An offline Kanban app with iCloud sync and no account: how Hense keeps your boards yours
How an offline-first board with iCloud sync actually works, the three things to check when a device looks out of date, and where your data does and does not go.
The short answer. Hense stores every board on the device itself, so it works fully offline, and it syncs changes through your own iCloud account when you are online. There is no Hense account, no Hense server, and nothing to sign up for: if you are signed in to iCloud on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, sync is already on. Your boards live in two places you control, your devices and your iCloud storage, and nowhere else.
Why “offline” and “no account” go together
Most Kanban apps are built for teams, and a team needs a server: somewhere shared for everyone’s changes to meet. That server is why those apps need an account, why they slow down or stop when the connection drops, and why their privacy policy is a long document.
For one person, none of that is necessary. Your iPhone, iPad, and Mac already share a private store you own: iCloud. An app built on it can keep the primary copy of your data on the device (so it works on a plane), push changes to your iCloud when there is a connection, and pull other devices’ changes down the same way. No middleman, no login, no server to go out of business.
That is how Hense is built. It uses Apple’s SwiftData for local storage and CloudKit for sync, which is the same machinery Apple’s own apps use.
What works offline
Everything. Create boards, add columns and cards, drag cards between columns, edit descriptions, tick checklist items, add labels, attach photos. Changes are written to the device immediately and queued for sync. When the connection returns, the queue drains in the background, usually within seconds.
The only thing that needs a connection is the sync itself. If you edit the same card on two offline devices, the later edit wins when both come back online, which for a personal board is almost always what you want.
What syncs
Boards, columns, cards, card descriptions, dates, labels, checklists, and attachments. Attachments (photos and files) are stored as iCloud assets, so a file added on the Mac opens on the iPhone. Card order and column order sync too; Hense stores ordering as relationships rather than positions specifically so that two devices reordering at once do not fight.
What does not sync: the app’s own preferences on each device, such as the iPhone’s paginated-versus-zoomed view choice and recent searches. Those are per device by design.
Setting up sync (there is nothing to set up)
In Hense
- Be signed in to iCloud on each device (Settings, then your name, on iPhone and iPad; System Settings, then your name, on Mac). If you use Photos or Notes across devices, you already are.
- Make sure iCloud Drive is on and Hense is allowed to use iCloud (Settings, your name, iCloud, then See All or Apps Using iCloud). This is on by default for new apps.
- Open Hense on the second device. Your boards appear as they download. The first sync of a board with many attachments can take a minute.
- Watch the sync indicator in the board toolbar (the small cloud). It shows when a sync is in progress, when the device is offline, and whether iCloud is reachable, and tapping it opens details.
When a board looks stale: three things to check
Sync problems are almost always one of these, in this order:
- Is the device online, and is iCloud reachable? Tap the sync indicator. If it reports no connection or an iCloud account problem, that is the cause. A hotel Wi-Fi that needs a login page counts as offline.
- Is it the same Apple Account? Both devices must be signed in to iCloud with the same account. A work iPad on a different account will never see your personal boards.
- Is Hense allowed to use iCloud on that device? Settings, your name, iCloud, See All. If Hense is switched off there, it works locally but never syncs.
If all three are fine, quit and reopen the app; iCloud sometimes needs a fresh push. The support page has the same checklist and a contact form.
Where your data is, and where it is not
- On each device, in the app’s own storage. This is the primary copy. Deleting the app deletes this copy.
- In your iCloud account, in Hense’s private database, encrypted in transit and at rest by Apple. This is the sync copy, and it counts against your iCloud storage (boards are tiny; attachments are the only thing that adds up).
- Nowhere else. Hense has no servers, no account system, and no analytics tied to your boards. The developer cannot see, restore, or export your boards; only you can.
Two consequences worth knowing. iCloud sync is not a backup: deleting a board on one device deletes it everywhere, like Notes. And turning off iCloud for Hense keeps the local copy on that device but stops sync in both directions.
What Hense does not do (yet)
- No export. There is no CSV or file export today. Boards live in the app and in iCloud.
- No shared boards. Sync is between your own devices, not between people.
- No web version. Without a server there is nothing for a browser to talk to, by design.
Frequently asked questions
Does Hense work without an internet connection?
Yes. Every board is stored on the device. You can create, edit, and move cards offline, and changes sync through iCloud when a connection is available.
Does Hense need an account?
No. There is no Hense account. Sync uses the iCloud account already signed in on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, and the app never asks for an email or a password.
Where is my Hense data stored?
On each device, and in your personal iCloud account for sync. Hense has no servers of its own, and the developer cannot access your boards.
Why are my boards not syncing between my iPhone and Mac?
Check that both devices are online, signed in to iCloud with the same Apple Account, and that Hense is allowed to use iCloud in each device’s iCloud settings. Then quit and reopen the app. The sync indicator in the toolbar shows what it is waiting on.
Is iCloud sync included in the free version?
Yes. iCloud sync, offline use, and the native iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps are all part of the free version. Hense Pro (a one-time $9.99 USD purchase) removes limits on boards, columns, labels, checklists, and attachments, and adds copying, end-state columns, global search, and search filters.