Local + iCloud: A guide to switching DeMinds Workspaces

DeMinds lets you quickly switch between your Local Workspace and iCloud Workspace. Keep work on the current device, and use iCloud when you want to continue on another device. After switching, you can merge selected projects from the other workspace or replace the current workspace with the other workspace’s complete contents.

Each device keeps its own Local Workspace. Supported devices using the same Apple Account with iCloud enabled can use the same iCloud Workspace across devices. Put the projects you want to access across devices in iCloud, and keep work you organize separately on each device in its Local Workspace. This gives you the flexibility to continue across devices while keeping DeMinds’ local-first approach.

1. Choose where to continue working

In Continue Working, open the “Workspace: Local” or “Workspace: iCloud” selector and choose the workspace you want to use.

• Local Workspace: saved only on the current device, for work you organize and continue on that device.
• iCloud Workspace: stored in iCloud so you can continue working on the same projects across supported devices. Apple’s iCloud services handle syncing and downloads.

You can switch directly to a workspace that has been set up and is ready, including an empty workspace. After switching, Continue Working shows the projects in the selected workspace, and subsequent saves use that workspace too.

Switching only changes the current workspace. It does not move, merge, or replace projects. Only one workspace is active at a time. Your Local and iCloud Workspaces can contain different projects; their contents are not automatically kept identical.

Set up your iCloud Workspace for the first time

When DeMinds confirms that an iCloud Workspace has not yet been created, and your Local Workspace already contains projects, you can choose:

• “Bring Local content to iCloud”: bring your local content into the new iCloud Workspace and start using it. The source content stays in your Local Workspace.
• “Create an empty iCloud Workspace”: start with an empty workspace. Your local content stays on this device.
• “Cancel”: keep using your current workspace.

If your Local Workspace has no projects, DeMinds can create an empty iCloud Workspace directly. If iCloud cannot be read right now, wait or retry. A workspace that is temporarily unavailable is not necessarily empty.

2. Manage the current workspace to bring in content

First, switch to the workspace you want to receive the content, then choose “Manage Workspace…” from the workspace selector. If you are already using that workspace, open “Manage Workspace…” directly.

Workspace management always updates the current workspace. After a merge or replacement, you stay in that workspace, and the source workspace is kept.

Merge selected projects: bring over what you need

Use merge to bring selected projects from the other workspace into the current one while keeping existing projects unchanged.

1. Review the projects that can be added from the other workspace. By default, the list shows projects missing from the current workspace, with all eligible projects selected.
2. Select the projects you need, or use “Select all.” You can also show all source projects to check what is already there.
3. If your current workspace is iCloud, choose “Merge Selected Projects from Local.” If it is Local, choose “Merge Selected Projects from iCloud.”
4. Wait for the operation to finish, then continue in your current workspace.

Merge adds only selected projects that are complete and missing from the current workspace. Existing projects stay unchanged, and unselected projects are not brought over. You cannot merge if no projects can be added or none are selected.

Some selected projects may be skipped if their files are unavailable. DeMinds reports the result, and the source content is kept.

Whether a project already exists is determined by its identity, not its title. If the same project has different edits in the two workspaces, merge keeps the version in the current workspace. It does not automatically use the newer content from the other workspace or combine the text section by section. A project already in the current workspace’s Document Trash is not brought back by merge either. Projects with the same title but different identities may both be kept.

Replace the entire workspace: use the other workspace’s complete contents

Use replace when you have decided to overwrite the current workspace with the other workspace’s complete contents.

1. Check that the current workspace is the one you want to replace.
2. In “Manage Workspace…,” choose the appropriate replacement action. If your current workspace is iCloud, choose “Replace iCloud with Local Workspace.” If it is Local, choose “Replace Local Workspace with iCloud.”
3. Read the source and destination details in the second confirmation, then confirm and wait for the operation to finish.

Replace uses the complete source workspace, including its Document Trash contents, history, and resources. The selections in the merge list above do not affect replacement. The current workspace’s existing contents are overwritten, and the source workspace is kept. An empty source workspace can also replace the current workspace with an empty one, provided the source has been set up and is complete. Check the contents before proceeding, and export a Workspace Backup first if needed.

Keep the app open during the operation and follow the on-screen prompts. Some iCloud files may still need to download. An incomplete source cannot be used to replace a workspace.

3. Use iCloud across devices, with a Local Workspace on each

For example, you might organize projects mainly on an iPad and want to view them and continue working on an iPhone:

1. Use the same Apple Account on both devices and make sure iCloud is available.
2. Choose the iCloud Workspace on your iPad. If you want to bring in existing local projects, open “Manage Workspace…” and merge the selected projects.
3. Save your work and allow time for iCloud to sync.
4. In Continue Working on your iPhone, choose the iCloud Workspace and open a project once its content is ready.

Both devices use the same iCloud Workspace while keeping their own Local Workspaces. Choosing iCloud on your iPhone does not add the iPad’s local projects to the iPhone’s Local Workspace. To bring content from the iCloud Workspace into the iPhone’s Local Workspace, switch to Local on the iPhone, then merge selected projects from iCloud.

You can also organize a collection of material locally on your iPad, switch to iCloud, and merge just the projects you want to use across devices. The other projects stay in the iPad’s Local Workspace. Switch back to Local whenever you want to return to that device’s own workspace.

Wait for content to become available on another device

Apple’s iCloud services handle syncing and downloads. Availability depends on your account, network, and device state. A successful save on one device does not mean another device has immediately received all the content.

If a project appears on another device but will not open yet:

1. Wait for iCloud to finish syncing and downloading.
2. Check that the current device’s network connection, Apple Account, and iCloud are working normally.
3. Return to DeMinds and try again.

Before continuing to edit the same project on another device, save your work and wait until that device can read the updated content. Some reading preferences in Continue Working, such as whether lists are expanded or collapsed, remain specific to each device.

4. Choose switching, merging, or replacement to suit your task

DeMinds’ core workflow does not require a DeMinds account. Your Local Workspace stays on the current device. An iCloud Workspace uses Apple’s iCloud services for storage and syncing across supported devices. Each device keeps its own separate Local Workspace.

Workspace Backup provides a separate path for export and recovery. Export is included in Standard; import requires Plus. Backup operations are distinct from the Local / iCloud workspace merge and replacement operations described here.