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What Syncthing does—and what “private” means
The Syncthing project describes its software as “an application that lets you synchronize your files across multiple devices.” It coordinates file changes between your devices when they are online together. The project FAQ says Syncthing does not upload your data to a cloud service; the files move between participating devices, either over a direct connection or through a relay when a direct path is unavailable.
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This is private in the sense that you choose the devices and folders involved instead of placing the synchronized data in a provider’s storage account. It is not anonymity software. Depending on your settings, discovery servers, relay operators, routers, internet providers, or administrators of the networks you use may learn that devices are communicating and may see connection metadata. The file contents remain protected in transit by Syncthing’s device-to-device encryption.
- Synced: only folders you explicitly share with a peer.
- Not automatically synced: your entire device, operating-system settings, applications, or every folder on a disk.
- Encrypted in transit: the Security Principles documentation states, “All device to device traffic is protected by TLS.”
- Not a standalone backup: edits and deletions can propagate, and default file versioning is disabled.
The instructions below reflect the project documentation available on October 13, 2026, identified there as documentation version v2.1.0-25-g2590451. Installer choices, package names, firewall defaults, and mobile-app capabilities can change, so use the current Syncthing download and documentation pages for your operating system.
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Before you install: decide what you are syncing
Choose the devices and folder
List the devices you control that should hold a copy: for example, a desktop and a laptop, or a home computer and an always-on server. Decide whether each device should have a writable copy or whether a peer should receive files without editing them. Syncthing works folder by folder, so start with one clearly named directory rather than sharing an entire home directory or disk.
Check that each device has enough free space for the complete folder and that the account running Syncthing can read and write the chosen path. Do not place a database, virtual-machine image, or application profile in a shared folder unless you understand that applications may change files while they are open. For a first test, use ordinary documents or a temporary directory.
Plan for devices that are not always online
Syncthing synchronizes changes when peers can reach one another. If a laptop is shut down, it cannot receive changes until it is online again. An always-on device can act as a convenient third copy, but it does not turn Syncthing into an independent backup unless you also protect that copy against deletion, corruption, theft, and device failure.
Protect the configuration
Each installation creates configuration data and cryptographic keys. Anyone who obtains a device’s Syncthing keys and configuration can impersonate that device and potentially access its synchronized files. Protect the account and configuration directory with normal operating-system permissions and disk encryption. If a device is lost or compromised, remove or revoke it from the other peers immediately.
Install Syncthing on each device
Use the build appropriate to your platform
Download Syncthing through the project’s current download route or the documented package source for your operating system. Distribution packages and platform wrappers do not all expose identical installers or service controls, so follow the instructions for your specific platform instead of assuming that a desktop installer, command-line package, and mobile wrapper behave the same way.
Install and start Syncthing on every device that will participate. On first start, it creates its configuration and encryption keys and launches the web administration interface. The standard local interface is:
http://localhost:8384/A default shared folder may be created inside a user directory named Sync. You can use it for the initial test or replace it with the folder you selected. The web interface is an administration panel; it is not the storage location itself.
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Keep the administration interface local
By default, the GUI listens on the local host. That is the safest arrangement for ordinary setups because only someone using the device itself can open it. Do not expose the GUI to the internet merely to make file synchronization work. Remote administration requires changing the GUI listen address and permitting the corresponding firewall traffic. If you need remote administration, an SSH tunnel is a safer alternative described in the firewall documentation.
Pair your own devices with mutual device IDs
Show the ID on the first device
- Open Syncthing’s web GUI on device A.
- Open Actions and choose Show ID.
- Copy the displayed device ID or use the available QR representation when the other device can scan it.
The ID is derived from the device’s public key and is represented in a human-readable form. It is not a password and does not need to be kept secret. Nevertheless, sharing an ID can help someone associate that ID with an address if discovery information is available, so publish it only where you are comfortable revealing the relationship.
Add device A on device B
- On device B, choose Add Remote Device in the device section.
- Enter or scan device A’s ID.
- Give the peer a descriptive name; the name is cosmetic and can be changed later.
- Save the device entry.
Complete the pairing in the other direction
Repeat the process on device A using device B’s ID. Pairing is mutual: having one device’s ID entered on the other does not finish the relationship by itself. Both GUIs must contain the other device as a remote device. When a peer asks to connect, verify that the displayed ID matches the one you intentionally exchanged before accepting it.
Once both sides know one another, each device can authenticate the other by its certificate fingerprint, which Syncthing presents as the Device ID. A device name alone is not an identity check.
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Configure the folder on the first device
- In the GUI, add a folder or edit the default folder.
- Set a clear folder label and the exact local path you chose.
- In the folder’s sharing settings, select the remote device.
- Save the folder configuration.
The folder ID identifies the logical share; the local path tells this particular device where its copy lives. Two devices can use different local paths while sharing the same folder ID.
Accept and place the folder on the second device
When device B receives the share invitation, accept it and choose the local path where its copy should be stored. Confirm that the path is on the intended disk and that the Syncthing process has permission to create and modify files there. If the folder already contains files, compare the contents before accepting a merge; two unrelated directories should not be joined accidentally.
Run a harmless test
- Create a small text file with an unmistakable name in the shared folder on device A.
- Wait for the folder status to show that synchronization has completed.
- Open the corresponding path on device B and verify the file and its contents.
- Edit or remove the test file from the intended device and confirm that the resulting change behaves as configured.
This test checks the actual peer, folder ID, local path, permissions, and direction of synchronization before you copy important data.
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Make connections work across a network
Syncthing can discover peers on the same local network, find peers through global discovery, connect directly when routing permits, or use a relay when a direct path is unavailable. The best path depends on your network and firewall; do not begin by exposing the administration GUI or forwarding random router ports.
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| Function | Default protocol and port | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| TCP synchronization | TCP 22000, incoming and outgoing | Traditional direct sync connections. |
| QUIC synchronization | UDP 22000, incoming and outgoing | Sync traffic using QUIC where available. |
| Local discovery | UDP 21027 | IPv4 broadcast and IPv6 multicast announcements on the local network. |
If you configured a non-default sync port, adapt the firewall rule to that port. Permit the traffic on the operating-system firewall and, when necessary, on the router between the devices. The firewall documentation identifies both incoming and outgoing sync traffic because a restrictive firewall can block either side.
Devices on the same local network
Local discovery can find peers automatically when they are on the same network. Syncthing’s documentation says local-discovery packets are sent every 30 seconds. A guest Wi-Fi network, client isolation, VLAN boundary, or blocked UDP 21027 can prevent that discovery even when both devices appear to use the same internet connection. You can still add the peer manually and use a reachable address, but fix network isolation only if you control and trust that network.
Devices on separate networks
Global discovery helps peers with changing addresses find one another. The documentation says global discovery sends an announcement every 30 minutes. Direct connections generally provide the best transfer performance, but they can fail because of carrier-grade NAT, symmetric NAT, restrictive firewalls, or router policies. A relay can then carry the encrypted connection.
Do not assume that a relay indicates a security failure. It usually means the peers could not establish a direct path. The trade-off is performance and metadata: a relay operator can learn the participating device IDs and IP addresses and observe traffic volume, while the relayed file data remains end-to-end encrypted. Direct connections avoid that relay observer and are normally faster, but may require network changes that are not appropriate on a managed or untrusted network.
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| Connection method | Setup effort | Typical performance | Metadata exposure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local discovery and direct connection | Low on a cooperative LAN | Usually best for nearby devices | Local network can observe discovery broadcasts or multicasts. |
| Global discovery followed by direct connection | Low to moderate | Usually better than a relay | Discovery can map device IDs to listening ports and external IP addresses. |
| Relay connection | Low when direct routing fails | Lower transfer rate is possible | Relay sees IDs, IP addresses, and traffic volume; file data stays encrypted. |
| Manually arranged direct route | Moderate to high; may involve router or firewall changes | Often strong when correctly configured | Your network path still reveals ordinary connection metadata. |
Troubleshoot a device that will not connect
1. Confirm the mutual configuration
Check both GUIs. Each device must list the other as a remote device, and the IDs must match exactly. A device name that looks right is not sufficient. Confirm that the folder is shared with that peer on both sides and that the remote device has accepted the folder.
2. Read the connection state
Look at the peer’s status and connection type in the device panel. A disconnected state with no recent address often indicates discovery or routing trouble. A relay connection indicates that Syncthing found a path but could not use a direct one. A connected state with a folder that remains unsynchronized points more often to a folder path, permission, ignore-rule, or file-conflict issue than to a network port.
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3. Check firewall rules before changing exposure
- Permit TCP 22000 and UDP 22000 as required by your configured sync protocol.
- Permit UDP 21027 for local discovery when you want automatic LAN discovery.
- Check both host firewalls and any router, VPN, guest-network, or corporate-network policy.
- If you changed the sync port, use that port instead of the defaults above.
Do not solve a sync problem by opening the GUI to the internet. The GUI is an administrative surface, not a data-transfer requirement.
4. Distinguish discovery failure from reachability failure
If manually adding a peer by its ID allows it to appear but it still cannot connect, the problem is probably reachability or firewall policy rather than the ID exchange. If the devices connect only through a relay, decide whether the lower speed is acceptable or whether you control enough of the network to pursue a direct route. If global discovery is disabled, peers with changing addresses outside the local network may no longer find one another automatically. If local discovery is disabled, devices with changing LAN addresses may likewise stop finding one another.
5. Check the folder after the device connects
Verify that both sides selected the same logical folder share and that each local path is correct. Confirm read/write permissions and available storage. A peer can be online while a folder is paused, rejected, pointed at the wrong directory, or unable to modify files.
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Global discovery
With global discovery enabled, the discovery service receives device IDs, listening ports, and announcements that can associate an ID with an external IP address. Disabling it reduces that particular disclosure but can make peers with dynamic addresses outside your LAN difficult to find. You then need another mutually reachable way to introduce or locate the devices.
Local discovery
Local discovery broadcasts or multicasts a device ID and listening port on the local network. Anyone with suitable access to that network may observe those announcements. Disabling local discovery can prevent automatic discovery of devices whose local addresses change. On a trusted home LAN, the convenience may outweigh the limited disclosure; on a hostile or shared network, disable it and configure peers deliberately.
Relays
A relay forwards encrypted traffic when direct communication fails. It can learn which device IDs and IP addresses use it and how much traffic passes through, but it cannot read the encrypted file contents in transit. A relay is therefore a connectivity fallback, not an anonymity service.
Device loss or compromise
Because the device ID is tied to cryptographic identity, treat a lost computer or phone as a lost key. Remove the device from every peer and revoke its access. Change operating-system credentials as appropriate, and restore files only from copies you trust. Disk encryption helps protect a powered-off device, but it does not protect an already-unlocked account or an exposed Syncthing configuration.
Encrypted folders for untrusted devices
Syncthing has an untrusted-device encrypted-folder feature marked beta/testing-only. It is intended to hide file data and names from a receiving device, but it still exposes information such as the folder ID or label and file sizes. Treat it as experimental rather than as a mature replacement for a reviewed encryption and backup plan.
Configure versioning so synchronization is not your only safety net
Synchronization propagates changes, including deletions. File versioning is off by default and is configured per folder and per device. It archives changes received from another device; it does not archive a local edit made on the device where that edit occurs. For example, if you overwrite a file directly on device A, versioning configured only on A does not automatically preserve the previous local copy there.
Choose a retention strategy on receiving peers
| Strategy | Behavior | Useful when |
|---|---|---|
| Trash Can | Moves replaced or deleted received files into a trash area. | You want simple recovery from recent incoming deletions. |
| Simple | Keeps a configured number of old versions. | You want predictable count-based retention. |
| Staggered | Keeps versions on a time-based schedule, retaining recent copies more densely and older copies less frequently. | You need longer history without keeping every revision forever. |
Configure the strategy on the peer that should receive and retain old versions, then test it with a disposable file. Inspect where archived versions are stored and confirm that your retention period and available disk space are adequate.
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Keep a separate backup for data that must survive a failed disk, theft, ransomware, a mistaken deletion propagated to every peer, or a destructive local edit. An external drive, offline copy, or other backup system serves a different purpose from synchronization. Syncthing’s FAQ asks whether it is an ideal backup application; the practical answer is no: it can provide additional copies and optional version history, but it should not be your only recovery plan.
Using Syncthing on iPhone or iPad
The Syncthing FAQ says there is no official iOS client and no foreseeable official support plan, largely because iOS background-processing limits make reliable continuous synchronization difficult. Third-party applications exist. Möbius Sync is one third-party iOS application for Syncthing, and its current App Store listing describes synchronization between iOS and other supported devices and notes that some capabilities are paid in-app features.
Availability, regional distribution, background behavior, and feature limits can change. Check the current App Store listing and the project’s current iOS FAQ before relying on an iPhone or iPad as an always-on peer. Expect iOS power-management and background-execution rules to affect when synchronization can run, even when the app is correctly paired.
A practical setup checklist
- Install a current, platform-appropriate Syncthing build on every intended device.
- Open the local GUI at
http://localhost:8384/on each device. - Show and verify each device ID; add the peers in both directions.
- Choose one folder and confirm its local path and permissions on every device.
- Share the folder with the intended peer and accept it on the other side.
- Sync a harmless test file before moving important data.
- Check connection status and firewall rules, including TCP/UDP 22000 and UDP 21027 where applicable.
- Keep the administration GUI local unless you have a specific, secured remote-administration plan.
- Decide whether global and local discovery disclosures fit your threat model.
- Use a relay when necessary, understanding its metadata and possible speed cost.
- Enable and test folder versioning on receiving peers if recovery from incoming changes matters.
- Maintain a separate backup and revoke lost or compromised devices promptly.
What a successful result looks like
After setup, both devices list one another with matching IDs, the shared folder is assigned to the correct local paths, and a test file appears on each side after the peers connect. The transfer may be direct or relayed; either way, file contents are protected by TLS in transit. You have private, device-controlled synchronization—not an anonymous network, not a complete backup, and not a guarantee that an offline or battery-constrained device will update immediately.
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