Kobo Annotations sync not working

[tk421]

Hi!

I am feeling cheated: everywhere I read, including the instructions manual of my Kobo Aura HD, it says that annotations, including bookmarks, notes and highlights, are supposed to sync accross devices for any book purchased through the Kobo store.

I am currently using a Kobo Aura HD, the Mac Desktop app, and the iOS app of an iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 Plus. The sync seems to be working between the two iPhones, but not between the other devices.

I have even tried syncing the Kobo Aura HD to the desktop app vi usb, but annotations still don't sync.

I contacted Kobo support, and was told that annotations sync was not a feature of the new Kobo firmware. Somehow I doubt this to be true.

So the question is: is sync supposed to be multiplatform feature, or was I misled? This is a huge issue for me, and makes me want to switch to Kindle as soon as a larger screen device is available.

Thanks for the help guys!

[davidfor]

I know I have tested this before and seen the annotations sync to all the devices and apps. That was a while ago, and testing now, it doesn't sync everywhere. I haven't done all the tests but, what I see is:

- Annotations made on iPad or Android phone apps sync to the Aura H2O but not to each other.
- Annotations on the Aura H2O aren't syncing to the apps

I'll check the sync to another ereader and the Windows desktop app when I get home. I'm fairly sure I have seen them sync to the other ereaders recently, but I rarely start the desktop app.

The Aura H2O is running FW3.13.1 and the two apps are up to date.

[davidfor]

And of course now I have to take some of the above back.

I just picked up my Android phone and opened the book I was testing. All the annotations I had made earlier on the Aura H2O are now on the phone. I don't know if this means there is a delay imposed by Kobo for some reason or other or I messed up the order of the syncs earlier.

But, they haven't reached the iPad.

[davidfor]

After getting home, I did some more testing.

The desktop application synced the annotations with no problems.

I opened the iOS app on my iPad, and it synced the annotations. It looks like it only downloads the annotations when first started. It seems to sync annotations made in the app immediately, but only gets them from other devices at startup.

[johnnyb]

And they still aren’t syncing... At least annotations from my H2O won’t show up on the Mac...

[davidfor]

Kobo told me earlier in the year that there was a problem with the syncing between the different device/app types. I haven't checked recently if it is working, but I assume it isn't.

[tk421]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Kobo told me earlier in the year that there was a problem with the syncing between the different device/app types. I haven't checked recently if it is working, but I assume it isn't.

It is still broken. Highlights and notes sync horribly. The service is still not functioning properly, after years!

The Kobo Aura One is an amzing device, but broken sync cannot be tolerated. I will likely no longer buy books from Kobo and switch to Kindle, which is a rock solid service. The new typesetting engine is even better than Kobo. They only need a larger screen eink device.

Kobo is good for novels maaybe, but horrible for reference and non fiction. Sad...

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by tk421

It is still broken. Highlights and notes sync horribly. The service is still not functioning properly, after years!

The Kobo Aura One is an amzing device, but broken sync cannot be tolerated. I will likely no longer buy books from Kobo and switch to Kindle, which is a rock solid service. The new typesetting engine is even better than Kobo. They only need a larger screen eink device.

Kobo is good for novels maaybe, but horrible for reference and non fiction. Sad...

What's the problem? Because of another post, I tested syncing annotations last night. Annotations I made on my Glo HD synced to my Touch, the Kobo desktop application, the iPad app and the Android app on my phone. Another test now starting with the iPad worked as well.

There can be a timing problem, as you need to get each app or device to sync. The apps do a sync when opening and will at other times. But, the apps also have something to make sure they don't sync to often.

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by tk421

...[snip]... The new typesetting engine is even better than Kobo....[snip]..

That's the funniest thing I've heard all day, which probably says more about the kind of day I've had, but still....

[tk421]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

That's the funniest thing I've heard all day, which probably says more about the kind of day I've had, but still....

I don't see what's funny about this. Try the iOS apps with the preview of the latest esition of GTD. The Kindle version looks a thousand times better. Page flip is also spectacular. If the typestiing on the eink Kindle is as good, where is Kobo's advantage here?

You are aware of the new Kindle typesetting engine right? How is Kobo better now?

[tk421]

Originally Posted by davidfor

What's the problem? Because of another post, I tested syncing annotations last night. Annotations I made on my Glo HD synced to my Touch, the Kobo desktop application, the iPad app and the Android app on my phone. Another test now starting with the iPad worked as well.

There can be a timing problem, as you need to get each app or device to sync. The apps do a sync when opening and will at other times. But, the apps also have something to make sure they don't sync to often.

Just open the iPad app, and take a look the annotations list. The Chapter names are all garbled, the annotations are in random order, and full of multiples, in random order as well.

I have an annotaion that is said to be in Chapter 12 (in that lost), but it's really in Chapter 13. Can't view it, can't delete it.

Thing is, Kobo might be great for reading novels, but for non-fiction, research and studying, where annotations are crucial, it is a very poor ecosystem.

If things are working well on your end, please enlighten me.

My plan is to stop using my Kobo, get the next iPad mini and use the Kindle app and a few others for reading pdfs.

Life is too short to wait for decent annotations sync.

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by tk421

I don't see what's funny about this. Try the iOS apps with the preview of the latest esition of GTD. The Kindle version looks a thousand times better. Page flip is also spectacular. If the typestiing on the eink Kindle is as good, where is Kobo's advantage here?

You are aware of the new Kindle typesetting engine right? How is Kobo better now?

What do the iOS apps have to do with e-ink? They're completely different beasts.

I am aware of the new kindle typesetting engine. New does not automatically equal better though. I understand they finally fixed the rivers-on-the-page problem with that last update, but they still need to offer more font (size and weight), margin and spacing freedom before I'd consider comparing them to the kobo experience.

[tk421]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

What do the iOS apps have to do with e-ink? They're completely different beasts.

I am aware of the new kindle typesetting engine. New does not automatically equal better though. I understand they finally fixed the rivers-on-the-page problem with that last update, but they still need to offer more font (size and weight), margin and spacing freedom before I'd consider comparing them to the kobo experience.

Yeah, you're absolutely right on this: Kobo is far more
customizable than Kindle. The ereaders are really a pleasure to use.

For me, it's the horrible annotation sync that makes Kobo a terrible option. If sync was not a problem, I'd stay. But as it stands, it's just unusable.

7" is a great screen size for an ereader, and should be standard. 8" is nice, but 6" is insulting at this point. Too bad there might be no more 7" eink devices.