Trying to archive a journal but getting a zip error? Don’t worry—this usually means a journal hasn’t finished syncing from iCloud. You can fix it by making sure the full content is downloaded first. Follow the steps below for both single and multiple journals, then try archiving again.
What You’ll Need
Make sure you have:
Zinnia installed and open to the Journals screen
An internet connection (iCloud needs it to sync properly)
Access to your Apple ID and iCloud settings
Device running iOS 15.5 / iPadOS 15.5 / macOS 12.4 or later
Step-by-Step Fix
* First, a quick precaution
Don’t delete the app. If you’re having issues, deleting Zinnia can make recovery harder. If nothing works after following these steps, contact Support from within the app before reinstalling.
1. If the error appears on one journal:
Open the journal that’s giving you the error
Flip through several pages—this forces the full file to download from iCloud
Return to the Journals screen and try archiving again
2. If the error appears across multiple journals:
This often means iCloud settings need extra attention.
Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud
Make sure iCloud Drive is ON
Under Apps Syncing to iCloud Drive, confirm that Zinnia is toggled ON
3. Turn on iCloud Syncing inside Zinnia
Open Zinnia and go to the Journals screen
Tap the “…” Settings icon (top-right)
Make sure iCloud Syncing is turned ON
4. Still not working? Restart and retry
Restart your device to jumpstart iCloud
Reopen Zinnia, go to Settings, and turn iCloud Syncing ON again
Then try archiving your journal(s) once more
Please be patient as syncing can take some time depending on how much content you have
Tips and Notes
For larger journals, leave them open for a minute after flipping through pages—this gives iCloud time to sync in the background
Disable Low Power Mode or any network restrictions that might block syncing
If unsure which journal is causing the issue, archive one at a time
FAQ
Q: I paged through, but the error still shows.
Leave the journal open for 30–60 seconds before retrying. Still stuck? Restart the device and try again.Q: iCloud Syncing in Zinnia won’t turn on.
Double-check iCloud Drive and Zinnia toggles in Settings. Then restart your device and try again in Zinnia.Q: The error shows for several journals.
This points to a broader iCloud issue. Reset iCloud Drive and Zinnia in Settings, restart your device, and retry.Q: Can I just reinstall Zinnia to fix it?
We don’t recommend it. Reinstalling may remove logs needed for Support to help. Reach out from inside the app first.Q: Why does the archive zip error happen?
A: Usually because some or all of the journal hasn’t finished syncing from iCloud.Q: Does flipping through pages really help?
A: Yes! It prompts iCloud to download all content locally, which is needed for archiving.