Integrration of MyBible with Google Drive for data synchronization is in plans but not implemented yet. For now, MyBible supports synchronization between different devices of the same user using a third party app to synchronize the MyBible data directory with the cloud.
Starting Android 13, third-party apps have no access data directories of other apps, so a third-party app cannot reach the MyBible data directory /Android/data/ua.mybible/files/MyBible. So, if your device runs Android 13 or newer:
- Take care of the MyBible data backing up manually – by periodic connecting your device to a PC via an USB cable and copying to the PC the entire MyBible data directory /Android/data/ua.mybible/files/MyBible.
OR
- Use the X installation of MyBIble and move the data directory to /MyBible. This will let you use the described below MyBible data synchronization approach – because the /MyBible directory is accessible for third party apps. (In order to move the data directory use the search in all MyBible settings to find the “Data directory” group – it is located at the very end of the “Control” category of settings).
A set up data synchronization automatically means that you have in the cloud a backup copy of your data entered or downloaded in MyBible – for cases like loss of a device, accidental deletion of MyBible along with all its data, a glitch when installing a new version of MyBible.
Synchronization principle
MyBible synchronization is based on the following:
- All the data used by MyBible are stored on the SD card or the internal flash of a device, in the /MyBible or /Android/data/ua.mybible/files/MyBible directory.
- The MyBible/user subdirectory contains all the data entered/collected by the user (settings, bookmarks, reading places, notes, themes).
- The actual synchronization of files is performed by an external application working with the Google Drive service or the Dropbox service.
- MyBible detects and loads the external changes of the user data while bringing up the Bible window.
Setting up MyBible synchronization
Use external files synchronization applications like Dropsync or Drive Autosync to synchronize the MyBible directory between your devices via Google Drive or Dropbox, respectively.Steps to set up MyBible synchronization:
- Install a files synchronization application from Google Play, e.g. Dropsync.
- Configure the files synchronization application to sync the MyBible directory with the cloud service (e.g. Google Drive), using two-way synchronization.
Notes: Free versions of files synchronization applications limit uploading to the cloud to 8Mb, therefore some MyBible modules will not synchronize. If you do not want to spend money on a paid Pro version of a synchronization application, you can then synchronize only the MyBible/user subdirectory, and manually download missing modules from MyBible. - In the file synchronization application enable the Autosync option, and select a reasonable autosync interval (which affects transferring updated files from the cloud to the device).
Once the steps above are done on your devices, using the same files synchronization application for the same user account, and the same directory in the cloud storage on all the devices, the MyBible synchronization will come into play.
Synchronization conflicts
When MyBible synchronization is set up, it is assumed that the user will not use MyBible on more than one device at the same time. When working, MyBible updates its settings file often, so with parallel usage of MyBible on several synchronized devices actual synchronization of MyBible settings and other user’s data is not possible. However, if this does happen, the file synchronization application will detect a file update conflict. The latest update of the file will then stay, completely overriding the update made earlier from another device. Also, additional files will be created on the device, having the word “conflict” added with a timestamp in their names (such files can usually just be deleted when noticed).