Offline use and sync
Prior saves everything on your device first and syncs when it can. What works offline, what the sync indicator means, and what happens to edits made apart.
Prior is local-first. Every change is saved on your device before anything leaves it, so the app opens fast and keeps working without a connection. Your account then syncs your devices in the background.
Working offline
With no connection you can still create, edit, complete and delete tasks, check habits, write personal notes and review flashcards. Prior keeps each change in a queue on your device and sends it when you are back online. Nothing needs to be done by hand.
Your session stays signed in, so the installed apps open offline too.
The sync indicator
It sits at the bottom of the sidebar. On a phone, a quiet Offline pill shows in the top bar, and the More screen has a sync row.
| It says | It means |
|---|---|
| Syncing… | A sync is running. |
| Synced with a time, like "2 min ago" | Everything on this device is up to date. |
| Offline, sometimes with "3 waiting" | There is no connection. The waiting changes are saved on this device. |
| 2 changes waiting | You are online and some changes are saved but not sent yet. Click it to sync now. |
| Sync error and Retry | Online, but a sync failed. Click to try again. |
Being offline is a normal state and is not shown as an error. Settings → Diagnostics shows the number of pending changes.
When Prior syncs
- When you sign in.
- Right after you change something.
- When you come back online, or return to the app after being away.
- Every minute while the app is visible.
- Within seconds when someone changes a project you share with them.
Click the indicator to sync at any moment.
What syncs
Your tasks, habits, areas, projects, notes and their attachments (up to 8 MB per file), calendars and events you added, flashcards, your assistant chats, your game progress, and your settings such as language, theme, planning hours and the spaces in your menu.
Some things belong to one device: notification settings and permissions, the quick-add shortcut, your task filters, the draft of a task you did not save, and the caches of imported calendars.
When two devices disagree
Edits to different tasks never conflict. If you change the same task on two devices before they sync, the change that reaches the server last is kept. While a task has a change waiting on a device, an update from another device does not overwrite it. Deletions sync too, and an old offline copy does not bring a deleted item back.
What needs a connection
- Signing in or creating your account.
- Editing a shared project. You see "Shared projects need an internet connection" until you reconnect.
- Comments, invitations and share links.
- Prior AI and assistants connected through MCP.
- The mail inbox and Google Calendar.
- Subscription changes.
Good to know
- On the web, your data is in browser storage. Clearing site data removes changes that have not synced, so wait for Synced first. Do the same before you sign out.
- Signing in on a new device downloads your work. A large account can take a moment the first time.
- If something does not add up, see Sync problems.
Updated 5 November 2026