syncthing/syncthing-macos

Analysis updated 2026-07-03

★ 3,670Objective-CAudience · generalComplexity · 1/5Setup · easy

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((syncthing-macos))
    What it does
      Wraps Syncthing CLI
      Menu bar icon
      Background sync
    Features
      Auto-start at login
      Sparkle auto-update
      Finder integration
    Installation
      Drag and drop disk image
      Homebrew
    Tech stack
      Objective-C
      Swift
      Sparkle updater
    Use cases
      Private file sync
      Multi-device folders
      No cloud required

mindmap root((syncthing-macos)) What it does Wraps Syncthing CLI Menu bar icon Background sync Features Auto-start at login Sparkle auto-update Finder integration Installation Drag and drop disk image Homebrew Tech stack Objective-C Swift Sparkle updater Use cases Private file sync Multi-device folders No cloud required

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Keep folders in sync across your Mac and other devices without signing up for Dropbox or iCloud.

USE CASE 2

Install via Homebrew and have Syncthing launch automatically at login with a menu bar status icon.

USE CASE 3

Open any synced folder directly in Finder from the menu bar without touching the terminal.

USE CASE 4

Monitor sync status and manage settings through Syncthing's browser-based web interface, launched from the menu bar icon.

What is it built with?

Objective-CSwiftSparkle

How does it compare?

	syncthing/syncthing-macos	yalantis/foldingtabbar.ios	coderzhuxh/xhlaunchad
Stars	3,670	3,671	3,684
Language	Objective-C	Objective-C	Objective-C
Setup difficulty	easy	easy	easy
Complexity	1/5	2/5	2/5
Audience	general	developer	developer

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Requires macOS 12 or newer, stop any existing Syncthing instance before installing to avoid conflicts.

In plain English

This is the official macOS application bundle for Syncthing, a file synchronization tool that keeps folders in sync across your own devices without using a third-party cloud service. Syncthing itself is a command-line program, and this project wraps it in a proper Mac application so it feels like a native piece of software rather than a terminal utility. When you install and open it, Syncthing runs quietly in the background and shows a small icon in your menu bar indicating whether everything is in sync. From that icon you can open Syncthing's browser-based settings and monitoring interface, open shared folders directly in Finder, and control whether the app starts automatically when you log in. The app handles its own updates through a mechanism called Sparkle, pulling new releases from GitHub without you needing to check manually. The design goal is deliberately minimal: no graphs, no complex settings windows. The app just makes it easier to run Syncthing on a Mac without needing to configure it as a background service. All the actual configuration of which folders to sync and which devices to connect to happens through Syncthing's web interface, which this app opens in your browser. Installation is a standard drag-and-drop from a disk image, or you can use Homebrew with the command shown in the README. The project requires macOS 12 or newer for current releases. It is built using Objective-C and Swift and follows Apple's interface guidelines so it integrates with the system consistently. If you already have another version of Syncthing running on your machine, you need to stop it before using this app or the two instances will conflict.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

Write a shell script that installs syncthing-macos via Homebrew, confirms the Syncthing daemon is running, and prints its local web UI address.

Prompt 2

Using Syncthing's REST API, write Python code that checks whether all synced folders are up to date and prints a warning for any that are out of sync.

Prompt 3

Show me how to pair two Syncthing devices by exchanging device IDs, then set up a shared folder that syncs in both directions.

Prompt 4

Write a shell one-liner that reads Syncthing's config.xml to find the web UI port and opens it in the default browser.

Prompt 5

Explain the steps to migrate a Syncthing setup from one Mac to another, including transferring the device identity and folder configurations.

Frequently asked questions

What is syncthing-macos?

A native macOS menu bar app that wraps the Syncthing file sync tool so it runs quietly in the background, auto-starts at login, and integrates with Finder, no terminal needed.

What language is syncthing-macos written in?

Mainly Objective-C. The stack also includes Objective-C, Swift, Sparkle.

How hard is syncthing-macos to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is syncthing-macos for?

Mainly general.

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