Currently, the main way to sync to server is the Synchronize button on the sidebar/notebook list. Additional sync/save methods include,
Ctrl-S for desktop
Save button on mobile when there’s local edit
This works wll for the desktop client since Ctrl-S can be used when viewing a note and the sideband can also be open without closing the current note.
However, for mobile clients, it seems impossible to sync changes from server without closing the note first in order to press the sync button at the top level menu. It would be nice to add a button to the note viewing/editing page so that it can be accessed directly.
As an asside, it’ll be nice to trigger a sync by dragging the list down past the top limit. That’s a pretty standard gesture for triggering the sync. It doesn’t really fully replace a button though, since the drag can also cause the current position in the note to be lost for a long one. The top bar already holds the optional save button and the back button so there should be enough for another one (and it can take the same spot as the save button).
Having to back all the way out of edit mode in order to sync is a major pain.
I am guessing that making syncing more difficult from mobile devices is intentional in order to decrease the load on Joplin servers. If this is the case, I suggest making syncs more efficient or upgrading the hardware on servers perhaps?
There are two types of sync. A full sync happens when you open the app or the sync interval passes and all unsynced changes on both sides are reconciled.
The other type is when you edit a note there is a very short delay before it initiates a mini sync which just "pushes" your local changes to your target.