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Highlights Not Syncing / Disappearing

Kobo E-reader

Severity:

Source: OnlyErrorCodes.com — Every error code. One place.

Kobo Highlights Not Syncing — How to Fix

What Does This Error Mean?

Kobo syncs highlights to your Kobo account and optionally to Goodreads — if highlights are not syncing, check that Wi-Fi is connected and your Kobo account is active. For Goodreads sync, the Goodreads account must still be linked in Kobo Settings → Accounts.

Affected Models

  • Kobo Libra 2
  • Kobo Clara 2E
  • Kobo Sage
  • Kobo Elipsa 2E
  • All Kobo e-reader models

Common Causes

  • Wi-Fi disconnected when highlights were made — sync requires an internet connection
  • Goodreads account unlinked — Rakuten/Kobo account changes can disconnect Goodreads linking
  • Sideloaded books not syncing — Kobo only syncs highlights for Kobo-store purchases to the cloud
  • Kobo account signed out after a firmware update
  • Highlights sync disabled in Kobo Settings → Reading → Sync Reading Location

How to Fix It

  1. Connect to Wi-Fi and force a sync.

    Swipe down from the top of the Kobo screen to open the quick-access panel and confirm Wi-Fi is on. From the home screen, tap Sync (the circular arrow icon) to manually push your highlights to the Kobo servers. Highlights made offline are queued — a manual sync after reconnecting pushes them to the cloud.

  2. Check Goodreads account linking.

    Go to Kobo Settings → Accounts → Goodreads. If Goodreads shows as Not Connected or the button says Link Account, your Goodreads link has been lost. Tap Link Account and sign in with your Goodreads credentials — highlights from Kobo-purchased books will resume syncing to your Goodreads shelves.

  3. Enable Reading Life and sync features.

    Go to Kobo Settings → Reading → Reading Life and confirm it is turned on. Also check Settings → Reading → Sync Reading Location — if this is off, reading progress and annotations may not sync. Both settings should be on for full cloud sync of highlights and reading position.

  4. View highlights on the Kobo website.

    Log in to kobo.com and go to your account → Library → open the book → Notes. If your highlights appear on the website but not on the device, the issue is a sync direction problem — the device is not pulling the latest data. Sign out of the Kobo device and sign back in to force a full re-sync from the server.

  5. Note the limitation for sideloaded books.

    Highlights made in sideloaded books (added via USB or Calibre, not purchased from Kobo) are stored only locally on the device — they are not synced to the cloud or Goodreads. To export sideloaded book annotations, connect the Kobo to a computer and copy the KoboReader.sqlite file — it contains all your highlights in a database format. For full cloud sync, purchase the book from the Kobo store.

When to Call a Professional

If highlights consistently disappear from Kobo-purchased books even with sync enabled, contact Kobo support — your account's annotation data may need to be restored.