Z")
Because something has changed either on AnkiWeb or the desktop. Bear in mind that even the action of clicking on a deck causes a pending change, since the currently-selected deck is synced between devices. ---
**Author:** ![OnceUponATime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c89c15/32.png) [@OnceUponATime](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/OnceUponATime)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 12:56pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/select-collection-to-keep-the-collections-cant-be-combined/34851/12 "2023-10-26T12:56:03Z")
> [@dae](#): > > Bear in mind that even the action of clicking on a deck causes a pending change I didn‘t know that. I thought one should change something or at least have learned one word to cause a „change“. ---
**Author:** ![OnceUponATime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c89c15/32.png) [@OnceUponATime](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/OnceUponATime)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 1:53pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/select-collection-to-keep-the-collections-cant-be-combined/34851/13 "2023-10-26T13:53:25Z")
I am traveling now and don’t really have a lot of time to use Anki. But I tried a few times and the sync works so far. :))))) The solution was a mix of 2 answers of dae: > [@dae](#): > > Both your AnkiDroid and desktop version appear to be somewhat out of date. Please upgrade to the latest desktop, use tools\>check database, and force a one-way sync to AnkiWeb, then download on your phone, and see if that helps. > [@dae](#): > > Staying on the latest possible version is always a good idea, as it will minimize the chances of compatibility issues. If your Android phone has your latest changes, please upload from it, and download to the desktop, then use check DB and upload again, downloading to AnkiDroid. First I forced a one-way sync to AnkiWeb from my phone, then downloaded to the notebook, after that I updated the desktop, then used check DB + media and uploaded everything to AnkiWeb, then I made the update on the phone and after that downloaded everything from AnkiWeb to my AnkiDroid. The sync has been working normally since these updates. And I hope it will work in the future. :))) Thank you very much for the help! ---
**Author:** ![OnceUponATime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c89c15/32.png) [@OnceUponATime](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/OnceUponATime)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 9:01pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/select-collection-to-keep-the-collections-cant-be-combined/34851/14 "2023-11-24T21:01:07Z")
@dae If you learn the words on your smartphone only and make sync to AnkiWeb every day. How often is it necessary to start Anki Desktop on the notebook and make sync to Desktop as well? Once a week? 2 times a month? Or more often? ---
**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 27, 2023, 4:36am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/select-collection-to-keep-the-collections-cant-be-combined/34851/15 "2023-11-27T04:36:40Z")
If you’re not opening the computer version at all, then there’s no need to open it just to sync. If you are opening the computer version and making changes, then you should sync at the start and end of your session. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/anki2/original/1X/8f1279ababc5879d54e4838989f606cfe55af8c7.jpeg) [@system](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2023, 4:37am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/select-collection-to-keep-the-collections-cant-be-combined/34851/16 "2023-12-27T04:37:23Z")
Closed on December 27, 2023, 4:37am UTC This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.