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Syncthing 2.0 lets you synchronize selected folders directly between your own devices without uploading those files to a Syncthing cloud. Install it on each device, exchange and approve their Device IDs, then share folders. Devices transfer encrypted data directly when possible, or through discovery and relay services when a direct path is unavailable.
Syncthing 2.0 is a version-specific series rather than the newest announced release: the project announced Syncthing 2.1.0 on May 12, 2026. Use the current official release instructions when downloading, while the 2.0 details below explain the setup and behavior relevant to that series.
What Syncthing does—and what it does not
Syncthing is free, open-source synchronization software. Files remain in folders on participating devices; Syncthing does not upload them to its own storage cloud. When devices are online, they exchange changed file data with one another.
This is synchronization, not a complete backup. A deletion or unwanted edit can propagate to every connected copy. Keep an independent backup, and consider Syncthing’s folder versioning options if you need recovery from accidental changes.
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Set up Syncthing 2.0
1. Install and start it on both devices
Install an appropriate Syncthing build for each operating system and launch it. On first start, Syncthing creates its configuration and encryption keys and opens the administrative web GUI.
2. Pair the devices mutually
- On each device, display its Device ID.
- Add the other device by entering that Device ID.
- Accept and configure the pending device on both sides.
Pairing is mutual: each device must have the other configured. Device IDs are derived from certificate fingerprints. They identify a device but do not need to be kept secret.
3. Share a folder
- Create or select the local folder you want to synchronize.
- Share that folder with the paired device in the folder settings.
- Accept the folder and choose its local path on the other device.
After both devices accept the folder and device configuration, files placed in that folder synchronize according to its folder type.
4. Resolve connectivity problems
The documented defaults use TCP and UDP port 22000 for synchronization and UDP 21027 for local discovery; your configured ports may differ. Allow the required traffic through host firewalls and routers. If a direct route cannot be established, relay connections can provide a path, although they are generally slower than direct connections.
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5. Keep the administration GUI protected
Leave the GUI listening locally unless remote administration is necessary. External access requires changing the listen address and firewall rules. An SSH tunnel is an alternative to exposing the GUI port publicly.
Direct connections, discovery and relays
| Choice | What it does | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Direct connection | Transfers data between the devices over an available network path. | Usually the best performance, but firewalls, NAT or changing addresses can prevent it. |
| Global discovery | Helps peers find changing addresses by registering device and listening information with discovery infrastructure. | Improves reachability over the internet while exposing device IDs and address mappings to that infrastructure. |
| Relay | Provides an intermediary path when peers cannot connect directly. | The relay can see the peer Device ID and public IP address, but synchronized data remains encrypted; performance is generally poorer than direct transfer. |
| LAN-only configuration | Disables relays, NAT traversal and global discovery for a local-network arrangement. | Reduces metadata exposure and limits the ability to connect over the internet. |
On Android, local discovery is documented as often unreliable, so global discovery or explicitly configured addresses may be needed.
How Syncthing protects your files—and what remains visible
Encrypted peer traffic
Device-to-device traffic is protected with TLS. During connection setup, Syncthing checks certificate fingerprints against the list of acceptable devices; the human-friendly representation of that fingerprint is the Device ID.
Discovery and relay metadata
Encryption does not make every connection detail private. Global discovery can receive Device IDs and listening ports and map them to external addresses. A relay can see the peer ID and public IP address, but not the synchronized file data because that data is encrypted.
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- Usage Note: Not intended for all configurations such as system boot drives or certain embedded systems; compatibility may vary by device
Sharing with an untrusted device
Syncthing documents password-encrypted sharing to an untrusted device, but labels the feature beta/testing. Do not treat it as a mature replacement for a deliberately designed encrypted backup or storage system.
Verify downloads
The project security guidance describes checking the SHA-256 checksum and verifying the signed checksum file with the official release key. Security researchers are asked to report vulnerabilities privately to the project’s security address rather than the public issue tracker.
Why synchronization speed varies
There is no universal Syncthing speed. Performance depends on storage, CPU, network conditions, firewall traversal and whether a relay is used.
Syncthing splits files into blocks, calculates SHA-256 hashes and reuses matching blocks from local or remote devices. Block size varies from 128 KiB to 16 MiB depending on file size. Filesystem watching is enabled by default; the watcher accumulates changes for about 10 seconds before scheduling a scan, and deletions are delayed further. A full scan runs once per hour by default.
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- Use a direct connection whenever possible.
- Expect hashing and scanning to consume CPU and disk time, especially with many small files.
- Check the device status and connection type before assuming the transfer itself is slow.
- Do not interpret the scan interval as a guaranteed delivery delay or a benchmark.
Choose the right folder type
| Folder type | Change flow | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Send and Receive | Local and remote changes are exchanged in both directions. | Normal collaborative or multi-device synchronization. |
| Send Only | Local changes are authoritative for the folder; remote changes are not intended to become local edits. | A source device distributing files to other devices. |
| Receive Only | The device receives changes and does not send its local edits back as normal folder changes. | A destination that should mirror another device without authoring files. |
Folder modes change how edits and overrides are applied; they do not turn synchronization into an independent backup.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Conflicts, deletions and metadata
Conflicting edits
If two devices make divergent edits concurrently, Syncthing can preserve one copy by renaming it with a .sync-conflict-... suffix. The copy with the older modification time is designated the conflicting file; equal modification times are resolved by Device ID ordering. Review the files and merge or remove the unwanted copy manually.
What metadata is synchronized
File contents and modification times are always synchronized. Preservation of permissions, symbolic links, owners and groups, and extended attributes depends on the operating system and configuration. Directory modification times and Windows ACLs are not preserved.
What changed in Syncthing 2.0
Syncthing 2.0 switched its database backend from LevelDB to SQLite. The first launch performs a migration that can take a while on larger configurations. The release also introduced structured logging, changed some command-line options and altered deletion-record retention behavior.
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Syncthing 2.1.0 and current downloads
On May 12, 2026, maintainer Jakob Borg announced Syncthing 2.1.0. The announcement highlighted GUI grouping for devices and folders, HTTP(S) proxy support with CONNECT, optional block indexing and configurable GUI session-cookie duration. Therefore, a new installation should use the project’s current release page rather than assuming 2.0 is the newest series.
The Bottom Line
Syncthing 2.0 is a strong free option when you want encrypted, device-to-device folder synchronization and control over where files reside. Pair devices deliberately, understand what discovery and relays reveal, prefer direct connections for speed, and maintain a separate backup for recovery.
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