# sync.photos

> sync.photos is a privacy-first app that keeps one photo library in step across
> your own iPhone, Android phone and Mac. Photos, videos and albums go device to
> device, end-to-end encrypted, with no cloud photo storage and no account.

Status: pre-launch.

Last updated: 2026-11-11

## Facts

- Platforms: iPhone (iOS 26 or later), Android (11 or later), Mac (macOS 26 or later; works with the Photos app)
- No cloud photo storage: photos and videos are never stored on sync.photos servers
- No account: no email, phone number or password; each device makes its own encryption keys, which never leave it
- Pairing: one device shows a QR code, the other scans it, and both screens must show the same six digits before pairing finishes
- End-to-end encrypted: photos, dates, places and album names can be read only by paired devices
- Encryption: every connection uses TLS 1.3 (over QUIC), authenticated with each device's own Ed25519 key, exchanged in the pairing QR code and confirmed with six matching digits; no home-made cryptography
- Nearby sync (both devices on the same Wi-Fi) is on by default and needs no internet connection
- Internet sync is off by default; when turned on, devices can sync from anywhere while the app is open on both
- With internet sync off, both devices must stay on the same network until a sync finishes; the Review screen says how long that will take
- Review before syncing: what is coming and going, time left in plain words (for example "about 4 min 7 secs") and a free-space check on both devices
- Sync never deletes photos: deleting on one device leaves copies on the others
- Albums stay albums on iPhone and Mac; on Android they appear as gallery folders, and every album stays complete inside sync.photos
- Capture dates, places and Live Photos come along (Live Photo motion plays on iPhones; Android shows the still)
- Stays on each device: People, Pets and Memories, smart albums, shared albums, and the Hidden album unless the user chooses otherwise
- Photos kept only in iCloud are skipped and listed unless the user turns on Download originals from iCloud (off by default)
- Exclusions (albums kept off a device, photos marked Never Sync) are filtered out before anything is sent
- A small connection service helps devices find each other over the internet; it briefly handles IP addresses and temporary session IDs and never sees photos, file names, dates, places or album names
- If a relay is used for internet sync, traffic stays end-to-end encrypted and is not stored
- Removing a device stops future syncs with it once each other device hears about the removal (an offline device learns of it when it next connects)
- Honest limits: no app can erase another phone remotely; sync.photos holds no copy, so it cannot restore a library; iCloud Photos or Google Photos backup, if on, uploads what arrives on that device
- Contact: hi@sync.photos; support: support@sync.photos
- Security reports: hi@sync.photos (see https://sync.photos/security#report and https://sync.photos/.well-known/security.txt)

## Frequently asked questions

- Does sync.photos use iCloud or Google Photos? No. Photos go directly between your devices; existing iCloud Photos or Google Photos backups keep working as before.
- Does it ever delete photos? No. Sync only adds.
- What if I lose a phone? Remove it on your other paired devices so it can no longer sync with them; erase it with Find My or Google's Find Hub.
- Do albums carry over between iPhone and Android? Yes; on Android they show as gallery folders.
- Does it sync in the background? Not automatically; you start a sync. Over the internet the app must be open on both devices. Nearby, keeping it open is fastest; it continues in the background only where the device allows.
- Does it work with Photos on Mac? Yes; the Mac app can stay in the menu bar and sync with phones on the same Wi-Fi.

## Pages

- [Home](https://sync.photos/): what sync.photos is, how the library looks on each device, privacy and getting the app
- [How it works](https://sync.photos/how-it-works): pairing, checking the six digits, Review, syncing, nearby vs internet, what syncs
- [Privacy](https://sync.photos/privacy): privacy principles and honest limits
- [Security](https://sync.photos/security): keys, pairing check, encryption, connection service, relay, vulnerability reporting
- [Download](https://sync.photos/download): iPhone, Android and Mac requirements and pairing tips
- [FAQ](https://sync.photos/faq): common questions answered
- [Full text](https://sync.photos/llms-full.txt): all indexable pages as plain text