Brave Sync does not work on android

Browser Support Mobile Support
1

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Description of the issue:

How can this issue be reproduced?

  1. Have one new phone and one with open tabs and settings
  2. Scan the qr that’s shown on the old phone in the sync setting using the new phone
  3. Wait as long as you want and see nothing is synced.

Expected result:
Settings open tabs and everything that is checked will be synced to the new phone.
Brave Version( check About Brave):
latest
Mobile Device details
galaxy s6 new phone pixel 7a
Additional Information:

2

Could you go to brave://sync-internals and click on request start ?
see if the data transfers after a few minutes

1 Like
3

Hello and thanks for this, here’s what I get:
(ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED)
do you know the exact domain it is trying to reach? I looked at the logs but found nothing related to brave being blocked.

4

I managed to get it to resolve, but the synced changed are not applied on the new phone. The settings are not changed open tabs are not changed, even though it shows it downloaded the commits.

Any Idea how to get it to work?

5

Are you sure you changed the data preferences (settings → Sync → Data preferences) to include all that ?
Also, the open tabs are shown under history and not directly I guess.

6

Yep, made sure of it on both phones. Checked the history, but settings are not synced which is more annoying.

7

I have the sync dump right here:

Mon Sep 18 2023 07:10:27 GMT+0300 (Israel Daylight Time)
======
Status
======
{
  "actionable_error": [
    {
      "stat_name": "Error Type",
      "stat_status": "uninitialized",
      "stat_value": "Uninitialized"
    },
    {
      "stat_name": "Action",
      "stat_status": "uninitialized",
      "stat_value": "Uninitialized"
    },
    {
      "stat_name": "Error Description",
      "stat_status": "uninitialized",
      "stat_value": "Uninitialized"
    }
  ],
  "actionable_error_detected": false,
  "details": [
    {
      "data": [
        {
          "stat_name": "Transport State",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "Active"
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "User Actionable Error",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "None"
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Disable Reasons",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "None"
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Sync Feature Enabled",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": true
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Setup In Progress",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": false
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Auth Error",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "OK since browser startup"
        }
      ],
      "is_sensitive": false,
      "title": "Summary"
    },
    {
      "data": [
        {
          "stat_name": "Client Version",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "Brave Browser Android 116.1.57.62 (77ae816289bb4557b7e04b3ff2e52d091ab68d66)"
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Server URL",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "https://sync-v2.brave.com/v2"
        }
      ],
      "is_sensitive": false,
      "title": "Version Info"
    },
    {
      "data": [
        {
          "stat_name": "Requested Token",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "n/a"
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Received Token Response",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "n/a"
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Last Token Request Result",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "OK"
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Has Token",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": true
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Next Token Request",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "not scheduled"
        }
      ],
      "is_sensitive": false,
      "title": "Credentials"
    },
    {
      "data": [
        {
          "stat_name": "Server Connection",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "OK since 2023-09-18 07:07:24 +03"
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Last Synced",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "Just now"
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Sync First-Time Setup Complete",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": true
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Sync Cycle Ongoing",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": true
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Local Sync Backend Enabled",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": false
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Local Backend Path",
          "stat_status": "uninitialized",
          "stat_value": "Uninitialized"
        }
      ],
      "is_sensitive": false,
      "title": "Local State"
    },
    {
      "data": [
        {
          "stat_name": "Throttled or Backoff",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": false
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Retry Time",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "Scheduler is not in backoff or throttled"
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Notifications Enabled",
"stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": true
        }
      ],
      "is_sensitive": false,
      "title": "Network"
    },
    {
      "data": [
        {
          "stat_name": "Explicit Passphrase",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": true
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Passphrase Required",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": false
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Cryptographer Ready To Encrypt",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": true
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Cryptographer Has Pending Keys",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": false
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Encrypted Types",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "Bookmarks, Preferences, Passwords, Autofill Profiles, Autofill, Autofill Wallet Metadata, Themes, Typed URLs, Extensions, Search Engines, Sessions, Apps, App settings, Extension settings, Dictionary, Device Info, App List, Arc Package, Printers, Reading List, Send Tab To Self, Wifi Configurations, Web Apps, OS Preferences, Workspace Desk, Printers Authorization Servers, Saved Tab Group, Power Bookmark, WebAuthn Credentials"
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Has Keystore Key",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": true
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Keystore Migration Time",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "2023-08-15 10:19:31 +03"
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Passphrase Type",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "PassphraseType::kCustomPassphrase"
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Explicit passphrase Time",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "2023-08-15 10:19:32 +03"
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Trusted Vault Migration Time",
          "stat_status": "uninitialized",
          "stat_value": "Uninitialized"
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Trusted Vault Version/Epoch",
          "stat_status": "uninitialized",
          "stat_value": 0
        }
      ],
      "is_sensitive": false,
      "title": "Encryption"
    },
    {
      "data": [
        {
          "stat_name": "Sync Source",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "GU_TRIGGER"
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "GetKey Step Failed",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": false
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Download Step Result",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "SYNCER_OK"
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Commit Step Result",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": "SYNCER_OK"
        }
      ],
      "is_sensitive": false,
      "title": "Status from Last Completed Session"
    },
    {
      "data": [
        {
          "stat_name": "Notifications Received",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": 0
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Updates Downloaded",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": 13
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Tombstone Updates",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": 2
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Successful Commits",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": 9
        }
      ],
      "is_sensitive": false,
      "title": "Running Totals"
    },
    {
      "data": [
        {
          "stat_name": "Server Conflicts",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": 0
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Committed Items",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": 0
        }
      ],
      "is_sensitive": false,
      "title": "Transient Counters (this cycle)"
    },
    {
      "data": [
        {
          "stat_name": "Updates Downloaded",
"stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": 0
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "Committed Count",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": 0
        }
      ],
      "is_sensitive": false,
      "title": "Transient Counters (last cycle of last completed session)"
    },
    {
      "data": [
        {
          "stat_name": "Passphrase is set",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": true
        },
        {
          "stat_name": "OS encryption available",
          "stat_status": "",
          "stat_value": false
        }
      ],
      "is_sensitive": false,
      "title": "Brave Sync"
    }
  ],
  "type_status": [
    {
      "message": "Message",
      "name": "Model Type",
      "num_entries": "Total Entries",
      "num_live": "Live Entries",
      "state": "State",
      "status": "header"
    },
    {
      "message": "",
      "name": "Bookmarks",
      "state": "Running",
      "status": "ok",
      "num_entries": 3,
      "num_live": 3
    },
    {
      "message": "",
      "name": "Preferences",
      "state": "Running",
      "status": "ok",
      "num_entries": 21,
      "num_live": 21
    },
    {
      "message": "",
      "name": "Passwords",
      "state": "Running",
      "status": "ok",
      "num_entries": 4,
      "num_live": 4
    },
    {
      "message": "",
      "name": "Autofill Profiles",
      "state": "Running",
      "status": "ok",
      "num_entries": 0,
      "num_live": 0
    },
    {
      "message": "",
      "name": "Autofill",
      "state": "Running",
      "status": "ok",
      "num_entries": 44,
      "num_live": 44
    },
    {
      "message": "",
      "name": "Autofill Wallet",
      "state": "Running",
      "status": "ok",
      "num_entries": 0,
      "num_live": 0
    },
    {
      "message": "",
      "name": "Autofill Wallet Metadata",
      "state": "Running",
      "status": "ok",
      "num_entries": 0,
      "num_live": 0
    },
    {
      "message": "",
      "name": "Autofill Wallet Offer",
      "state": "Running",
      "status": "ok",
      "num_entries": 0,
      "num_live": 0
    },
    {
      "message": "",
      "name": "Typed URLs",
      "state": "Running",
      "status": "ok",
      "num_entries": 6,
      "num_live": 6
    },
    {
      "message": "",
      "name": "Sessions",
      "state": "Running",
      "status": "ok",
      "num_entries": 18,
      "num_live": 18
    },
    {
      "message": "Datatype preconditions not met.",
      "name": "History Delete Directives",
      "state": "Not Running",
      "status": "severity_info",
      "num_entries": 0,
      "num_live": 0
    },
    {
      "message": "",
      "name": "Device Info",
      "state": "Running",
      "status": "ok",
      "num_entries": 2,
      "num_live": 2
    },
    {
      "message": "",
      "name": "Priority Preferences",
      "state": "Running",
      "status": "ok",
      "num_entries": 2,
      "num_live": 2
    },
    {
      "message": "Datatype preconditions not met.",
      "name": "Managed User Settings",
      "state": "Not Running",
      "status": "severity_info",
      "num_entries": 0,
      "num_live": 0
    },
    {
      "message": "",
      "name": "Reading List",
      "state": "Running",
      "status": "ok",
      "num_entries": 0,
      "num_live": 0
    },
    {
      "message": "Datatype preconditions not met.",
      "name": "User Events",
      "state": "Not Running",
      "status": "severity_info",
      "num_entries": 0,
      "num_live": 0
    },
    {
      "message": "",
      "name": "User Consents",
      "state": "Running",
      "status": "ok",
      "num_entries": 0,
      "num_live": 0
    },
    {
      "message": "",
      "name": "Send Tab To Self",
      "state": "Running",
      "status": "ok",
"num_entries": 0,
      "num_live": 0
    },
    {
      "message": "",
      "name": "Security Events",
      "state": "Running",
      "status": "ok",
      "num_entries": 0,
      "num_live": 0
    },
    {
      "message": "",
      "name": "Sharing Message",
      "state": "Running",
      "status": "ok",
      "num_entries": 0,
      "num_live": 0
    },
    {
      "message": "Datatype preconditions not met.",
      "name": "Contact Info",
      "state": "Not Running",
      "status": "severity_info",
      "num_entries": 0,
      "num_live": 0
    },
    {
      "message": "",
      "name": "Proxy tabs",
      "state": "Running",
      "status": "ok",
      "num_entries": 0,
      "num_live": 0
    }
  ],
  "unrecoverable_error_detected": false
}
8

Hey @Undertaker666. Let me try to go back to step 1 here and just kind of verify where you’re at in everything. It’s not that I’m doubting you have everything right, but it’s just that as I’ve helped various people here I’ve learned sometimes it’s good to take a step back and make sure we’re on the same page. Going with assumptions has been a swift kick in the nuts sometimes. lol.

If I can catch hold of the issue, I’ll get you to a solution. If I see it’s not going to be something simple, I’ll tag in support so they can figure out the complex issue. But hopefully it’s nothing like that.

I’m just going to ask that you be a bit patient with me and repeat information if necessary.

  1. What version of Brave do you have on both devices? I know earlier you mentioned latest but I try not to make assumptions. This could be “the latest” on Brave Nightly, Beta, or Release. It could also mean “the latest I could install on my phone, but it stopped being supported months ago.” So it does help if you can tell us exactly which version you’re using instead of just saying “the latest.”

  2. To be clear, you’re syncing between two Android devices, right? Which versions of Android are on both?

  3. If you go to Settings → Sync and look at your device list, which will say DEVICES ON SYNC CHAIN, does it show both phones? It should show one that says (This device) and then list others besides that. For example, here’s a screenshot below from my Samsung Galaxy S9 below:

Screenshot_20230919-000543_Brave
Screenshot_20230919-000543_Brave1080×2220 94.8 KB

  1. On the bottom of the screenshot above, you’ll see there’s a button that says Data Preferences, it’s below Add New Device. If you click on Data Preferences on each device, do they have permissions turned on? Such as you see below in my screenshot, everything is toggled over (with the primary Sync everything standing out more).

Screenshot_20230919-000553_Brave
Screenshot_20230919-000553_Brave1080×2220 128 KB

Again, as simple as it is, sometimes people have left something untoggled here on one device but had it on in the other. If it’s not toggled on both, they won’t sync with each other. So it’s good to verify here.

I just want to make sure none of the above is going to be where your issue might be. Believe it or not, been a number of times people accidentally had devices on different sync chains, had been trying to sync devices that couldn’t be synced because they were too far outdated, they hadn’t enabled features to sync, etc. So that’s all I’m verifying with you.

9

SIDE NOTE
Other thing I’ll tackle really quick. What are your expectations on it syncing?

For example, open tabs won’t actually automatically open on different devices. When it says to sync open tabs it just means so the devices can see what’s open. On Android, you check this by going to the hamburger menu and you look at Recent Tabs.

Again, I know this terminology is different and some people had different expectations. So when you say it’s not synced to your phone, which place were you looking and what did you expect?

In terms of settings, I don’t even really know what they sync. I’m pretty sure they haven’t synced any major settings ever. Overall this is more of a misnomer if I remember correctly. The big things that get synced between just would be your passwords, typed history, and bookmarks.

1 Like
10

Hey I’ll answer by quoting:

1.57.62 latest stable

Both android, one 10, one 13.

yes.

already the same.

I know tabs should show up in history from other devices and everything you wrote, nothing is synced. no passwords, no bookmarks and nothing in the sync settings page.

1 Like
11

@Undertaker666 Thanks. It just helped to make sure a lot of relevant info is there and it’s not sounding like it’s one of the basic steps people have had issues on. While I could randomly guess on things and ask for more details, I’d likely be wasting your time.

What I will let you know is that I’ve messaged @Mattches and @steeven while also tagging them here. I’m sure they’ll swing by with some suggestions and/or questions for you. But definitely wanted to try to get some movement on it since you’ve been holding out for assistance for 20+ days now.

The only other thing I might suggest, if you want to try it, is to leave the sync chain on both devices and create a brand new sync chain. Not sure if you’ve tried this before?

1 Like
12

Great support from @Saoiray and @SmartyAadi here.

I’m honestly not sure why it’s not Syncing — everything seems to be setup correctly and if both devices are showing on both phones that means that they did Sync properly and are on the same chain.

I know it may seem basic but have you tried removing both devices from the chain and then starting over and syncing them together on a new one (basically just equivalent of turning it off and on again lol)?

If you try and that doesn’t work, can you please (while they’re Synced together) go to brave://sync-internals and take a screenshot of this page and share it here so we can take a look under the hood?

1 Like
13

Yep, did that as well, did not apply the settings.

I posted the dump from that page earlier, does that not help?
Thanks for trying to help btw.