Sync status
The line at the bottom of the sidebar says how your folder and its Space are doing: the Space's name, a dot, and one or two words. Hover it for a full sentence. Click it to open the part of Settings that explains it.
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Everything is fine
synced: your notes and the Space agree.
syncing: changes are on their way, in one direction or the other.
connecting: Niv is reaching the Space.
setting up: Niv is starting sync with the Space.
Nothing is wrong, nothing is shared
Local vault: this folder isn't connected to a Space. Everything stays on this device. Click it to connect one. See Spaces.
Something is waiting
These are calm on purpose. Nothing is lost; something isn't happening yet.
offline: Niv can't reach the server. Keep writing; your changes sync when the connection is back.
signed out: the folder is set up to sync, but you're signed out, so nothing reaches the Space. Click it to sign in.
receiving only: you still receive other people's changes, but your edits stay on this device. This happens when Niv can't read one of its own files, such as the list of your local-only notes, so it won't guess what to send. Settings › Sync says what to fix.
on hold: files Niv had synced went missing while sync was off, and Niv needs you to say what happened. See When sync asks you something.
files to review: a file was edited outside Niv in a way Niv can't merge on its own. See When sync asks you something.
notes need you: a note is waiting to join the Space until you decide something. Settings › Sync says which.
changes refused: the Space said no to a change, like renaming a note that isn't in the Space any more. Everything else keeps syncing. Settings › Sync lists them; Forget these clears them.
restored: Niv couldn't read its sync records when the folder opened, so it used the last copy it could read. A note may show up twice, or a deleted one may come back. Keep what you want.
Something went wrong
error: some notes can't sync right now. Settings › Sync names them. Check your connection and try again.
not syncing: Niv stopped syncing this folder, so it doesn't mix up which files belong to which notes. Settings › Sync says why and offers Try again. Your notes are kept.
See Troubleshooting for what to do in each case.