Syncing Bookmarks across macs and devices

Question

Level 1

36 points

Syncing Bookmarks across macs and devices

So frustrated with the poor syncing of my bookmarks between my iMac and my MacBook Pro. When I alter anything in my bookmarks on my iMac, it quickly syncs to my phone and various iPads just fine. Not to my Macbook Pro. When I need to update the MacBooks bookmarks because the icloud sync is just not doing it, I export Bookmarks from my iMac and then import into the Macbook. Then it's hours of wasted time manually arranging the bookmarks list to look the same. How do I simply force iCloud to sync my MacBook to what the iMac has recently sent to the cloud? That would do it.

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)

Posted on Jan 11, 2018 2:06 PM

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Answer 1

Eric Root

Level 10

685,221 points

Jan 11, 2018 5:43 PM in response to JG Here

On the MacBook, try going to System Preferences/iCloud and stop Safari syncing by unchecking the box. Wait a couple of minutes, then check syncing.

Last resort - have you tried signing out of iCloud and then sign back in?

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Answer 2

tygb

Level 9

65,004 points

Jan 11, 2018 10:40 PM in response to JG Here

See this article Get help using iCloud Bookmarks and Reading List - Apple Support

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Answer 3

JG Here Author

Level 1

36 points

Jan 11, 2018 7:11 PM in response to Eric Root

Yes, I've tried unchecking and rechecking that option in iCloud many times over the past few years. It always asks the scary question "do you want to merge your favorite with those from iCloud"? NO, I don't want to merge anything. How ridiculous. I want to simply replace with the newer file. But that is the only option. Sad.

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Answer 4

JG Here Author

Level 1

36 points

Jan 13, 2018 8:14 AM in response to tygb

More weird syncing. When my iPhone updated its bookmarks from iCloud, many of the numerous folders I organize by had dumped their contents into the general bookmarks list. Now the bookmarks list is miles long with folders and various contents of individual bookmarks randomly mixed up in a big useless mess. I went to iCloud on my phone and unchecked Safari, telling it to delete the current content and then sync with iCloud and I got the same horrible results. My two iMacs are not having this problem, but once did. What the heck is going on??

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Answer 5

tygb

Level 9

65,004 points

Jan 14, 2018 2:25 AM in response to JG Here

See this article Bookmark your favorite webpages in Safari on Mac - Apple Support

Note: Safari uses iCloud to keep your bookmarks the same on all your Mac computers and iOS devices that have Safari turned on in iCloud preferences. With iCloud, your bookmarks and Reading List are archived automatically, and you can restore them from an earlier version at any time.

You can create new folders in bookmarks side bar and add the desired bookmarks in it .

This is the only way , if you have any thoughts send a feed back a link Product Feedback - Apple

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