Sync and access
Sync passphrase and recovery
Open your synced work, understand the device copy, and keep account recovery separate from sync recovery.
Sync carries your work between supported Glob clients. In Glob for Web and the Linux app, you sign in to your Colli account and then open the synced work with a separate Sync passphrase.
This page describes that Web and Linux flow. The CLI sync guide covers the command-line client. Use the Mac guide for that app's available features; signing in on a Mac does not by itself establish that its notes are syncing through the same path.
Open your synced work
After signing in, Glob may ask for Sync passphrase. Enter it and select Unlock.
- If you have already set up sync for this account, use its existing passphrase.
- If the account has no sync encryption set up, the Web app asks you to save a recovery key before setup can finish. Save it separately from this device, check I saved this key somewhere safe, then choose Finish enrollment. Cancel enrollment returns without creating account keys.
- On another Web browser or Linux installation, sign in to the same account and use that same sync passphrase.
The unlock field has no separate confirmation field. Choose and save your passphrase carefully during first setup. Do not enter a different phrase on another device as a way to start over.
Your account password and sync passphrase have separate jobs. The password signs you in; the passphrase opens the synced content. Forgot password? is an account-password reset and does not recover the sync passphrase.
If opening the data fails, the form says Unlock failed. Check the passphrase and try again; no sync cursor was advanced. Check the signed-in account and the passphrase you used when setting it up. The password field clears after each attempt.
Check sync
Open Settings → Sync to see Status. Choose Sync beside Sync now for a manual attempt.
The sync control beside the canvas also describes its state:
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Loading your notes… | Wait while the app opens this device's copy. |
| Syncing… | Let the current attempt finish before checking another device. |
| Sync now | You can request another attempt. |
| Offline — sync when you reconnect | Reconnect and return to the app. |
| Sync failed — try again | Open Settings, read the status message and retry. |
| Locked | Enter the sync passphrase to continue. |
The Sync section on the separate Profile & account settings page explains sync, but does not show its live status. Return to the canvas Settings for that.
The Web app syncs while it is online and visible. Bring its tab to the foreground when waiting for changes from another device. In the Linux app, bring the window back into view. A working copy that has already opened can support offline work, but opening a new account or downloading missing work needs a connection.
If one item fails to sync, other items can continue. Read the reported failure rather than assuming that a completed attempt means every item reached the other device.
The copy on this device
Glob for Web encrypts synced document changes before uploading them. That protection is called end-to-end encryption. It is separate from the working copy used by this browser.
The Web app's working copy contains readable notes on this device. Glob does not encrypt that copy. Someone who can use the same browser profile or computer account can read it. The Linux app also keeps a working copy in its own application storage.
After a successful unlock, the Web app saves an unlock key so it can reopen the account on later visits. Refreshing the page does not reliably require the passphrase again.
Choose Settings → Security → Lock to remove the saved unlock key and require the passphrase again. Lock keeps the working copy; it does not encrypt or delete it. To sign out and remove the copy, use the app's Sign out flow and read any warning about unsent work. See sign-out and device copies.
For the complete explanation of encrypted content, shared projects, chat and other information, read the Privacy Policy. Do not assume that using encrypted sync makes a hosted AI request stay on your device; see hosted AI.
Recovery keys
A recovery key is separate from the sync passphrase, account password and tool access keys. New encrypted-sync setup on Web and the Linux CLI requires saving a one-time recovery key and confirming before setup finishes. The key protects the same account data key as your sync passphrase. Glob receives only the encrypted wrap, never the recovery key.
Save your recovery key shows the key once. Keep it in a password manager or somewhere safe, separate from this device. Check I saved this key somewhere safe and choose Finish enrollment. Cancelling leaves account keys unchanged. Anyone with the recovery key and encrypted account data can open that data.
Existing accounts without recovery remain usable. You can choose Later on the reminder and return to Settings → Security → Add recovery key. Enter the current sync passphrase, save the displayed key and confirm. This keeps the same account key, passphrase and document keys. An existing recovery key cannot be revealed or replaced; an enrolled status does not mean you still have a saved copy.
Some older Web setups attached a recovery key without showing it. A key attached to the account does not prove you have a saved copy. Glob cannot reveal or replace that key through the current controls. If you do not have it, keep your sync passphrase safe and preserve an export from a device that still opens your work; see the guidance below.
For updated Linux CLI builds, complete glob sync now --passphrase-stdin in an interactive terminal: save ONE-TIME RECOVERY KEY and type SAVED. JSON output, the TUI, watchers and relay services direct new users to that interactive setup. Existing accounts can add missing recovery later with glob keys recovery. See CLI recovery keys.
Web and CLI do not yet have a control that accepts a recovery key to recover the sync passphrase. Account-password recovery does not unlock encrypted data. The public Mac app remains at its existing release and does not enforce this enrollment requirement; its sync path differs from the Web/CLI document path. See Mac sync limits.
If you forget the passphrase
If a device can still open your notes, preserve that copy. In Glob for Web or Linux, Settings → Data → Export downloads a readable, unencrypted Glob Portable v1 .glob file with content and structure, excluding keys and operation history. Check it before removing site data, signing out with unsent work, or changing devices.
An email password reset can restore account sign-in but cannot open encrypted content without its sync credentials. Contact [email protected] for account-access help, or [email protected] with the client and error you see. Do not send either address your passphrase or recovery key. The Terms explain the consequence of losing them.