Sync & conflict resolution

Keyguard keeps a local copy of your vault, so you can view, add, and edit items without a connection. Changes sync back to the cloud when you are online again; local providers such as KDBX do not need active Internet conenction. If the same item was edited in two places in the meantime, Keyguard merges both edits field by field.

A conflict can happen when you edit an item on a device without an active internet connection and then edit the same item on another device.

How merging works

Keyguard uses a three-way merge. Alongside your local copy, the app keeps the last version of each item synced from the server and uses it as the merge base. Comparing both sides against that base identifies which side changed each field.

Keyguard splits the item into separate fields and merges them one by one:

• a field edited on one side only (locally or remotely) keeps that change;
• a field edited on both sides takes the remote (server) version;
• items added or removed from a list are replayed onto a new base item.

Examples

• You edit the Username on one device and the Password on another — both changes are kept and merged together.
• You edit the Username on one device and the same Username on another — the change from the server wins.
• You add a custom field on one device and a different custom field on another — both are kept: the item ends up with the two new fields.