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Help · version 0.1.13

Connect two Windows computers

This setup currently supports Windows PCs only. Mobile (Android and iOS) and Linux apps are in development. Follow the public roadmap for progress; these clients are not available for this setup yet.

You only need this setup to use the same Gravify archive on another computer. If you use one PC, you can skip it.

What is Tailscale, and why do we use it?

Tailscale is a separate app that connects your devices through a private encrypted network. It lets your second PC reach your Gravify computer over the internet, including when you are away from home. You install it and use your own Tailscale account. Gravify does not ask for your Tailscale password.

Gravify uses that connection to exchange changes between your computers. Your main computer, called the Personal Hub, holds the shared archive and runs connected-account imports. Tailscale provides the connection; Gravify performs the synchronization. This setup does not need a hosted copy of your archive on Gravify's account service, and Tailscale is not an archive backup or a place to store your files. See Tailscale Serve for how private access works.

Before starting

You need two Windows PCs, an existing working Gravify Hub, internet access on both PCs, and permission to install Tailscale. Choose the computer that already has your Gravify data as the main PC. Keep it awake with Gravify open during setup. Use the same Tailscale account on both computers for the simplest setup; an existing shared private network also works if its access rules permit the connection.

On both PCs: install and sign in

  1. Open Download Tailscale for Windows and install the app.
  2. Open Tailscale from the Windows Start menu or its icon beside the clock. Sign in in the browser when prompted; create a Tailscale account if needed.
  3. Repeat on the other PC using the same account. Check that both computers appear in your Tailscale devices page and are connected. This confirms the network setup; Gravify still needs pairing below.

On the main PC: prepare private access

  1. In Gravify, open Settings → Devices & Sync → Check Tailscale. If it says to sign in or connect, finish that in Tailscale and check again.
  2. Open the Tailscale DNS settings. Enable MagicDNS if needed, then under HTTPS Certificates, select Enable HTTPS. Tailscale explains that the certificate's computer and network domain names are recorded publicly; use a computer name without sensitive information. This does not make your archive publicly accessible. Follow the official HTTPS guide if those controls differ or require your network administrator.
  3. Return to Gravify and choose Enable private access. This creates an HTTPS address for your Hub inside your private network. Start with this button; the command-line instructions in the official guide are for troubleshooting if the app cannot complete setup.
  4. Quit Gravify completely, including its tray controller, and reopen it. This applies the new address to the Hub. Choose Check Tailscale again and keep its HTTPS address ready.
  5. Choose Add a Windows computer. Keep the displayed one-time pairing code private. It expires after ten minutes; generating another replaces the previous unused code.

On the second PC: connect to your archive

  1. Open Gravify. On the activation page choose Already set up Gravify? Connect to another computer. If this PC already has a local workspace, use Settings → Devices & Sync → Connect to another computer. Connecting to your existing Hub does not require activating a second Hub.
  2. Enter the main PC's HTTPS address, its pairing code, and a recognizable name for this computer. The address identifies where to connect; the code authorizes this device; the name helps you recognize it in the device list.
  3. Complete pairing, then quit Gravify completely and reopen it as instructed. The app remembers the connection. Successful pairing consumes the code.

If the second PC already had an independent archive, Gravify keeps it in a separate local replica. This procedure does not merge two independent archives.

Check that it works

Create a test person on the first PC, allow synchronization, and look for it on the second. Edit it there and check the first. Restart the second app and confirm that the same archive returns. To check access outside home, repeat with one PC on another internet connection, such as a phone hotspot.

The main PC must be awake, online, and running Gravify. Keep its window open or choose Always Ready in Background Activity. Scheduled low-consumption capture does not keep the full Hub available to remote clients. Tailscale does not prevent Windows sleep. A remote client synchronizes while open. Offline edits wait locally until the Hub is reachable again. Media retained by the Hub are fetched when needed; each PC does not automatically download the entire media archive.

What the other controls mean

If something fails

Future synchronization options

We are evaluating ways to make synchronization more integrated and easier to set up, including alternatives to this separate Tailscale installation. A managed synchronization service is one option being considered, not a service currently included or promised for a particular date or price. This version uses your own Hub and Tailscale for the remote setup described here. Mobile support will be documented separately when available.