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Sync

Due to the costs of maintaining the sync servers, the Sync feature is available as a paid service.

Accounts with Early Access role can use Sync for free, although they receive less storage space than paid accounts.

Before using the PlanTodo sync service, you must create an account and generate an encryption key. All synced data is protected with end-to-end encryption (E2EE). Only devices that possess the key can decrypt and read your data. The server cannot access the contents of your data.

Be sure to store your encryption key securely after it is generated. PlanTodo does not store your key. In theory, if the key is lost, even the developers cannot decrypt or recover your synced data.

If you have not generated a key yet, you can still upload data to the sync server. However, your data will not receive full encryption protection.

What Gets Synced

Currently, the following data can be synced:

  • Tasks
  • Progress
  • Plans

Device settings are not synced, as settings may differ across devices.

Only projects with sync enabled participate in synchronization.

You can choose whether to enable sync when creating a project. The sync status can also be viewed under More → Enable Sync at the bottom of the project edit page.

Once sync is enabled for a project, it cannot be changed.

To switch a project from synced to non-synced (or vice versa), create a new project and migrate the data.

Usage

The account page displays:

  • Total sync storage and usage
  • Current account role
  • Number of connected devices
  • Encryption key

Initial Sync

Before a device can participate in automatic synchronization, it must perform a full sync once.

Recommended setup:

Device Action
First device Full Upload
Other devices Full Download

Automatic synchronization will not start until the initial full sync is completed.

Full Upload

A Full Upload will:

  1. Remove all existing data stored on the server
  2. Upload all data from the current device

Full Download

A Full Download will:

  1. Keep existing local data
  2. Download server data to the device

If the same item exists both locally and on the server, the server version takes precedence.

Data that exists only on the local device will not be removed.

Automatic Sync

Synchronization is triggered automatically when:

  • New content is created
  • Existing content is modified
  • Another device uploads new synced content

You can also manually trigger a sync from the account page.

Device Management

Any device can view and remove other devices associated with the same account.

Sync Servers

Currently, only one sync server is available.

Additional servers will be deployed in more regions over time, allowing you to choose a nearby server for lower latency.

Data is not shared between sync servers.

All devices that need to sync with each other must use the same sync server.

Data Encryption

PlanTodo uses end-to-end encryption (E2EE).

  • Data is encrypted before being uploaded to the server
  • Data is decrypted after being downloaded to a device
  • The server cannot read your data

Data stored locally on your devices is not encrypted.

Encrypted Data

Only content that may contain private information is encrypted.

Currently, this includes:

  • Task content
  • Progress names and descriptions
  • Plan introductions, notes, triggers, and tags
  • Plan category names and descriptions

The following data is not encrypted:

  • Sorting information
  • Start times
  • Durations
  • Other metadata required for synchronization and scheduling

Key Management

When using sync for the first time, you should generate and securely store an encryption key.

Decrypt Existing Data

If you perform a Full Download on a new device before importing your key, the downloaded data will remain encrypted.

To decrypt it:

  1. Import the correct key
  2. Run Decrypt Data

The application will automatically decrypt all downloaded data stored locally.

Important

If your encryption key is lost, encrypted data stored on the server cannot be recovered.

Be sure to back up your key.

However, as long as at least one device still contains the original data, you can usually restore synchronization:

  1. Generate a new key on an existing device
  2. Perform a Full Upload
  3. Import the new key on other devices
  4. Perform a Full Download

Sync Is Not a Backup

Sync and backup serve different purposes.

Sync keeps data consistent across devices:

  • Changes made on one device
  • Automatically appear on other devices

Backup protects against data loss:

  • Stores a complete copy of your data
  • Allows recovery if the original data is lost or damaged

PlanTodo's sync service is not a backup service and does not provide redundant storage for user data.

While we make every effort to keep the service reliable, server-side data may still be permanently lost due to hardware failures, natural disasters, or other unforeseen events.

This does not affect data already stored on your devices. As long as your local data remains intact, you can restore synchronization at any time by performing a Full Upload.