# The difference between syncing via legacy and cloudkit

**URL:** <https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591>\
**Category:** DEVONthink To Go\
**Tags:** sync\
**Created:** [February 10, 2021, 12:40pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591 "2021-02-10T12:40:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jason30](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/jason30/32/17772_2.png) [@Jason30](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/Jason30)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 12:40pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/1 "2021-02-10T12:40:34Z")

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Hello! What is the difference between syncing via legary and cloudkit, and is cloudkit syncing much better?  
Sorry, I have no knowledge of computers. 😬

 ![image](https://devontech-discourse.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/original/3X/3/d/3da7155bff46e9ddfc5b87a5c5db5701322faf34.png)

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**Author:** ![Jason30](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/jason30/32/17772_2.png) [@Jason30](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/Jason30)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 12:41pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/2 "2021-02-10T12:41:29Z")

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I have update to DTTG3.0 and DTP3.6.2

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**Author:** ![cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/cgrunenberg/32/7172_2.png) [@cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/cgrunenberg)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 12:43pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/3 "2021-02-10T12:43:25Z")

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> [@Jason30](#):
>
> Hello! What is the difference between syncing via legary and cloudkit, and is cloudkit syncing much better?

If you didn’t use iCloud sync locations so far (now called “iCloud (Legacy)”), then the new “iCloud (CloudKit)” sync locations are definitely recommended. They’re faster, synchronous and don’t require as much CPU time.

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**Author:** ![Jason30](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/jason30/32/17772_2.png) [@Jason30](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/Jason30)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 12:57pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/4 "2021-02-10T12:57:43Z")

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Oh! Thank you for your amazing update work. 🥳  
A question: if I have my old DT data on iCloud cloud, but I haven’t used iCloud sync for a long time, and now I have many new files added to Devonthink on my computer. I now want to delete the data on iCloud and replace them completely with my current computer side data. What is the correct and safe way to do this?  
Thank you very much. 🥰

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**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 1:03pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/5 "2021-02-10T13:03:13Z")

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Just clean the iCloud (Legacy) sync location by **Control-clicking** it and choosing **Clean Location**.  
Also disable the legacy location on other Macs or in DEVONthink To Go before cleaning on the Mac.

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**Author:** ![KillerWhale](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/killerwhale/32/14863_2.png) [@KillerWhale](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/KillerWhale)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 1:17pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/6 "2021-02-10T13:17:11Z")

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Does CloudKit also use temp files on the drive, or is it now able to do without it? It was filling my drive like crazy.

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**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 1:18pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/7 "2021-02-10T13:18:31Z")

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The CloudKit sync is a single-stage sync writing directly to Apple’s server, similar to Dropbox.

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**Author:** ![iApple](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/f08c70/32.png) [@iApple](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/iApple)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 1:20pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/8 "2021-02-10T13:20:17Z")

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What does clean location do? Didn’t get any feedback message after doing it.

After that, I can remove location (legacy)? Do I then go to iCloud to delete any DB/files?

Cheers

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**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 1:22pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/9 "2021-02-10T13:22:33Z")

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Always check **Window \> Log** or the Log popover in the toolbar. You’ll also see the database is unchecked and the message under the database’s name notes the database hasn’t synced. And yes you could delete the legacy location, if you choose to.

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**Author:** ![iApple](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/f08c70/32.png) [@iApple](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/iApple)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 1:23pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/10 "2021-02-10T13:23:08Z")

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Cheers.

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**Author:** ![jeffvogelsang](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/jeffvogelsang/32/16785_2.png) [@jeffvogelsang](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/jeffvogelsang)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 1:33pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/11 "2021-02-10T13:33:53Z")

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@BLUEFROG Is there a way to see if we did the right order of disable/clean/remove on the Legacy iCloud parts? I think I did, but I’d like to validate I don’t have orphaned files taking up space in iCloud.

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**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 2:02pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/12 "2021-02-10T14:02:54Z")

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If you didn’t do it correctly, databases would show up in the **Remote** section of the Databases list when you select the legacy sync location in DEVONthink.

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**Author:** ![KillerWhale](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/killerwhale/32/14863_2.png) [@KillerWhale](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/KillerWhale)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 2:54pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/13 "2021-02-10T14:54:20Z")

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Amazing! Thank you very much.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 2:55pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/14 "2021-02-10T14:55:01Z")

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You’re welcome 🙂

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**Author:** ![nishiazabu](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@nishiazabu](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/nishiazabu)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 3:20pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/15 "2021-02-10T15:20:46Z")

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excellent! if this works more transparently it will have corrected the single biggest weakness of DT – syncing hassle! great job ya’ll! now on to mailing items into DT directly! [wink wink]. Seriously I love DT and appreciate [and pay for] the continuous work ya’ll do to make it better! great job and congrats to the team for the DTTG improvements.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 3:21pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/16 "2021-02-10T15:21:28Z")

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Thanks 🙂

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**Author:** ![nishiazabu](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@nishiazabu](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/nishiazabu)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 3:26pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/17 "2021-02-10T15:26:52Z")

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just downloaded the DTTG 3 and had to laugh at the snowy scenes background on the intro slides. I am at my house in South Florida and it is 73F [ca.23C] this morning with palm trees and bougainvillea outside. used to live in the Netherlands 15 minutes from Germany so I appreciate the difference.

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**Author:** ![echej](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@echej](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/echej)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 5:03pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/18 "2021-02-10T17:03:45Z")

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I probably did something wrong, I today deleted on my mac 2 databases and I didn’t sync this deletion with legacy sync.

I deleted the database on every other device, but it was after choosing cloudkit sync on them.  
I still have them haunting me on cloudkit as remote even If I don’t have them anywhere locally ☹ Refresh doesn’t do anything and clean is grey

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 5:55pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/19 "2021-02-10T17:55:03Z")

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**Control-click** the unwanted databases in the **Remote** section of the sync location and clean them. Simple and done! 😊

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**Author:** ![echej](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@echej](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/echej)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 6:00pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/the-difference-between-syncing-via-legacy-and-cloudkit/61591/20 "2021-02-10T18:00:45Z")

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Thanks! Yes, it worked now, I tried it before when databases were still syncing due to problem from the topic below. I wasn’t able to do that, but after other databases synced it worked!

> [@I'm seeing "Request failed with http status code 503" CKErrorDomain 6](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/im-seeing-request-failed-with-http-status-code-503-ckerrordomain-6/61594/):
>
> Hi – Per the title. I’m seeing Request failed with http status code 503 and CKErrorDomain 6 On my iPad and Mac as it’s attempting to sync. On iPad it’s a notification. On my Mac I see this in the log. Once I see this error, it looks like syncing stops there, and when it tries to start again immediately stops.

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