Discontinuing syncthing-android
forum.syncthing.net
Unfortunately I don’t have good news on the state of the android app: I am retiring it. The last release on Github and F-Droid will happen with the December 2024 Syncthing version. Reason is a combination of Google making Play publishing something between hard and impossible and no active maintenance. The app saw no significant development for a long time and without Play releases I do no longer see enough benefit and/or have enough motivation to keep up the ongoing maintenance an app requires ...

Announcement by the creator: https://forum.syncthing.net/t/discontinuing-syncthing-android/23002

Unfortunately I don’t have good news on the state of the android app: I am retiring it. The last release on Github and F-Droid will happen with the December 2024 Syncthing version.

Reason is a combination of Google making Play publishing something between hard and impossible and no active maintenance. The app saw no significant development for a long time and without Play releases I do no longer see enough benefit and/or have enough motivation to keep up the ongoing maintenance an app requires even without doing much, if any, changes.

Thanks a lot to everyone who ever contributed to this app!

  • absGeekNZ@lemmy.nzEnglish
    53·
    2 months ago

    The problem is not “Syncthing users” it is the others that we bring along with us.

    I already have F-Droid on my phone, but the dozen others that I have promoted Syncthing to over the years do not. This is going to cause a bunch of problems.

    This is much more important than what you portray here.

    • tychosmoose@lemm.eeEnglish
      30·
      2 months ago

      That and the shrinking ability to grant access to device storage. If that becomes an option only on rooted phones (which seems like the directly Google is heading) it will make the audience for such an app much smaller.

          • LiveLM@lemmy.zipEnglish
            51·
            2 months ago

            This is my currently dilemma.
            Each year Android becomes more restrictive like iOS with none of the benefits, Rooting becomes harder as more apps tap into the Play Integrity API (and strong Integrity is on the way to kill most workarounds for it), iPhone got a little better but is still locked down as fuck, where the hell do I go to? 😒

              • LiveLM@lemmy.zipEnglish
                1·
                2 months ago

                I’ve been using custom ROMs for a while now, but the reality is that they can only do so much to stop Android’s ever increasing restrictions.
                And the aforementioned Integrity API also detects unlocked bootloaders, meaning this will gradually become more of a problem.

          • can@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            1·
            2 months ago

            Realistically I have no where to go and that’s the problem. iOS is even more locked down.

            • lambalicious@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
              1·
              2 months ago

              No one says you have to upgrade your phone OS to the latest Android. You can just keep using the Android (and/or Custom ROM) that works.

    • t_378@lemmy.oneEnglish
      241·
      2 months ago

      The point you raise reminds me of when Signal dropped SMS support, after my efforts to convert all the non techie people in my life over to it. So sad when it happens…