How To Sync GoodNotes Between iPad And iPhone? (4 Easy Steps)

The GoodNotes platform on Apple allows you to share notes and entire notebooks. Its amazing thing is its security and privacy because other Goodnotes users can only access its Link.

However, you can sync GoodNotes between your iPad and iPhone to save documents on multiple devices. To sync GoodNotes between iPad and iPhone, both devices require iCloud and an active internet connection.

Don’t worry if you find it confusing. We have shared a step-by-step guide for syncing GoodNotes between iPad and iPhone. At the end of this article, you’ll be able to know how to sync GoodNotes between iPad and iPhone.

So let’s get started.

Can You Sync GoodNotes Between iPad And iPhone?

Before taking the next step, it’s essential to know if GoodNotes can sync between an iPad and an iPhone.

So, the answer is Yes. Syncing the GoodNotes documents between iPad and iPhone requires only iCloud and an active internet connection. 

When these two conditions are fulfilled, your changes will sync across the iPad and iPhone that are logged into the same Apple ID.

Now that you’ve got the answer, it’s time to move toward the procedure of how to sync GoodNotes between iPad and iPhone.

How To Sync GoodNotes Between iPad And iPhone?

To sync GoodNotes between iPad and iPhone, you need to set up iCloud sync. This is because once the information on GoodNotes is stored on your iCloud, it’s very easy to retrieve or download it from any device.

So, to set up the iCloud sync for GoodNotes, follow these steps for both your iPad and iPhone:

1. Sign into the same Apple ID on both iPad and iPhone.
2. Open the settings app on both devices and go to Apple ID.

3. Click on iCloud and ensure that both “iCloud Drive” and “Good Notes” are enabled on both devices.

4. At last, open the GoodNotes, tap the gear icon at the top of the Library View, > Settings > iCloud settings > enable “Use iCloud.”

After performing these steps, the GoodNotes will be synced between iPad and iPhone, and you can access your documents from both devices.

That’s how to sync GoodNotes between iPad and iPhone.

Mistakes To Be Avoided While Syncing GoodNotes Documents

The following mistakes should be avoided for the successful syncing of GoodNotes documents:

• Not signing in with the same Apple ID. Usually, people don’t sign in with the same Apple ID, which is the major cause of syncing failure.
• Not enabling the “Use iCloud” option in the GoodNotes. It can also create issues while syncing. So, must enable this option from your app.
• Not enabling the iCloud backup in your device. So, always perform a manual backup of your GoodNotes documents on iCloud.

Why GoodNotes Is Not Syncing Between iPad And iPhone

After you turn on “Use iCloud” in GoodNotes iCloud settings, your documents should be automatically backed up to Apple’s iCloud servers.

But, sometimes, you can’t access your GoodNotes documents on other devices, so they are not properly synced as they should.

In that case, you see an error message about iCloud, cloud icons with “!” on some documents, and inaccessible greyed-out documents. This problem can occur because of iCloud storage or an unstable internet connection.

But don’t worry; we have discussed some effective tips that are beneficial in solving GoodnNotes syncing issues.

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How To Solve GoodNotes Syncing Issues

Try these pro tips to solve GoodNotes Syncing issues:

1. Check Your Internet Connection

Having a stable internet connection is highly essential for the proper syncing of GoodNotes between iPad and iPhone. 

If your internet connection is unstable, the syncing of documents may fail, and changes made on one device may not appear on other devices. This can result in misunderstandings in the notes or even data loss.

We have seen many situations where iCloud and GoodNotes syncing failed on devices with unstable, disabled, or sluggish internet connections. So, ensuring your internet connection is crucial to avoid sync issues is crucial.

2. Turn Off Your Wi-Fi For 30 Minutes

Secondly, consider turning off your Wi-Fi for around 30 minutes and then turning it back on. This can prevent temporary iCloud failures from becoming permanent.

Temporary iCloud failures can occur because of various reasons, including weak signal or connectivity issues. These issues can become permanent if they are not treated, leading to more severe problems.

So, to resolve these issues, we recommend you turn your Wi-Fi off for 30 minutes and then turn it back on. During this period, any temporary files or cache related to the network will be cleared, and the connection will be refreshed.

This process can help you resolve any issues that may have caused the temporary iCloud failures.

3. Check Your iCloud Server Reliability

Before syncing GoodNotes between iPad and iPhone, it is important to check the reliability of their cloud server. This is because iCloud service failures can be more common and cause issues syncing GoodNotes documents.

Sometimes, the iCloud service can fail for various reasons, including connectivity issues and server maintenance.

If the iCloud server is unreliable, it can cause an issue syncing GoodNotes documents between your devices. The failure of the sync process may lead to data loss or misconceptions in the documents.

You can check the reliability of the iCloud server by monitoring the status of the iCloud service and checking for any notifications or alerts regarding service disruptions.

By checking the reliability of the iCloud server, you can ensure that the service is functioning correctly and avoid any sync issues with GoodNotes documents.

4. Force-Quit The GoodNotes

GoodNotes syncing problems can also occur because of the glitches in the GoodNotes app. So, it is advised that you should force-quit the app on both the iPad and iPad and then relaunch it.

Remember, glitches and bugs in the GoodNotes app may cause syncing problems between the iPad and iPhone. These problems can fail to sync documents across the devices, leading to data loss.

The app closed completely and cleared from the device’s memory by force-quitting. This can help to clear any caches or temporary files that were creating problems in syncing.

Once the app is relaunched after a force quit, the app refreshes, and all the issues are cleared. So, you should try force-quitting the GoodNotes app on both devices.

5. Update GoodNotes

Updating the GoodNotes can also fix the syncing issues because when the app is not updated, syncing problems may arise.

Remember, GoodNotes developers frequently release updates to improve functionality and fix issues that may cause problems with syncing between devices. The syncing process may be unreliable if you don’t have the latest version of the app.

To update the app, we recommend you do so manually because sometimes, the App Store may not be aware of a newer version of GoodNotes. This means that the app will not automatically update.

The process for updating the GoodNotes app may vary depending on the device and the operating system being used. 

So, updating the GoodNotes app to the latest version can help resolve any syncing problems and improve the app’s overall functionality.

6. Update Your iOS

It is important to note that the GoodNotes syncing issues may arise because of the iOS update. Not updating the iOS may cause syncing problems of GoodNotes documents between iPad and iPhone.

This is because whenever Apple releases a new version of iOS, they often include new features, security improvements, and bug fixes.

Due to the iOS update, the compatibility issues with the GoodNotes app may also be reduced, which could prevent the syncing issues between the devices. 

Therefore, updating the iOS to the latest version is advised to ensure extreme performance and avoid potential syncing issues.

By updating the iOS to the latest version, users can ensure compatibility with their GoodNotes app and avoid potential syncing problems. It also ensures that users have access to the latest features, bug fixes, etc.

7. Re-enable The “Use iCloud” In GoodNotes

If nothing works, re-enabling the “Use iCloud” setting in the GoodNotes can resolve the syncing issues. 

GoodNotes allows you to use iCloud to sync your notes across different devices. So, if the “Use iCloud” feature is turned off or has been disabled, it may cause syncing problems.

To re-enable the “Use iCloud” setting in the GoodNotes app, you should first open the app on both devices. Then, they need to navigate to the iCloud settings by clicking on the gear option at the screen’s top left corner.

In the iCloud settings, you’ll see an option to turn off or on the “Use iCloud” setting. You should turn off this feature and wait a few seconds before re-enabling it.

Once the “Use iCloud” feature is re-enabled, GoodNotes will attempt to sync all the documents with iCloud. This process may be time-consuming, depending on the size of your documents.

8. Restart Your Devices

Last but not least, if none of the above methods work, try restarting your devices. It should fix all the bugs and glitches on your devices, and you should be able to sync your GoodNotes documents across them.

Now after following these tips, you must not face any issue in syncing and should know how to sync GoodNotes between iPad and iPhone.

How To Ensure Your GoodNotes Is Properly Backed Up To iCloud

Sometimes, the GoodNotes is not properly backed up to iCloud, which may create issues when syncing documents between devices. This may occur because of iCloud issues and other internet problems.

So, to protect your important documents, we highly recommend you manually back up the documents to iCloud. You need to manually turn on the iCloud sync and perform a backup.

Once your data is stored on iCloud, it’s very easy to download or retrieve it from any other device.

To check whether your GoodNotes documents have been synced or not, follow these steps to verify:

1. Launch your iPad/iPhone settings.
2. Tap on your Apple account.

3. Go to iCloud.

4. Click on Manage Storage.
5. Look for the GoodNotes app and verify if your app data is saved there.

After knowing the syncing method, you must know how to write or trace on iPad without moving screen.

Why Do I See Greyed-Out Documents In The GoodNotes?

When you see cloud icons on the greyed-out documents, they are downloaded from iCloud. Leave your app for a few minutes, especially with a large library.

This will make your documents accessible from other devices. In case the process is taking a very long time, follow these steps:

1. Disable “Use iCloud” in the GoodNotes settings.
2. Quit the GoodNotes app. 
3. Relaunch it after a few minutes.
4. Re-enable the “Use iCloud” in the GoodNotes settings.
5. Wait until the cloud icons disappear from greyed-out documents if they appear.

Why I Am Seeing “!” Icon On My GoodNotes Documents?

This indicates a sync problem with some specific documents in the GoodNotes. Try these methods when you see this problem:

Open each problematic document one by one to see if the syncing icon disappears, and then start syncing again. It is recommended as it may help trigger the syncing process and resolve any issue.

Secondly, duplicate those documents, delete the original files, and remove them from the trash. This may resolve the syncing issue using fresh documents instead of corrupted ones.

If none of the above methods works, you should send Diagnostic data to GoodNotes. This data would help GoodNotes support team understand your issue and provide more targeted assistance to the user.

How To Export GoodNotes Diagnostic Data

If you are still facing syncing issues, you are recommended to send the diagnostic data to the GoodNotes support team. This data might contain valuable clues about the cause of the sync issue.

To send this data, follow these simple steps:

1. Open the GoodNotes app and go to Gear-icon (Settings) in the top right corner of the Documents tab.
2. Click on About.
3. Tap on Export Diagnostic Data.

Notes: We recommend you do this on all the affected devices. If your GoodNotes on iPad is not syncing to GoodNotes on iPhone, please send the Diagnostic Data files on both devices.

How To Share GoodNotes Documents For Collaboration

If you are working as a team and want to share your documents for collaboration, you can also share them with your team members. 

GoodNotes allows you to create shareable URLs to documents that others can use to access and edit them, along with your assistance.

Now say goodbye to sending copies back and forth, merging different versions, or exporting large documents; you can now simply generate a link and share it with your team members. All you need is just two things.

Requirements

• You must have a GoodNotes 5.5 or higher version.
• You must have enabled the “Use iCloud” option in your GoodNotes app.

Enable Link Sharing  To Collaborate

To enable link sharing, follow these simple steps:

1. Open the GoodNotes document that you want to share.
2. Tap on the share icon in the navigation bar.
3. Tap on Enable Share Link to Collaborate.
4. At last, click on Send Link to share it.

How To Disable GoodNotes Document Sharing

If you want to stop sharing your document, you can disable the Link sharing at any time, which will revoke access for all the members that have already accepted the share.

To disable link sharing, follow these steps:

1. From the Shared tab in your library, tap on the down arrow next to the document and tap Stop Sharing. 
2. Tap OK to confirm.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Final Words

The article concluded that you could sync GoodNotes between iPad and iPhone with iCloud. So, you must have an internet connection and enable the “Use iCloud” option in the GoodNotes app.

Hopefully, now you should know how to sync GoodNotes between iPad and iPhone and all the related queries.