When account metadata is updated on CryptAuth, a GCM tickle is sent to each device on the account. We've seen instances where the GCM tickle doesn't seem to be received (e.g., [1]).

In that instance, the user sdsouza@ noted that his Chromebook was offline, so perhaps there is an issue where if a Chromebook isn't online when the GCM tickle is sent out, the Chromebook simply misses it entirely and does not attempt to recover when back online.

Note that when this does occur, we will attempt a sync within the next 24 hours, so we will eventually recover. That being said, this situation can be frustrating for users who just purchased a new phone and are trying to set up multi-device features.

[1] https://groups.google.com/a/google.com/forum/#!topic/chromeos-discuss/X3zDT1Hgffk