How to Sync IntelliJ IDEA Settings to Cloud and Across Devices

IntelliJ IDEA users often need to back up and transfer their personalized settings; this article outlines a complete workflow for uploading local settings to the cloud and synchronizing them on another computer.

Step 1: Upload settings to the cloud – In the lower‑right cloud icon, click to enable cloud sync, which may involve installing a plugin.

Step 2: Sync on another machine – Open the cloud icon on the second computer and select Sync Self Settings to pull the saved configuration.

Make sure the Auto Sync option is checked so that future changes are automatically synchronized.

Manual configuration path (if the UI option is unavailable): File → Settings → Tools → Settings Repository (or search for Repository) and enable Auto Sync.

Only the settings displayed in the small cloud window can be synchronized; modify them as needed (e.g., keymaps, fonts).

Applying changes – After editing a setting, click Apply then OK. The cloud icon turns blue, then gray once synchronization completes.

Alternative method using VCS: VCS → Sync Settings (functionality not fully tested).

The article also notes that many synchronization problems stem from plugin installations, and provides screenshots illustrating each step.