Album Cloud Sync

With this feature enabled, you can update photos on your PicPak through WiFi, without relying only on nearby Bluetooth transfer

What Is Album Cloud Sync?

In the latest PicPak App, there is no longer a separate concept of “local album” and “cloud album.”
Instead, each PicPak has its own album, and you can choose whether to enable cloud sync for that album.
Once cloud sync is enabled:
  • You can upload, update, or manage album photos in the PicPak App
  • The local album on PicPak and the cloud album will stay synced
  • PicPak can receive updated content when connected to WiFi

Update Your Album from Anywhere

With album cloud sync, updating photos no longer depends on being physically close to your PicPak.

Once cloud sync is enabled, you can remotely manage the album, upload new photos, and update its content through the PicPak App, even when the device is not next to your phone. This makes everyday photo updates and album management much more flexible.

For example, if your PicPak is placed on the refrigerator at home, you can still upload new photos while you are out, at work, or traveling. Take a photo during your trip, add it to the album in the PicPak App, and PicPak will download the update when it connects to WiFi. When you return home, your latest memories can already be waiting on the screen.

Each PicPak Has Its Own Content

To make the experience clearer, each PicPak now has one main content slot.
An album is one type of content. Different PicPak devices can have different albums, so you can manage separate content for your home, office, or gift devices.
For example:
  • A PicPak on your desk can show daily memories
  • A PicPak for your family can show a shared family album
  • A PicPak on the fridge can show lifestyle photos or subscription content
Each device can have its own personal display experience.

How to Enable Cloud Sync

Before enabling cloud sync, please make sure Bluetooth is turned on and your PicPak is connected to the App.

Supported Versions
1.PicPak App version: V0.2.0 or later
2.PicPak firmware version: V1.1.11 or later

Follow these steps:
  1. Open the PicPak App and connect your PicPak via Bluetooth.
  2. After the connection is successful, the App will show a pop-up with two options: “Unlock more content” and “Use local features first.”
  3. Tap “Unlock more content.”
  4. Follow the App instructions to connect PicPak to WiFi or a mobile hotspot.
  5. Please make sure your phone and PicPak are connected to the same WiFi network or the same mobile hotspot.
  6. Once the network connection is successful, you can enable cloud sync for your album.
After cloud sync is enabled, you can manage album photos in the App and sync updates to PicPak through WiFi. This makes it easier to update your album content, even when the device is not right next to your phone.

What Do Sync Statuses Mean?

The latest App adds sync status indicators to make the update process easier to understand.
You may see the following statuses:
Synced Your album content has been successfully synced.
Syncing The App is processing photos or syncing data. Please wait a moment.
Waiting to Sync You have updated photos or settings in the App, but PicPak has not pulled the latest content yet.
If you see “Waiting to sync,” you can press the front button on PicPak to let the device briefly connect to the network, refresh, and fetch the latest content. You can also wait for the next automatic refresh. After refreshing, we recommend checking the sync status in the app to confirm whether the sync is complete.

Why Doesn’t PicPak Update Immediately?

PicPak is an e-ink device, and battery life is very important to us.
To save power, PicPak does not stay online like a smartphone, nor does it maintain a continuous network Keep-Alive connection. Instead, the device usually connects to the network briefly during scheduled refreshes, door-triggered refreshes, or when you manually press the front button.
As a result, after you update album photos or device settings over WiFi, the content will not appear on the screen immediately. It will update when one of the following happens:
  1. The refresh interval you set is reached
  2. A door-triggered refresh occurs
  3. You press the front button on PicPak to manually refresh
This also means PicPak cannot guarantee real-time sync with the cloud at all times. If you want to see the latest content as soon as possible, we recommend pressing the front button to manually trigger sync, then checking the sync status in the app to confirm whether it has completed.
This allows PicPak to support cloud updates while reducing unnecessary power consumption.

What Happens If Cloud Sync Is Turned Off?

If cloud sync is turned off, PicPak will no longer support remote photo transfer through WiFi.
You can still connect to the device via Bluetooth and transfer photos to PicPak’s local storage.
Before cloud sync is turned off, the App will show a confirmation prompt to help prevent accidental changes.

Summary

Album Cloud Sync is an important step in improving the PicPak photo management experience.
It makes it easier to manage albums, update content remotely, and give each PicPak its own personalized display.
We will continue improving the App, device sync experience, and content features to make PicPak a warmer and more flexible e-ink photo album.

Written by the PicPak team

We're here to bring forgotten images back into view. The family trip from last summer, the carefree days from ten years ago, the face of a pet you love. So much of it lives trapped on a screen, rarely seen again. We build warm, one-of-a-kind things that pull those moments back into the physical world, where they belong.

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