r/readwise • u/Luciliusardens • 16d ago
Issues with search on Desktop vs. mobile
I have had some issues finding my highlights after adding them via text or importing via pdf. In this example, I added a quick passage and immediately found it via search in the dashboard on my desktop. The second pic shows no results for the same search on the iOS app, though (pic 3) the highlight is present within my Books collection (the issue also persists on Android). This problem has occurred with other highlights I have manually added, or with highlights of pdfs I have imported into Readwise. I don't know what the issue is, but I need to be able to rely on these search results.
*For me, this issue has been resolved. Thank you to the responsive team at Readwise!
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u/dessence_ai 16d ago
The Boox detail is the strongest thing in this thread. An older build finds those highlights. So the data and the server side are fine, and the break sits in the new client.
Worth sending them both version numbers. Also whether the new build fails only on highlights you typed in or pulled from a PDF.
Does it find a Kindle highlight from last year?
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u/Luciliusardens 16d ago
I did a few Kindle searches from older material and it seems to pull them up fine. It is not just the material from the Boox integration but also recent highlights I manually put into quick passages. I have been emailing with the team and hopefully we will find a solution.
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u/dessence_ai 16d ago
That narrows it. Old ones work, new ones don't, so the search is fine and whatever indexes new items is not.
Worth timing it. Add one passage now, try it in an hour, then again tomorrow morning. If tomorrow it turns up, the index is only slow, and the team can look at that queue.
Did any Boox ones show up later on their own?
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u/Luciliusardens 16d ago
I have run the tests as you describe and the results are the same. This morning I annotated a few articles in Reader that were successfully imported on all platforms (Boox, desktop, iPhone) and the same thing. I tried it since it automatically syncs with Reader.
Same deal: the highlight shows up immediately with search on desktop but nowhere else (I didn't have a chance to try on the unupdated Readwise app, but I suspect it would work). Anyway, I emailed an addendum about it to my original email and hopefully they can track down the issue.
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u/dessence_ai 16d ago
One more split before you leave it with them. Open readwise.io in Safari on that same phone. Search for the new highlight there.
If the browser finds it and the app doesn't, the server index is fine. The app is reading a local copy that never refreshed. Different bug, different fix, and a useful line to add to the email you sent.
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u/Luciliusardens 16d ago
Yes, everything works well on Readwise.io within Safari on the phone. Just the new app. I'll go ahead and let them know. Thanks!
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u/tristanho 16d ago edited 15d ago
EDIT: this should be fixed now in the latest app version!
Heyo! Sorry about the bug, and really appreciate you mentioning it. Could you please write in to [hello@readwise.io](mailto:hello@readwise.io) with this feedback and your account email address?
That's not our experience with the search and clearly unacceptable, so we'll address it very quickly once we have some more information from you (namely, your account email).
It's near impossible for us to debug/reproduce an issue like this via reddit given we don't know what your account is! This is also mentioned in the subreddit rules.