How to Fix reMarkable Sync Issues: A Complete Guide to the ‘Cloud Disconnected’ X Icon

There is nothing quite as frustrating as finishing a long note-taking session on your reMarkable, only to look at the bottom of the screen and see the dreaded Cloud icon with an ‘X’.

This icon means your tablet has lost its connection to the reMarkable cloud. Until it’s fixed, your notes won’t back up, your mobile app won’t update, and features like “Send by Email” simply won’t work.

If you are new to the ecosystem, you might want to check out my Getting Started with Your reMarkable: Your Complete Setup & Pro Tips Guide to understand the basics of cloud connectivity. But if you are already set up and suddenly facing this issue, don’t worry. This guide will walk you through everything from 30-second quick fixes to advanced troubleshooting to get that ‘X’ to disappear.

Why is My reMarkable Not Syncing?

When your reMarkable shows the disconnected icon, it is usually due to one of four reasons:

1. Wi-Fi Connectivity: The device isn’t actually reaching the internet.
2. System Time Drift: This is the most common hidden culprit. If your tablet has been in a drawer for a few weeks, its internal clock may have desynchronized from the server, causing authentication to fail.
3. Authentication Errors: The secure “handshake” between your tablet and your account has broken.
4. Server Issues: Rarely, the reMarkable servers themselves are down for maintenance.

Level 1: The Quick Fixes (Try These First)

Before we get technical, try these simple steps. They resolve about 80% of sync issues.

1. The “Turn It Off and On Again”

It’s a cliché for a reason.

• Restart the Tablet: Hold the power button for several seconds to turn it off completely, wait 15 seconds, and turn it back on.
• Restart Your Router: Unplug your Wi-Fi router, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in.

2. Force a Sync Check

Your reMarkable has a built-in diagnostic tool that can force a connection attempt.

• Go to Settings > Storage > Check Sync.
• Tap the button and wait for the report. This often “wakes up” a stuck connection.

3. Check Your Wi-Fi Environment

Ensure you are on a standard home network. If you are trying to connect at a university or large office, you might face issues with “Captive Portals” (where you have to click “I Agree” on a web page) or enterprise security.

Note: If you are a student or academic struggling to connect to university networks, I have a specific guide for that: How to Connect reMarkable 2 to Eduroam Wi-Fi Network.

Level 2: The “Hidden” Fix (Internal Clock)

If the quick fixes didn’t work—and especially if you haven’t used your reMarkable in a while—the issue is likely your internal clock.

When the time on your tablet doesn’t match the time on reMarkable’s servers, the security certificate is rejected. You might be connected to Wi-Fi perfectly, but the cloud will refuse to let you in.

The Manual Clock Fix

1. Go to Settings > General > Date & Time.
2. Check if the time is accurate. If it’s even a few minutes off, it can cause problems.
3. Manually set it to the current time.
4. Restart the device and check for the cloud icon again.

The SSH Clock Fix (Advanced)

If the manual setting doesn’t stick, or the drift is severe, you may need to force the update via SSH.

Connect your reMarkable to your computer via USB.

1 – Open your terminal (Command Prompt on Windows, Terminal on Mac).

2 – SSH into the device (Find your password in Settings > Help > About > Copyrights).

ssh root@10.11.99.1

3 – Run these commands to reset the time (replace the timestamp with the current actual time):

timedatectl set-ntp off
timedatectl set-time '2025-12-16 21:54:45'
timedatectl set-ntp on

Type exit to finish.

Level 3: Unpair and Repair

If your clock is correct but the ‘X’ remains, your account token might be stale.

1. Go to Settings > General > Account.
2. Tap Unpair Device.
   • Warning: The device will warn you about losing files. Files already synced to the cloud are safe, but unsynced changes could be lost. Back up manually via USB if you have critical unsynced notes.
3. Once unpaired, tap Connect and go to my.remarkable.com on your computer to get a new code.
4. Re-entering the code forces a fresh authentication handshake.

Troubleshooting Specific Documents

Sometimes, the cloud icon looks fine (no ‘X’), but a specific notebook has a cloud icon with a line through it next to the file name.

This means that specific file is stuck.

• Duplicate the file: Long-press the file, select Duplicate. The new copy will often sync immediately.
• Check Subscription: Ensure your Connect subscription is active. If you created a file while unsubscribed, it might have locked itself locally.

Pro Tip: Once your sync is working again, you can take full advantage of cloud features. Did you know you can have your newsletters delivered straight to your tablet? Check out my guide on How to Automatically Sync Email Newsletters to Your reMarkable to set that up.

Last Resort: Wi-Fi Bands and Factory Resets

If you are still stuck:

• Check Wi-Fi Frequency: Some older routers merge 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Try separating them or connecting your reMarkable specifically to the 2.4GHz network, which is often more stable for these devices.
• Factory Reset: This is the nuclear option. Go to Settings > General > Account > Factory Reset. This will wipe the device, so only do this if you are sure your data is safe in the cloud or backed up elsewhere.

Preventing Future Issues

To keep that cloud icon happy:

1. Keep it charged and on: Don’t let the battery drain completely and sit for months; this causes the clock drift.
2. Keep software updated: Go to Settings > General > Software regularly.

Ready to get back to work?

Now that your device is synced and safe, it’s time to get productive again. If you are looking to expand what your tablet can do beyond standard note-taking, I’ve curated a massive list of resources for you.

Check out The Ultimate Collection of Free reMarkable Templates for Next-Level Productivity to find planners, meeting logs, and creative templates to make the most of your reconnected device.

Still having trouble? If you’ve tried the SSH fix and the Router reset and still see the ‘X’, it’s time to contact reMarkable Support via support.remarkable.com.