Here’s the full installation guide for Raspberry Pi + Windows 11 + Android Syncthing, perfect for blogging, tech notes, or internal documentation:
Overview
Syncthing is a powerful, open-source, peer-to-peer file synchronization tool that allows you to automatically sync photos, documents, and videos across your devices—without any cloud, no public IP required, and with full control over your data.
Step 1: Install Syncthing on Raspberry Pi
Supported System: Raspberry Pi OS (Raspbian 12)
Installation Script:
# Add Syncthing repository and key curl -s https://syncthing.net/release-key.txt | sudo gpg –dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/syncthing-archive-keyring.gpg echo ”deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/syncthing-archive-keyring.gpg] https://apt.syncthing.net/ syncthing stable” | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/syncthing.list # Update and install sudo apt update sudo apt install syncthing -y
Enable Syncthing at boot:
sudo systemctl enable syncthing@pi sudo systemctl start syncthing@pi
Replace pi with your actual username if different.
Step 2: Install Syncthing on Windows 11
Download from: syncthing
After launching, Syncthing will open the web interface at http://127.0.0.1:8384
Tips:
Set sync folder to a dedicated path like D:Syncthing
Enable “Start Syncthing automatically”
Allow firewall access on private networks
Step 3: Install Syncthing on Android
Recommended app: Syncthing-Fork (more stable and full-featured)
Available on Google Play
or
F-Droid
Auto-backup camera photos:
Add folder: /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Camera
Set folder type: Send Only
Connect to other devices as receivers
Step 4: Connect All Devices
Each device has a Device ID. You need to:
1.Share Device IDs across devices and accept connection requests
2.Add shared folders with identical Folder IDs
3.Set folder paths on each device:
Raspberry Pi: /home/pi/sync/photos
Windows: D:Syncthingphotos
Android: /storage/emulated/0/Syncthing/photos
Make sure Folder IDs are exactly the same across all devices to sync correctly.
Optional: Enable Remote Access to Raspberry Pi’s Syncthing Web UI
nano ~/.config/syncthing/config.xml
Modify this section:
<gui> <address>0.0.0.0:8384</address> <user>yourusername</user> <password>yourpassword</password> </gui>
Restart the service:
systemctl restart syncthing@pi
You can now access it from LAN:
http://<raspberry-pi-local-ip>:8384
Use Cases
Photo backup: Android → Raspberry Pi → Windows
Document sync: Windows ↔ Raspberry Pi
Media sharing: Download on Raspberry Pi → Sync to Android
Pi backups: Automatically mirror SD card contents
Bonus: Syncthing Tips
Use “Send Only” for backup folders (e.g., Camera)
Use “Receive Only” to prevent changes from propagating
Run Syncthing as a background service on Raspberry Pi and Windows
Enable “Ignore Permissions” on Android if sync fails