iCloud Restored Safari Bookmarks keep being Deleted

[86Hawkeye]

I want to revert back to a previous version of my Safari bookmarks and sync them with iCloud. Here's what I've done:

1. Deleted all current bookmarks from iPhone and iPad.
2. Turned off Safari sync in iCloud on iPhone and iPad.
3. Restored Safari bookmarks.plist file from previous time machine backup on my Mac (replaced current bookmarks.plist file).
4. The previous bookmarks were restored, but after 5-10 minutes they were wiped out.
5. I have permanently deleted all bookmarks that were restorable on iCloud.
6. Repeated steps 1-3, but 4. keeps happening.

Suggestions?

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

If you have other devices turn off sync/clear them out as well. Then restore the bookmarks on one device to make sure they are there then enable sync on the other devices.

 

[86Hawkeye]

If you have other devices turn off sync/clear them out as well. Then restore the bookmarks on one device to make sure they are there then enable sync on the other devices.

That's what I'm doing now.

I've turned off Safari sync with iCloud on the iPhone and iPad. I stepped away for about 30 mins and the bookmarks I restored to my Mac are still there (I am synching with iCloud on that device).

I think I'll wait another 30 minutes before I turn on Safari sync on the iPhone and iPad, just to be sure.

Thanks!

 

[86Hawkeye]

If you have other devices turn off sync/clear them out as well. Then restore the bookmarks on one device to make sure they are there then enable sync on the other devices.

Very strange. I did as you suggested (see above). However, when I went to my settings on my Mac and changed nothing, my bookmarks vanished! Safari sync was checked.

I have not turned on sync on the iPhone or the iPad.

Thoughts?

 

[86Hawkeye]

OK, I figured it out.

1. I turned off Safari synch on my Mac.
2. I restored the bookmarks.plist file from time machine. They showed up in Safari on the Mac.
3. In Safari, I exported the bookmarks to a bookmarks HTML file on my desktop.
4. I turned on Safari synch in iCloud settings and the bookmarks disappeared from Safari as before.
5. In Safari, I imported the bookmarks HTML file from my desktop.
6. I then moved my various bookmarks and bookmark folders from the Imported Bookmarks folder that was created in Safari to my Favorite bookmarks folder.
7. The bookmarks on my Mac then synched with iCloud without issue.
8. I then turned on Safari synch on my iPhone and the bookmarks synched, no issue.
9. I then turned on Safari synch on my iPad and the bookmarks synched, no issue.

Seems the act of importing the bookmarks HTML file into Safari is what did the trick. The restore of the bookmarks.plist file from time machine did not work.

 

[jsamuelson]

Team I am having the opposite problem - deleted bookmarks keep getting put back. Driving me nuts. Maybe I will try the import routine as above...

 

[86Hawkeye]

Team I am having the opposite problem - deleted bookmarks keep getting put back. Driving me nuts. Maybe I will try the import routine as above...

How did go?

 

[Chrisjmv]

Team I am having the opposite problem - deleted bookmarks keep getting put back. Driving me nuts. Maybe I will try the import routine as above...

I have the same problem, did you get it fixed??!

 

[jsamuelson]

I have the same problem, did you get it fixed??!

Nope. Nothing has worked.

 

[Chrisjmv]

Nope. Nothing has worked.

I tried so many methods. Deleted all bookmarks on all my devices (saved before on Mac as HTML) and waited about 10-15min when all iCloud safari stuff was disabled.

Then only on my Mac imported the html backup and only there enabled safari iCloud sync and guess what… didn’t work… got all old bookmarks back again.
Don’t know what to do. Something seems broken

 

[jsamuelson]

I tried so many methods. Deleted all bookmarks on all my devices (saved before on Mac as HTML) and waited about 10-15min when all iCloud safari stuff was disabled.

Then only on my Mac imported the html backup and only there enabled safari iCloud sync and guess what… didn’t work… got all old bookmarks back again.
Don’t know what to do. Something seems broken

Yes - me too. Tried all that and more, waited 24hrs, nuked the whole Safari folder, tweaked settings, disabled extensions. Nothing has worked.

 

[Richard412]

OK, I figured it out.

1. I turned off Safari synch on my Mac.
2. I restored the bookmarks.plist file from time machine. They showed up in Safari on the Mac.
3. In Safari, I exported the bookmarks to a bookmarks HTML file on my desktop.
4. I turned on Safari synch in iCloud settings and the bookmarks disappeared from Safari as before.
5. In Safari, I imported the bookmarks HTML file from my desktop.
6. I then moved my various bookmarks and bookmark folders from the Imported Bookmarks folder that was created in Safari to my Favorite bookmarks folder.
7. The bookmarks on my Mac then synched with iCloud without issue.
8. I then turned on Safari synch on my iPhone and the bookmarks synched, no issue.
9. I then turned on Safari synch on my iPad and the bookmarks synched, no issue.

Seems the act of importing the bookmarks HTML file into Safari is what did the trick. The restore of the bookmarks.plist file from time machine did not work.

This solved my problem.
86Hawkeye - Thanks very much.