I love Scrivener on my Mac Air. I want to use it on an iPad when travelling abroad but sometimes wifi access is very flaky. If I download the Scrivener app to my new iPad, will it save the work in the app until I have access to wifi? Thanks for any advice.
The way Scrivener on Mac and Scrivener on iOS works is that you put your Scrivener project folder and files into a Dropbox Folder. I use ~\Dropbox\Apps\Scrivener[Name of Project]. On the Mac work on those files there. Let Scrivner and Dropbox sync the files onto the Dropbox server. Using the iOS Scrivener app (previously installed), allow time for Dropbox to sync all the files to the device, then open in Scrivener and work away, closing out when done. Then when you are out and about and there is no reliable WiFi (or it is non-existant), keep working on the iOS version. Then when WiFi is available, Scrivener and Dropbox will sync to the server. You can keep working. When you get back to your office/home, once your computer syncs completely with Dropbox, you can open the project on your computer and all your changes will be there.
This fully discussed in the Scrivener Manual.
Thank you so much. I hoped this was the case but didn’t want to buy an iPad until I was sure. I’ll also read the manual again.
Chapter 14 covers it.
This is true if you are syncing between your devices through Dropbox, but you’re also able to just keep your projects saved locally to your iOS devices. This, of course, does pose the risk of losing all of your work if you were to lose your iPad while traveling. If you’re doing any heavy lifting on your iOS device, you want to be creating manual backups anyway since the iOS app cannot create automatic backups and syncing isn’t perfect, so doing that when you have access to WiFi would help protect your data.
It is also worth noting that Scrivener’s sync with Dropbox function can be set to Manual, so that it does not sync unless you tell it to. (I don’t remember if this is the default setting.) I think this would be highly recommended in your use case. (I would recommend it anyway, personally.)
Curious. Why set for manual? I have not changed any default and it just works. I launch iOS Scrivener it runs automatically if changes detected (if I answer “yes” when it asks me) and it runs. If WiFi available, on returning to the main screen, it runs.
If WiFi not available … none of that updating happens. As one would expect.
What problem is fixed or risk mitigated by doing “manual”? I prefer to let the computer help me, if it can.
Of course, if you are opening a project that is not current and needs to be updated from the dropbox side a notification is appropriate and important.
I was more responding to the (seeminig) suggestion that Scriv would automatically upload your iOS changes:
“Then when WiFi is available, Scrivener and Dropbox will sync to the server. You can keep working.”
It may often happen that you have been working in a project on iOS, but you do not need to upload your changes now or even when you return to it, or you may have fleeting or unreliable connection, or not want to spend the time just now to let the sync happen. All these are reasons to not have sync proceed automatically (on close or open or anything in between) when wifi becomes available.
Thanks… those are reasons for your recommendation. I accept that your preference. Thanks for explaining.
I, on the other hand, will accept that if WiFi does not work, Scrivener will tell me. Otherwise, if WiFi is working then use it. It doesn’t take that long to sync changes in my experience.
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