SyncFolder
Permissions
Android protects your files, camera and notifications with permissions. SyncFolder asks for a permission only when you first use a feature that needs it. This page explains each request so you know what to answer.
Photos, Videos and Files
Asked the first time you open the list of media folders, for example when you choose Photos and Videos on device as the source of a task, or when you tap Upload Photos and Videos. Without this permission the app can't show or copy your photos and videos.
Photos often contain the GPS location where they were taken. Android removes this information when an app reads a photo, unless the app has permission to access media location. SyncFolder asks for it so that your copies keep their original location data. Allow it if you want complete copies of your photos.
When you choose a folder on internal storage, an SD card or a USB drive, Android opens its own folder picker. Select the folder and confirm with Use this folder and then Allow. The app can then access that folder and its subfolders, and nothing else.
Android can withdraw this folder access, for example when an SD card or USB drive is removed or when the folder is renamed or deleted. You then have to select the folder again.
Camera
The camera is used only to scan the QR code that SyncFolder on your Windows PC shows when you pair the two devices. See Connecting to a Windows computer.
Notifications and Background Operation
When the Mobile Sync Server or the automatic background sync is active, Android requires the app to show a notification. Before you start the server, the app explains this (Needs permission!) and then shows the Android notification request.
If you don't allow notifications, Android stops the server after a while when the app is in the background.
To keep the server or the background sync running when you leave the app, allow SyncFolder to run without battery restrictions. On the Mobile Sync Server page, tap Open App info and set battery usage to Unrestricted (the exact name differs per phone brand).
Permissions Granted Automatically
The app also uses network access (internet, Wi-Fi state and multicast to find computers on your network) and keeps the device awake while a sync is running. Android grants these automatically. You won't see a request for them.
Changing a Permission Later
- Open Android Settings > Apps > SyncFolder > Permissions to allow or deny a permission.
- If you denied a permission by mistake, Android may not ask again. Change it in the Android settings, then restart the app.