Sync your notes

Loofah does not have its own sync service. It does not need one: the vault is a folder on your Mac, so you can put it inside Google Drive, iCloud Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Syncthing, or another tool that keeps local folders in sync.

Sync the entire vault, not only the Markdown files. Loofah also needs the metadata and transcript files stored beside each note. Recordings and attachments will sync too, so check the available space on every Mac.

Set up sync

1. Install your sync tool

   Let it create its usual folder in Finder, then create an empty Loofah folder inside it.

2. Keep the folder on your Mac

   Do not leave the vault as online-only placeholders. Loofah scans the folder when it starts and needs the files to be available locally.

3. Move the vault

   In Loofah, open Settings → App → Storage, click Change, and select the empty Loofah folder. Choose Move my vault here. The app restarts after the move.

4. Wait for the first upload

   Check your sync tool before opening the vault on another Mac. Large recordings can take a while.

5. Connect another Mac

   Install the same sync tool, download the complete vault, then use Settings → App → Storage → Change in Loofah and select the existing vault. Choose Switch when prompted.

Choose a sync tool

Tool	Good fit	What to configure
Google Drive	You already use Google Drive or want the same vault on several computers.	Prefer Mirror files. If you use streaming, mark the entire vault available offline.
iCloud Drive	All your computers are Macs signed in to the same Apple Account.	Put the vault in iCloud Drive, then Control-click it in Finder and choose Keep Downloaded.
Dropbox	You already use Dropbox across your devices.	Put the vault in Dropbox, then right-click it and choose Make available offline.
OneDrive	Your files already live in a Microsoft account or work tenant.	Put the vault in OneDrive, then choose Always keep on this device in Finder.
Syncthing	You want direct device-to-device sync without storing the vault with a cloud provider.	Share the vault as a Send & Receive folder. Both devices need to come online to exchange changes. Consider enabling file versioning.

Google Drive, iCloud Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive can all leave files in the cloud to save disk space. Pinning the vault locally avoids a half-downloaded vault and lets Loofah keep working offline.

Syncthing is different: it sends files directly between your devices. It also creates conflict copies when the same file changes on two devices, instead of trying to merge the contents.

Avoid sync conflicts

• Finish syncing before you move to another Mac.
• Do not edit the same note on two Macs at the same time. Sync tools move whole files and cannot merge two versions of notes.md or _meta.json for Loofah.
• Do not point two sync tools at the same vault. They can race each other and create duplicate or conflicting files.
• Keep Loofah updated on every Mac that opens the vault.
• Keep a separate backup. Sync usually propagates accidental changes and deletions to every device.

If Loofah pauses on Opening your vault, check whether your sync tool is still downloading files. It will continue automatically when the vault becomes available.

Recordings are usually the largest part of a synced vault. Loofah keeps them indefinitely unless you explicitly delete them. See Audio retention.