# syncthing/syncthing-macos

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3,761 stars · 195 forks · Objective-C · MIT

## Links

- GitHub: https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing-macos
- Homepage: https://syncthing.net
- awesome-repositories: https://awesome-repositories.com/repository/syncthing-syncthing-macos.md

## Topics

`apple` `backup` `cloud-sync` `file-sharing` `file-sync` `frugal` `mac` `macos` `macosx` `objective-c` `osx` `p2p` `peer-to-peer` `simple` `swift` `sync` `sync-files` `synchronization` `syncthing`

## Description

Syncthing macOS is a native application bundle that wraps the Syncthing binary to provide decentralized, peer-to-peer file synchronization on macOS. It enables bidirectional data replication across multiple devices using a block exchange protocol, allowing files and folders to stay consistent without relying on a central cloud server.

The project distinguishes itself by integrating the cross-platform synchronization engine into the macOS environment as a background service. It provides a system tray interface for quick access to the management GUI and supports automatic application startup through the system launch manager.

The software covers a broad range of synchronization and networking capabilities, including global and local device discovery, file versioning, and conflict resolution. It includes security features such as TLS peer connections, password-based folder encryption for untrusted nodes, and administrative access controls. The system also supports network optimization through relay routing, automatic port forwarding, and proxy configuration.

The application is distributed as a native macOS bundle that manages the lifecycle of the synchronization process and provides a visual interface for configuring device connections and shared folders.

## Tags

### Business & Productivity Software

- [Mesh File Synchronization](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/business-productivity-software/self-hosted-file-sync-and-share-platforms/mesh-file-synchronization.md) — Provides decentralized file synchronization across a mesh network without relying on central cloud servers. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/intro/index.html))
- [Application Bundles](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/business-productivity-software/native-macos-applications/application-bundles.md) — Provides a native macOS bundle that integrates the Syncthing binary with a system tray interface.
- [User Session Application Launchers](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/business-productivity-software/automatic-application-launchers/user-session-application-launchers.md) — Allows the synchronization process to start automatically upon user login. ([source](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/syncthing/syncthing-macos@v2/README.md))

### Networking & Communication

- [Peer-to-Peer Data Exchange](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/peer-to-peer-data-exchange.md) — Uses a decentralized block exchange protocol to synchronize file data and metadata between peers.
- [Peer-to-Peer Networking](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/peer-to-peer-networking.md) — Establishes direct encrypted connections between devices for decentralized data exchange without a central server.
- [Device Management APIs](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/api-integration-frameworks/api-management-integration/device-management-apis.md) — Provides programmatic interfaces for registering remote devices and configuring their connection settings. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/config.html))
- [Decentralized Data Replication](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/decentralized-data-replication.md) — Provides bidirectional file synchronization using a block exchange protocol to maintain consistency across a mesh network.
- [Local Peer Discovery](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/local-peer-discovery.md) — Identifies synchronization nodes within a local network using broadcast traffic for initial connectivity.
- [Mesh Network Managers](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/mesh-networking/mesh-network-managers.md) — Manages device pairing states and folder sharing requests within the peer-to-peer mesh topology. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/dev/rest.html))
- [P2P Folder Synchronization](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/p2p-folder-synchronization.md) — Implements decentralized folder synchronization, managing ownership and extended attributes across devices. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/advanced.html))
- [Peer Device Discovery](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/peer-device-discovery.md) — Provides automated discovery of other synchronization nodes on local and global networks to establish peer connections. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/introducer.html))
- [Peer Discovery](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/peer-to-peer-networking/peer-discovery.md) — Implements mechanisms to locate remote synchronization nodes using unique IDs and listening ports. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/security.html))
- [Encrypted Network Relays](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/encrypted-network-relays.md) — Establishes data connections through intermediary relay nodes for devices that cannot communicate directly. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/specs/index.html))
- [Automatic Port Mapping](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/nat-traversal-mechanisms/automatic-port-mapping.md) — Uses UPnP and NAT-PMP to automatically configure router port mappings for external P2P connectivity. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/firewall.html))
- [Network Connectivity Configurations](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/network-infrastructure-routing/network-infrastructure-configuration/network-management/dns-connectivity-management/network-connectivity-configurations.md) — Configures proxy usage, timeouts, and source addressing to ensure stable communication between nodes. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/index.html))
- [Local Network Containment](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/network-traffic-segmentation/local-network-containment.md) — Confines all communication to the local network by disabling global discovery, NAT traversal, and relaying. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/tuning.html))
- [Remote Management Interfaces](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/network-transfer-management/remote-management-interfaces.md) — Configures the web GUI to listen on all network interfaces for remote administration. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/firewall.html))
- [Synchronization State Monitoring](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/p2p-folder-synchronization/synchronization-state-monitoring.md) — Tracks real-time sync state, data volume, and errors for individual folders to ensure files are current. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/intro/gui.html))
- [Relay-Based Routing](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/relay-based-routing.md) — Bounces data through intermediate relay servers to maintain connectivity for peers behind restrictive firewalls. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/relaying.html))
- [Identifier-Based Address Resolution](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/remote-device-connectivity/identifier-based-address-resolution.md) — Retrieves current connection addresses for a specific device from a discovery server using its unique identifier. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/specs/globaldisco-v3.html))
- [REST Administrative APIs](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/rest-administrative-apis.md) — Provides a REST-based administrative interface for controlling synchronization operations and system settings.

### Part of an Awesome List

- [Folder-Level Data Encryption](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/awesome-lists/security/file-encryption/password-based-encryption/folder-level-data-encryption.md) — Encrypts entire folder structures using passwords to ensure data remains unreadable on untrusted remote nodes. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/untrusted.html))

### Data & Databases

- [Cross-Device File Backups](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/data-databases/cross-device-file-backups.md) — Maintains mirrored copies of files across different computers to prevent data loss and ensure consistency.
- [P2P Block Exchange](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/data-databases/data-exchange-protocols/p2p-block-exchange.md) — Uses a standardized block exchange protocol to synchronize file data and metadata between peer nodes. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/specs/index.html))
- [Directional Sync Modes](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/data-databases/data-synchronization-configurations/sync-endpoint-configurations/unidirectional-sync-configurations/bidirectional-sync-implementations/directional-sync-modes.md) — Allows configuration of one-way and two-way synchronization modes to control data flow between devices. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/foldertypes.html))
- [Peer-to-Peer File Synchronization](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/data-databases/peer-to-peer-file-synchronization.md) — Replicates files and folders across multiple devices without relying on a central cloud server.
- [Bidirectional File Synchronization](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/data-databases/real-time-data-synchronization/bidirectional-file-synchronization.md) — Implements two-way replication of files and directories across multiple devices without a central server. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/syncthing.html))
- [Synchronization Folder Configurations](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/data-databases/synchronization-folder-configurations.md) — Defines local directories for synchronization and configures scanning intervals and filesystem watchers. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/config.html))
- [File Versioning Strategies](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/data-databases/data-integration-synchronization/data-integrity-versioning/file-versioning-strategies.md) — Compares local file states against global versions and transfers missing data blocks for consistency. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/syncing.html))

### DevOps & Infrastructure

- [Global Discovery](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/devops-infrastructure/infrastructure/cluster-service-orchestration/service-discovery/global-discovery.md) — Locates remote synchronization nodes over the internet using authenticated global discovery servers.
- [Automated Software Updates](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/devops-infrastructure/automated-software-updates.md) — Automatically checks for and applies new software versions via HTTPS at startup and periodic intervals. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/security.html))

### Operating Systems & Systems Programming

- [Application Bundling](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/operating-systems-systems-programming/application-bundling.md) — Wraps the synchronization binary as a native macOS application bundle for background operation. ([source](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/syncthing/syncthing-macos@v2/README.md))
- [macOS Background Services](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/operating-systems-systems-programming/macos-background-services.md) — Runs the synchronization process as a native background service that starts automatically upon user login.
- [Native Application Wrappers](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/operating-systems-systems-programming/native-application-wrappers.md) — Integrates a cross-platform synchronization binary into a native macOS bundle with automatic startup.
- [File Change Detection](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/operating-systems-systems-programming/system-administration-maintenance/file-system-management/file-systems/file-change-detection.md) — Monitors files for modifications using filesystem notifications and scheduled scans to trigger synchronization. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/syncing.html))
- [Automated Startup Configurations](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/operating-systems-systems-programming/automated-startup-configurations.md) — Registers the synchronization process with the system launch manager for automatic startup upon login. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/autostart.html))

### Security & Cryptography

- [Untrusted Device Encryption](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/security-cryptography/security/infrastructure-and-hardware/embedded-and-hardware/untrusted-device-encryption.md) — Hides file contents and metadata from peers using per-file keys so untrusted nodes store data blindly. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/specs/untrusted.html))
- [TLS Transfer Security](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/security-cryptography/tls-transfer-security.md) — Establishes secure encrypted data transfers between devices using TLS to prevent unauthorized inspection. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/security.html))
- [File Encryptions and Decryptions](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/security-cryptography/file-encryptions-and-decryptions.md) — Extracts and decrypts files from encrypted remote devices to a local directory using a password. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/syncthing.html))
- [Server Identity Verification](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/security-cryptography/identity-access-management/identity-management/server-authenticity-verification/certificate-based-authentication/x-509-certificate-parsing-and-validation/server-identity-verification.md) — Validates discovery server authenticity using certificate pinning and fingerprint verification to prevent spoofing. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/specs/globaldisco-v3.html))
- [Interface Access Security](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/security-cryptography/interface-access-security.md) — Protects the web management interface using passwords, TLS encryption, and authentication proxies. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/config.html))
- [Discovery Server Registrations](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/security-cryptography/machine-identity/enrollment-management/sso-device-enrollment/device-registration/discovery-server-registrations.md) — Registers device connection addresses with discovery servers via authenticated requests to make nodes reachable. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/specs/globaldisco-v3.html))
- [Network Access Controls](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/security-cryptography/network-infrastructure-security/web-network-security/network-security/network-routing-access-control/network-access-controls.md) — Defines specific network ranges that a device is permitted to use for establishing connections. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/advanced.html))

### System Administration & Monitoring

- [Filesystem Event Triggers](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/system-administration-monitoring/alert-notification-systems/event-driven-notification-triggers/filesystem-event-triggers.md) — Uses OS-level filesystem notifications and scheduled scans to trigger real-time synchronization events.
- [Management Interface Networking](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/system-administration-monitoring/administrative-operations/remote-access-interface-tools/administrative-interfaces/management-interfaces/management-interface-networking.md) — Provides network-level configuration for the management interface, including address binding and port settings. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/guilisten.html))
- [Application Lifecycle Management](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/system-administration-monitoring/application-lifecycle-management.md) — Manages the operational state of the synchronization process through restarts, shutdowns, and error clearing. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/dev/rest.html))
- [Device Connectivity Tracking](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/system-administration-monitoring/client-device-tracking/device-connectivity-tracking.md) — Displays real-time connection status and aggregate transfer rates for all paired remote devices. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/intro/gui.html))
- [Synchronization Status Monitoring](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/system-administration-monitoring/synchronization-status-monitoring.md) — Provides real-time tracking of data synchronization progress and health across distributed nodes. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/dev/rest.html))

### User Interface & Experience

- [System Tray Wrappers](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/user-interface-experience/system-tray-wrappers.md) — Provides a system tray interface for quick access to the management GUI and shared folder shortcuts. ([source](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/syncthing/syncthing-macos@v2/README.md))
- [Configuration GUIs](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/user-interface-experience/configuration-guis.md) — Provides a visual graphical interface for configuring device connections and shared folder settings. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/intro/index.html))

### Development Tools & Productivity

- [Background Update Execution](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/development-tools-productivity/client-update-utilities/runtime-logic-hot-updates/background-update-execution.md) — Installs new software versions using a background update mechanism tied to remote releases. ([source](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/syncthing/syncthing-macos@v2/README.md))
- [Synchronization Filtering](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/development-tools-productivity/cloud-file-sync/synchronization-filtering.md) — Implements mechanisms to include or exclude specific files and folders from synchronization using patterns. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/faq.html))
- [Sync Exclusions](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/development-tools-productivity/file-pattern-matching/glob-based-file-filtering/sync-exclusions.md) — Uses glob patterns to exclude specific files or directories from being synchronized across devices. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/ignoring.html))
- [REST APIs](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/development-tools-productivity/rest-apis.md) — Provides a REST API for programmatic management of system settings and synchronization status. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/dev/intro.html))
- [File Version Retention Rules](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/development-tools-productivity/version-management/file-version-retention-rules.md) — Implements staggered retention strategies and trash cans to preserve historical versions of replaced or deleted files. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/versioning.html))

### Software Engineering & Architecture

- [Sync Conflict Resolution](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/software-engineering-architecture/sync-conflict-resolution.md) — Detects simultaneous modifications to the same file and preserves both versions via renaming. ([source](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/syncing.html))