Keep your devices in sync with iCloud

What iCloud sync does

Sync keeps your cameras, locations and shared settings the same on every device where you turn it on, all signed in to the same iCloud account. It runs through your own iCloud account; SecureEyes runs no server. It is off until you turn it on, and each device needs Standard or Pro.

Turn sync on

1. 01Sign in to iCloud on this device.
2. 02Choose More, then Sync & Devices.
3. 03Choose Turn on. If your plan does not include sync, the plan sheet opens instead.
4. 04If this device has cameras and iCloud holds cameras this device does not have, answer the question that appears (see When iCloud already has cameras).
5. 05The line at the top reads Sync is on. Repeat on your other devices.

When iCloud already has cameras

SecureEyes asks Cameras already in iCloud and shows how many cameras each side has. Choose one:

• Keep both: adds the iCloud cameras to this device. You can remove duplicates afterwards.
• Keep this device's cameras: removes the other cameras from iCloud and from every device that syncs with it.
• Use the cameras in iCloud: removes the cameras that are only on this device, then adds the ones from iCloud.
• If another device is the capture device and this device has cameras it lacks, the question is {name} owns the camera list instead, where {name} is that device. Choose Use its cameras to take its cameras; the cameras only on this device are removed.
• Choose Cancel to leave sync off.

What syncs and what stays on each device

• Syncs: cameras, locations, the stream each camera uses, the grid layout and its tiles, alert choices, the Notifications switch, the Motion border switch, recording and storage settings, Default ports, the Grouping choices on the Locations page, Capture device, which cameras stay live on a smaller plan, and the Camera passwords switch itself.
• Stays on each device: everything in General (including Theme and Language), the Network section except Default ports, Grid stream quality, Hardware decoding, Stream statistics, app lock and Auto-lock, Show banners on this Mac, and the Event images download choices.
• Events: the records always sync. Pictures download when you open them, unless you keep a copy (see Event images).
• Clips stay on the device that recorded them.
• Camera passwords sync only if you turn that on (see Camera passwords).

Camera passwords

Without this, each device asks once for each camera's sign-in.

1. 01In Sync & Devices, under Channels, find the Camera passwords card.
2. 02Turn on its switch. Saved passwords are copied to iCloud Keychain, which Apple encrypts end to end.

Check that it works

• The line at the top says Sync is on. and when the last change synced.
• Each card under Channels shows its state, for example Up to date · last synced {ago}., Syncing…, or Waiting for a connection. Changes go out when you are back online.
• My devices lists every device sharing this setup. This device carries a THIS DEVICE badge and a Rename button.
• Choose Sync to sync now. A message says Everything is already up to date, or how many events came in.

When two devices change the same thing

With no capture device chosen, every device can edit. The latest change to a camera or a location wins, and the latest settings change wins for the settings as a whole. A camera you remove is removed on the other devices too.

Make one device the owner

Under Event images, Capture device picks the device given first chance to capture events. Picking a device there also makes it the owner of the camera list: its cameras, locations and shared settings are what every device shows. On the other devices, changes to them are refused with {name} owns the camera list. Any device can still change Capture device; choose Any device to let every device edit again.

Event images

• Turn on Keep a copy on this device to download recent event pictures in advance.
• Then choose How far back: Last hour, Last 6 hours, Last 24 hours or Last 3 days.
• With it off, a picture still downloads the moment you open its event.

Remove an old device

1. 01Under My devices, a device that has not synced for a week shows NOT SYNCING in its status line, and a Remove button. Remove works while sync is on.
2. 02Choose Remove, then confirm with Remove. If that device syncs again later, it comes back.

Replace what is in iCloud with this device

Use this after restoring a backup, or when another device holds the wrong cameras. It works while sync is on.

1. 01Under Advanced, find Replace synced data with this device and choose Replace.
2. 02Read Replace synced data? and confirm with Remove. Your other devices change to match this one, and anything synced that is not on this device is discarded.

Turn sync off

Choose Turn off at the top of Sync & Devices. Nothing is deleted, and the line reads Sync is off on this device. Nothing has been deleted. Turning it on again picks up where it stopped. If your plan no longer includes sync, sync stops by itself and the cards show Included with Standard.

If sync reports a problem

• Sign in to iCloud on this device to sync cameras and settings.: sign in to iCloud, then choose Sync.
• Another device is running a newer version of SecureEyes. Update this device to keep syncing.
• {channel} did not sync, for example Events did not sync, with the reason: shown after Sync when one channel could not run.
• Sync is not set up on this device: shown after Sync when sync is not running here because your plan no longer includes it. Choose See plans beside Channels, or restore your purchase (see Buy a plan or restore a purchase).
• SE-SYNC-008 Could not send changes: your changes are saved on this device and sync when the connection returns.