How does Smart Logbook sync work?

How do I enable sync? Where are my flights stored? How can I tell whether my flights are actually synced?

Smart Logbook includes cloud sync functionality to back up your flights online. All your information is saved to the cloud in case your device is lost, broken, or stolen. Sync also makes it very easy to transfer your logbook when you upgrade to a new phone. Last, but not least, sync enables you to use Smart Logbook on multiple devices (e.g. phone and tablet).

To enable sync, you’ll need to do two things:

  1. Sign into Smart Logbook.
  2. Sign up for a sync subscription.

You can sign into Smart Logbook either in the welcome screen during the initial setup, or later on the Sync Status screen. You can sign in with your Apple ID, a Google account, or any email address.

Your Smart Logbook data is linked to the account that you sign into the app with. So if you upgrade devices or want to access your logbook on multiple devices, make sure you use the same account everywhere.

Note that your Smart Logbook sync account doesn’t have to match the account associated with your app purchase and sync subscription. The purchase and subscription are managed by the App Store (on iOS) or Google Play (on Android), and are linked to the Apple ID or Google account signed into the device itself. For example, you can sign into an iPhone with an Apple ID “pilot@icloud.com”, but then sign into Smart Logbook with “john@gmail.com”.

You’ll also need an active sync subscription to enable sync.

When sync is enabled, Smart Logbook automatically sends your flights and other app data (e.g. aircraft, settings, even photos) to our servers, which are part of Google’s Cloud Platform. Smart Logbook uses an encrypted connection (SSL) to transfer your data to and from the servers, and everything in your logbook is securely linked to your sync account to ensure that no one but you can access it.

By default, Smart Logbook syncs your flights immediately after you log them, assuming you’re online. If your device is offline, it will sync the next time you’re online and open the app. If you log flights and go more than a few days without syncing, Smart Logbook displays a badge to warn you that they’re not yet synced.

You can check the status of sync anytime via the Sync Status screen in the app.

iOS:
More > Sync Status

Android:
Side menu (≡) > Sync Status

This screen pings the server and then shows the current status.

A “Sync Now” button will appear if your device and the server are out of sync.

If you sign into a new device with your Smart Logbook account and there are existing flights on the server, the welcome screen will show a Download Flights button that takes you to the Sync Status screen, where you can easily download your logbook.