Hey folks! I know a while back there was a kerfuffle because syncthing-fork for Android went dark, and then a new person showed up and claimed everything was cool and they’d been privately given the keys or something, and people were concerned. I pinned my fdroid version to the at-that-time-current release until we got clarity.
Well, it’s been a while and I just noticed I’m still on that old release. So… how’d it turn out? Do we like the new person yet? Is there a promising fork y’all are using? Or is the project dead? I’m sure I could just go look at the repo, but I’m also sure the repo would tell me “yeah, we’re all cool” no matter what, so I’m curious what the community feelings are. Have there even been any useful new releases since then?
Thanks!
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F-droid themselves gave an update in April:
https://f-droid.org/en/2026/04/03/twif.html
If you’ve been holding off updating Syncthing-Fork we have two pieces of news for you. First, the original dev continues to collaborate still, we know this was a pain point back then. Second, we’ve just added BasicSync, A simple app for running Syncthing, which just controls Syncthing’s running behaviour as hands off as possible, while the original service hums in the background.
So it seems since the handover things have settled but there is also a new fork which takes a more bare-bones approach.
First, the original dev continues to collaborate still,
I don’t think that means much. didn’t the new maintainer say they were given access to the original maintainers account?
This is amazing. So what you’re saying is that the answer is that there are now three separate syncthing apps, which are all similarly functional and in collaboration with each other?
Two built for Android, Syncthing-fork and BasicSync, and the latter is meant to be less featured and simpler (or basic! Wow, it’s in the name!)
And the third is the desktop service for Linux, Windows, etc. Technically, you can install the Linux one with Termux or similar on Android, but it’s a little jankey. It is possible though, as somebody else has already mentioned!
So… what is the proper way to get syncthing running on Android?
I personally use Syncthing-Fork. It works well enough for me, but I know a lot of people run it through Termux. Haven’t tried it myself though, so unsure what the limitations are. BasicSync is also new to me. There isn’t a “proper” way, it just depends on your use case I think!
There’s also Syncthing Tray’s experimental android interface. You either need to install from apk, or use something like obtanium, but it may be less flaky than Termux.
3?
I was thinking there was a syncthing in addition to syncthing-fork
I see. Yeah, that was discontinued. The maintainers didn’t have time for it.
Man, the BasicSync app has a long list of permissions…
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.chiller3.basicsync/
Why does it need to know my Location?
I’m using BasicSync since a few weeks, the location permission is completely optional. This is what the app says:
Location permissions are optional and are only needed when restricting allowed Wi-Fi networks. Even if the permissions are granted, they will not be used unless there are allowed Wi-Fi networks configured.
What a bs permission to have been invented.
It should be it’s own special network permission or something but what the hell does that have to do with the general meaning of “location”?.
Just allow the app to see what SSID I am connected to if I want to allow thatSry for having to endure my rant
It’s actually a bit informative. I believe Android approximates location using the SSID/WiFi information, so it’s not just network that it’s used for.
Hm…Still so.
It should be its fully own permission to allow even if it belongs both to location and networking.I think the idea is that it is not something separately securable? I don’t disagree, I’d like to be able to disallow any app not explicitly granted permission to use any method to determine my location. Unfortunately if Google can scan WiFi and figure out your location, anything with access to WiFi can too maybe?
I don’t know. I love technology but this fucking surveillance state situation is really getting to me. Routers using WiFi signal passing through your body to identify and locate you regardless of whether or not you are carrying any tech and all the other shit I don’t know about… ugh.
I’d like to be able to disallow any app not explicitly granted permission to use any method to determine my location
Yep. That’s what ai want.
Location is such a weird permission…
For example the permission is also needed to find local devices via bluetooth (eyeroll)…
And even then, local device finding is a sub-permission of location…I think that’s more about telling users though that if they let an apl find local devices, that can be used to deduce your location.
https://github.com/chenxiaolong/BasicSync#permissions
ACCESS_WIFI_STATE, ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION, ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION, ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION, FOREGROUND_SERVICE_LOCATION
Optionally used for stopping Syncthing unless connected to specific Wi-Fi networks.
And location isn’t a permission granted by default on install (unlike Internet access), the user has to approve of it explicitly.
At least it’s open source so anyone can look at the code and figure out why it asks for the permissions.
To know if you are on your home network and use direct lan etc, rather than finding a sync relay in the cloud…something like that.
This should be top comment
Looks like I’ll have to setup BasicSync. I still don’t trust Syncthing-Fork. The way things went down don’t give me any confidence it could happen again but worse e.g the dev introduces something like a “fuck zionists” patch that wipes everything if you’re on an isralean IP. Then I’d be putting myself in danger for using a VPN or TOR exit node in Israel. Not taking that risk.
Thanks for the writeup.
Source for that?
I don’t like that a software with access to my files has logic for this behavior.
I use syncthing as a backup-tool so it would be, let’s say bad if it should happen.That commenter was using an example of something very bad that could happen if the fork got handed off to someone else again but worse, not something that actually happened
Whoops. Thabks for pointing it out. Read it as a fact not as an example.
I switched from Bitwarden to keepassxc (pc) and keepassdx (android) and installed syncthing (pc) and syncthing-fork (android) to sync the db file a couple of weeks ago - all works fine, no dramas.
Gonna do this soon as well. Used to use syncthing for auto photo transfers and I’m tired of Bitwarden’s crappy UI and terrible interop with autofill/autogenerate.
It’ll probably never happen due to the nature of KBDX, but I would kill to make a resilient native sync feature so that orgs wouldn’t be locked into proprietary vaults which drags you into vendor lock in when one of them starts to tank.
I’ve been super happy with Bitwarden for years now. But with their new CEO being a big Private Equity guy, I am wary of the enshitification risk.
I’ve been looking for an alternative that works on both Android and other platforms. I use my phone for a lot of random stuff, so my password manager working on my phone is essential.
Has KeyPassDX been good? Does it work with the same password database as KeyPassXC?
KeepassDX is great, works most of the time finding fields in Firefox. Can use biometrics to unlock your database if desired too.
Uses the same databases as I use on my laptop / desktop with no issues.
Yeah they use kbdx so it works out of box for both. I think it even technically works for the original Keepass.
Haven’t used KeyPassDX much yet outside of some quick tests, but the autofill is really good because it shows up as a slim popup tab option on your keyboard where the typeing suggestions usually go.
I’m currently running the latest version from F-droid, it’s doing what it should do. No red flags I can see.
I know the current owner as much as the previous one so no difference for me.
I ended up installing Syncthing using Termux following these instructions: https://www.stephenjianu.com/syncthing-android/
New one seems fine to me, haven’t had any issues with it, haven’t been privy to any malicious behavior or past actions that the developers might have done, so personally I find it pretty trustworthy.
Yeah, I kinda held on to the old version for a while too TBH, syncthing-fork had a problem where I couldn’t get it to work the way I wanted it, so I’d gone back to syncthing, then with all the kerfuffle, I just stayed there.
Some time earlier this year I tentatively upgraded 1 phone and a tablet (it’s used as slideshow screensaver…) and it all seems to work ok.
The GUI isn’t quite as good as the native webUI, but it’s still accessible, so all’s good.
There was a change in the syncthing “DB” a while ago, so it might take a while to rescan things if you have a lot of small files, but feel confident to change.
I use Localsend, to me it feels like what Syncthing wishes it was on some level, Localsend is limited to only sending messages to devices using the same network, however, on pure simplicity, Localsend is the goat. Maybe I’m just too stupid for Syncthing, I watched the tutorial and all, it just seemed way to overcomplicated to me on certain aspects, even when it worked it felt like I did something wrong, it was never as simple as “pick file, send file”. Localsend is my go-to nowadays and does all i needed from Syncthing 10x as fast and with a much better UI.
Different use cases entirely.
Localsend is like air drop on your local network.
Syncthing automatically keeps a chosen folder of files in sync on multiple devices across networks.
Localsend doesn’t automatically sync files between devices does it? Afaik you can only send files as a manual thing you have to do for every file. They’re intended for different things.
it was never as simple as “pick file, send file”.
Not really what Syncthing’s for. Localsend is definitely much better suited for that. (though there is the option on the unofficial Syncthing Android app to use the Android share feature to “save to Syncthing”, then pick which folder you want Syncthing to save it to before syncing it to whatever devices that folder is synced with, though again, not really made for that as a core feature, Localsend is better for that)
Syncthing is more for if you just want a folder on one device to be replicated to another device. For example, my Camera folder on my phone syncs to my PC so I always have a second copy of all my photos by default.
Be aware that syncthing is not designed for back up. If something happened to delete ir corrupt your data on ine device, that would also duplicate. (There are settings per folder to change sone of this behaviour)
I see, that would be really helpful, and I did know that as the name suggest SYNCthing was obv for syncing, but, I just couldnt get it to work properly on my zorin and samsung together, whether the foldee would never be created in the directory i inputed and so on, so as I last ditch I was like “wth, may as well use it to save stuff” then I found local send, the ease of it almost makes it as easy as syncing…almost
