Finder Sync
In OS X, the Finder Sync extension point lets you cleanly and safely modify the Finder’s user interface to express file synchronization status and control. Unlike most extension points, Finder Sync does not add features to a host app. Instead, it lets you modify the behavior of the Finder itself.
Finder Sync Extensions
With a Finder Sync extension you register one or more folders for the system to monitor. Your Finder Sync extension then sets badges, labels, and contextual menus for any items in the monitored folders. You can also use the extension point’s API to add a toolbar button to the Finder window or a sidebar icon for the monitored folder.
Personal information manager. ISync is a software application first released by Apple Inc. Apple licensed the core technology from fusionOne. It ran only under Mac OS X and was used to synchronize contact and calendar data from Address Book and iCal with many non-Apple SyncML -enabled mobile phones via a Bluetooth or USB connection. Support for many (pre-October 2007). Download this app from Microsoft Store for Windows 10. See screenshots, read the latest customer reviews, and compare ratings for ROG Aura Core. To sync your Android/Google calendar with iCal, open the iCal app on your Mac and navigate to iCal Preferences Accounts.Click the plus (+) symbol in the lower left corner to add a. Some weeks ago, some Adobe program or other installed Creative Cloud; a part of this 'Cloud' business is a hidden executable file called 'Core Sync', which I am led to understand runs in the background all the time the computer is running.
Finder Sync supports apps that synchronize the contents of a local folder with a remote data source. It improves user experience by providing immediate visual feedback directly in the Finder. Badges display the sync state of each item, and contextual menus let users manage folder contents. Custom toolbar buttons can invoke global actions, such as opening a monitored folder or forcing a sync operation.
Note
The Finder Sync extension point lets you modify an item’s appearance in the Finder. It does not provide support for syncing the files. You are responsible for creating your own syncing component.
A Finder Sync extension can:
- Register a set of folders to monitor.
- Receive notifications when the user starts or stops browsing the content of a monitored folder.For example, the extension receives notification when the user opens a monitored folder in the Finder or in an Open or Save dialog.
- Add, remove, and update badges and labels on items in a monitored folder.
- Display a contextual menu when the user Control-clicks an item inside a monitored folder.
- Add a custom button to the Finder’s toolbar.Unlike badges and contextual menu items, this button is always available, even when the user is not currently browsing a monitored folder.
Before You Begin
Make sure the Finder Sync extension point is appropriate for the functionality you plan to provide. The best Finder Sync extensions support apps that sync the contents of a local folder with a remote data source. Finder Sync is not intended as a general tool for modifying the Finder’s user interface.
To learn about other types of app extensions you can create, see Table 1-1 in App Extensions Increase Your Impact.
Creating a Finder Sync Extension in Xcode
To create a Finder Sync extension, add a new target to your OS X project using the Finder Sync Extension template. This template contains a custom subclass of the
FIFinderSync
class. This subclass acts as your extension’s primary class. The system automatically instantiates this class and calls the protocol methods in response to user actions. For detailed information on adding extensions, see Creating an App Extension.
Set the Required Property List Values
For OS X to recognize and automatically load the Finder Sync extension, the extension target’s
info.plist
file must contain the following entries:<key>NSExtension</key>
<dict>
<key>NSExtensionAttributes</key>
<dict/>
<key>NSExtensionPointIdentifier</key>
<string>com.apple.FinderSync</string>
<key>NSExtensionPrincipalClass</key>
<string>$(PRODUCT_MODULE_NAME).FinderSync</string>
</dict>
In particular, the
NSExtensionPrincipalClass
key must provide the name of your FIFinderSync
subclass. The system automatically instantiates this class when the Finder first launches. It instantiates an additional copy whenever an Open or Save dialog is displayed. Each copy runs in its own process. The Finder Sync Extension Xcode template configures these
Info.plist
keys automatically. If you want to change the principal class, modify the value of the NSExtensionPrincipalClass
key.Specify Which Folders to Monitor
You specify the folders you want to monitor in your Finder Sync extension’s
init
method, using the default FIFinderSyncController
object. In most cases, you want to let the user specify these folders in UI provided by the containing app. You can pass this data between the containing app and your Finder Sync extension using shared user defaults. To enable shared user defaults, first add both your Finder Sync extension and its containing app to an app group. This group creates a shared container that both processes can access. For each target, open the Xcode capabilities pane and turn on the App Groups capability. Provide a unique identifier for the shared group. Be sure to use the same identifier for both the Finder Sync extension and the containing app.
This process adds a
com.apple.security.application-groups
entry to the targets’ entitlements.<key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key>
<array>
<string>com.example.domain.MyFirstFinderSyncApp</string>
</array>
For more information about app groups, see Adding an App to an App Group.
Next, instantiate a new
NSUserDefaults
object by calling initWithSuiteName:
and passing in the shared group’s identifier. This init
method creates a user default object that loads and saves data to the shared container. // Set up the folder we are syncing.
NSUserDefaults *sharedDefaults =
[[NSUserDefaults alloc] initWithSuiteName:@'com.example.domain.MyFirstFinderSyncExtension'];
self.myFolderURL = [sharedDefaults URLForKey:MyFolderKey];
if (self.myFolderURL nil) {
self.myFolderURL = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:[@'~/Documents/MyFirstFinderSyncExtension Documents' stringByExpandingTildeInPath]];;
}
[FIFinderSyncController defaultController].folderURLs = [NSSet setWithObject:self.myFolderURL];
Set Up Badge Images
Create your badge images so that each can be drawn at up to 320x320 pixels. For each image, fill the entire frame edge-to-edge with your artwork (in other words, use no padding). The system determines the size and placement of a badge image on a monitored item. The pixel size ranges at which your badge might be displayed are as follows:
- Retina screens 12x12 through 320x320
- Nonretina screens 8x8 through 160x160
To add a badge image to your Finder Sync controller’s configuration, use the
setBadgeImage:label:forBadgeIdentifier:
method, as shown here:[[FIFinderSyncController defaultController]
setBadgeImage: uploadedImage
label: NSLocalizedString(@'Uploaded', nil)
forBadgeIdentifier: @'UploadComplete'];
You would typically do this in the sync controller’s initialization method. You can set up as many badge images as you need. The badge identifier string that you specify here allows you to later retrieve the image for applying it to a monitored item, as described in A Typical Finder Sync Use Case.
Implement FIFinderSync methods
The
FIFinderSync
protocol declares a number of methods that you can implement to monitor and control the Finder. These methods let you receive notifications when the user observes monitored items, add contextual menus to monitored items, and add custom toolbar and sidebar icons.Receiving Notifications When Users Observe Monitored Items
Implement these methods to receive notifications as the user browses through the contents of the monitored folders.
- The system calls this method when the user begins looking at the contents of a monitored folder or one of its subfolders. It passes the URL of the currently open folder as an argument.The system calls
beginObservingDirectoryAtURL:
only once for each unique URL. As long as the content remains visible in at least one Finder window, any additional Finder windows that open to the same URL are ignored.NoteThe system creates additional instances of your extension for any Open and Save dialogs. These extensions receive their own calls tobeginObservingDirectoryAtURL:
, even if the folder is already open in a Finder window. - The system calls this method when the user is no longer looking at the contents of the given URL. As with
beginObservingDirectoryAtURL:
, the Open and Save dialogs are tracked separately from the Finder. - The system calls this method when a new item inside the monitored folder becomes visible to the user. This method is called once for each file initially shown in the Finder’s view. The system continues to call this method as each new file scrolls into view.You typically implement this method to check the state of the item at the provided URL, and then call the Finder Sync controller’s
setBadgeIdentifier:forURL:
method to set the appropriate badge. You might also want to track these URLs, in order to update their badges whenever their state changes.
Adding Contextual Menu Items
Implement the
menuForMenuKind:
method to provide a custom contextual menu. The menu
argument indicates the type of menu that your extension should create. Each menu kind corresponds to a different type of user interaction.FIMenuKindContextualMenuForItems
The user Control-clicked one or more items inside your monitored folder. Your extension should present menu items that affect the selected items.FIMenuKindContextualMenuForContainer
The user Control-clicked the Finder window’s background while browsing the monitored folder. Your extension should present menu items that affect the contents of the current folder.FIMenuKindContextualMenuForSidebar
The user Control-clicked a sidebar item that represents the monitored folder or part of its contents. Your extension should present menu items that effect the contents of the selected item.FIMenuKindToolbarItemMenu
The user clicked on the toolbar button provided by the extension. Because the toolbar button is always available, the user may or may not be browsing the monitored folder at this time. Your extension may present menu items that represent global actions that should always be available to the user. It can also present menu items that affect selected items inside your monitored folder, if any exist.
You can get additional information about the currently selected items using the Finder Sync controller’s
targetedURL
and selectedItemURLs
methods. The targetedURL
method returns the URL of the file or folder that the user Control-clicked. The selectedItemURLs
method returns an array containing the URLs of all the currently selected items in the Finder window.targetedURL
and selectedItemURLs
return valid values only inside the menuForMenuKind:
method or inside one of its menu actions. If the user is not browsing the monitored folder (for example, if the user clicked the toolbar button while outside the monitored folder), both of these methods return nil
.Adding a Custom Toolbar Button
To add a custom toolbar button to the Finder window, implement the getter methods for the following properties:
toolbarItemName
—Return the button’s nametoolbarItemImage
—Return the button’s imagetoolbarItemToolTip
—Return the tooltip text for the button
When the user clicks the toolbar button, the system calls your primary class’s
menuForMenuKind:
method, passing FIMenuKindToolbarItemMenu
as the menu kind. Your extension must return an appropriate menu. The system then displays this menu.Adding a Sidebar Icon
You can provide a custom sidebar icon for any of the root folders your extension is monitoring. If the user drags one of these root folders into the Finder’s sidebar, your icon will be displayed instead of the default folder icon.
To provide a custom sidebar icon, add the icons to your containing app. For this to work, both your app’s icons and the sidebar icons must be included in an inconset. If you are using an asset catalog to manage your app’s icons, you will need to switch to an iconset.
To create an iconset
- Create an iconset folder. This must be a folder named <folder name>
.iconset
. You can pick any name you want for the folder name, but it must end with the.iconset
extension. - Create a complete set of app icons. Your icons must use the following filenames and image sizes:FilenameImage sizeicon_16x16.png16 x 16 px32 x 32 pxicon_32x32.png32 x 32 px64 x 64 pxicon_128x128.png128 x 128 px256 x 256 pxicon_256x256.png256 x 256 px512 x 512 pxicon_512x512.png512 x 512 px1024 x 1024 pxPlace these icons in your iconset folder. For more information on creating app icons, see Designing App Icons in macOS Human Interface Guidelines.
- Create a complete set of sidebar icons. These icons must be template images—monochromatic images that are drawn just using black and transparency. The icons must use the following filenames and sizes:File NameImage Sizesidebar_16x16.png16 x 16 px32 x 32 pxsidebar_18x18.png32 x 32 px64 x 64 pxsidebar_32x32.png128 x 128 px256 x 256 pxPlace these icons in your iconset folder. For more information on creating template images, see Create Template Images to Put Inside Toolbar Controls in macOS Human Interface Guidelines.
- Add the iconset folder to your Xcode project. Make sure it is included in the containing app’s target.
- Open the containing app’s
info.plist
. Add an entry for the Icon File (CFBundleIconFile
). The value should be the name of your iconset folder (everything before the.iconset
extension). - In the containing app’s general pane, make sure the App Icons source is not using an asset catalog. If the asset catalog has been turned off, the source will display a button saying “Use Asset Catalog” (see Figure 10-1). If the app icon’s source setting displays a popup button, click the button and select “Don’t use asset catalogs.”
Note
The sidebar icons you provide will replace the default folder icons in the Finder’s sidebar for any of the root folders that your extension is monitoring. This icon does not replace the icon for any folders contained by your monitored folder. It also does not replace the icon for any system folders that you may be monitoring (for example, Documents, Desktop, Applications, and Downloads).
A Typical Finder Sync Use Case
This section presents a typical use case. Your app manages and badges all the items inside the monitored folder. Because the user can populate the monitored folder with an arbitrary number of subfolders and files, the list of monitored items could grow to be very large. You must therefore consider the performance implications of adding and updating all of these badges. Specifically, avoid adding or updating the badge of any item that is not currently visible.
When dealing with a potentially large number of items, always provide the badges on demand. Provide badges to items only as they appear in the Finder window, and record all the URLs for the badges you set, so that you can update them as necessary.
- The system calls
beginObservingDirectoryAtURL:
when the user first opens the monitored folder or one of its subfolders. - The system calls
requestBadgeIdentifierForURL:
for each item that is currently being drawn onscreen. Inside this method, do the following:- Check the state of the item and set its badge by calling
setBadgeIdentifier:forURL:
.Your app is responsible for defining the states and their corresponding badges. For example, a typical syncing app might have badges that indicate unsynced local changes, syncing operations in progress, successfully synced items, and items with syncing errors or conflicts. - Record the URL of every item that has received a badge.Your app must to continue to monitor the state of these items and update their badges as necessary. When an item’s state changes, update its badge by calling
setBadgeIdentifier:forURL:
.
- The system calls
endObservingDirectoryAtURL:
when the user closes the folder. Delete all the URLs for the badged items inside that folder and stop monitoring their state.
Performance Concerns
Finder Sync extensions may have a much longer lifespan than most other extensions. Because of this long lifespan, you must take particular care to avoid any possible performance issues. Ideally, Finder Sync extensions should spend most of their time running but idle. Limit the number of resources the extension consumes. Most important, be sure to avoid leaking any resources. Over time, even a small trickle can grow into a serious problem.
The system may also launch additional copies of your extension whenever an Open or Save dialog is displayed. This means that the user may have multiple copies of your extension running at once, and some may be very short lived. Therefore, it’s generally best if the extension focuses on handling the badges, contextual menus, and toolbar buttons. Place in a separate service (a Login Item or Launch Agent) any code that performs the sync, updates state, or communicates with remote data sources. This approach ensures that there is only one syncing service running at a time.
For more information about communicating with the login item or launchd agent, see Using the Objective-C NSXPCConnection API in Daemons and Services Programming Guide.
Copyright © 2018 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Updated: 2017-10-19
The Sync desktop application is available for Windows and Mac operating systems. When you install Sync on your computer the app will create a special Sync folder. The Sync folder works just like any other folder, and provides the following features:
- Files in the Sync folder are backed up to the cloud automatically.
- Files in the Sync folder are protected with version history and deleted file recovery.
- You can share files and folders in the Sync folder.
- You can access files that other people have shared to you, from the Sync folder.
- You can access the Sync folder from your computer, phone, tablet and the web.
You can use the desktop app to quickly access the Sync folder on your computer, search for your files in Sync and the Vault, stay up-to-date with recent file activity, and change your password.
In this article:
How do I download and install the Sync desktop app?
The Sync 64 bit desktop app is available for Windows 7, 8 and 10, and macOS 10.9+. You’ll need admin privileges on your computer to install and run Sync. For Windows XP or older versions of macOS you’ll want to download the legacy installer.
To install the Sync desktop app:
If you don’t yet have a Sync account, create a free account from the Sync homepage before proceeding.
Show on Windows Show on Mac
- Download the desktop app installer to your computer.
- On Windows run the sync-installer.exe program.
On Mac open the Sync.dmg disk image and double click the Sync.app installer. - You will be prompted to allow Sync to install software on your computer. Click Yes, Open or Run to continue.
- After a few seconds you will be greeted with the Sync installer welcome screen. If you’ve already created a Sync account, or you’re installing Sync on multiple computers, select the Use an existing account option and click Next.
- Enter your email address (Sync username) and password and click Next.
- Select where you want the Sync folder to be created on your computer. If you’re not sure don’t worry, as you can change the location later if needed.
- Enter a Device name that allows you to easily identify your computer, for example “Office Computer” or “Lisa’s Laptop”. This is helpful if you plan on using Sync with multiple computers.
- Click Next.
- Click Finish to exit the installer. Congratulations, you now have Sync installed!
Once Sync is installed on your computer, you can access the Sync app from the Windows system tray or Mac menu bar.
Installing Sync on multiple computers:
You can install Sync on up to five of your own computers or devices and the contents of the Sync folder will automatically synchronize to each computer. Simply follow the same steps outlined above to install on additional computers.
If you’re installing Sync on computers used by other people (for example team members, employees or family members), you should create a separate Sync account for each person. This will ensure you have control over which folders remain private in your account, and which folders are shared.
Accessing the Sync app and Sync folder on your computer
Once Sync is installed on your computer, you can access the Sync app by clicking the Sync icon on Windows system tray or Mac menu bar.
Windows system tray:
The Windows system tray is located at the bottom right corner of your screen. If you don’t see the Sync icon in the system tray after installation you may need to click the white up arrow in the system tray first.
Mac menu bar:
The Mac menu bar is located at the top right corner of your screen.
Finding the Sync folder on your computer:
- Click the Sync icon on the Windows system tray or the Mac menu bar.
- Click the Sync folder icon.
This opens the Sync folder in a new window on your computer. The Sync folder works just like any other folder on your computer.
Adding files and folders to Sync, from your computer
Once you have installed the Sync desktop app you can drag and drop files or folders directly into the Sync folder on your computer. Additionally, you can use the Save As… file menu option in most applications, to save files to your Sync folder.
Files in your Sync folder are automatically backed up to the cloud.
Adding files and folders to Sync, from your computer:
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- Click the Sync icon on the Windows system tray or the Mac menu bar.
- Click the Sync folder icon, to open the Sync folder.
- Now move, drag or copy files and folders from other locations on your computer, into the Sync folder.
- Files in the Sync folder are backed up to the cloud automatically.
Working directly out of the Sync folder ensures that you are always backed up.
Adding files to Sync, using the Save As… file menu option from any application:
Because the Sync folder works just like any other folder on your computer, you can save your files directly to Sync from virtually any desktop application you use. For example, to save to Sync from Microsoft Word you would:
- Open your document in Microsoft Word.
- From the File Menu in Word select Save As…
- Browse to the Sync folder on your computer and click Save.
Adding files and folders to Sync, using the Sync.com web panel:
You can also use your web browser to upload files and folders from your computer to Sync. See the Uploading files and folders to Sync, using the web panel article for instructions.
Search for files and view recent files from the Sync desktop app
You can use the Sync desktop app or mobile app to search for any file located in your Sync folder or Vault, and to quickly access recently added or changed files.
Desktop app steps:
- Click the Sync icon on the Windows system tray or the Mac menu bar.
- By default recently added or edited files will be listed.
- To search: Type in a search term in the search box, and press Enter or Return.
- Click the folder icon beside the search result to view the file or folder on your computer. Click the cloud icon beside the search result to view the file or folder on the Sync web panel (the cloud).
Note: you can also search using the mobile apps.
Desktop overlay icons
The Sync desktop application automatically keeps your files and folder synchronized. The app will display overlay icons on your files and folders, to let you see the status of syncing.
- Overlay icons on an individual file or folder show the status of just that file or folder.
- The status icon in the Windows system tray or Mac menu bar shows overall status.
Overlay icons:
Overlay icons are displayed on all file and folders in your Sync folder.
Show on Windows Show on Mac
In sync – a green circle with a check mark means the file or folder has finished syncing (backed up to the cloud) and is up-to-date.
Shared – a green circle with a share icon means the file or folder has been shared as a team shared folder or a link, and is up-to-date.
Sync in progress – a blue circle with rotating arrows means the file or folder is in the process of syncing.
A file or folder isn’t syncing – a grey circle with a minus sign means the file or folder is not syncing. This can can occur if you have configured selective sync, or if the file name contains invalid characters. The Progress tab may provide more detail.
Error – a red circle with an x means that Sync is unable to sync the file or folder. This can occur when your storage quota is full (can’t upload), or your hard drive is full (can’t download), or there is a technical issue preventing syncing. Contact support if you see this.
Syncing status
The app will display a status icon in the Windows system tray or Mac menu bar that shows overall syncing status.
Status icons:
The Sync status icon is located in the Windows system tray or the Mac menu bar.
In sync – a check mark means all files in your Sync folder have finished syncing (backed up to the cloud) and are up-to-date.
Indexing – a syncing icon means that the Sync app is indexing or transferring your files. Indexing means that the app is verifying that your files are in sync. When files are transferring you can view transfer status and speeds by clicking the status icon.
Paused – a circle with minus sign means that the Sync app is paused (not running). Click the icon and select Resume. If the Sync app keeps pausing contact support.
Error – an alert symbol means that Sync is unable to synchronize your files and folders. This can occur if you temporarily lose your network connection, or if you go over quota. If the Sync app is stuck in this state contact support.
Desktop app preferences and settings
Desktop app settings are specific to the computer you have installed Sync on. Account-wide settings are managed exclusively from the Sync.com web panel. Once Sync is installed on your computer, you can access the Sync desktop app preferences as follows:
- Click the Sync icon on the Windows system tray or the Mac menu bar.
- Click the Settings icon ().
- Select Preferences from the menu.
Options tab:
Run When Computer is Started – Sync automatically starts when you sign into your computer. With this option disabled you would have to manually start Sync. Enabled by default.
Show Desktop Notifications – When multiple people are collaborating, the Sync app will display pop-up notifications, letting you know if the file has changed. Desktop notifications may also include important account, file and system notifications. Enabled by default.
Show Icon Overlays – The Sync app displays status icons over every file and folder in the Sync folder when enabled. Enabled by default.
Report Errors to Server – When the Sync app encounters an error, a notification is sent to our QA team for further review. This helps our team identify and solve issues.
Core Sync.app Macbook Pro
Account tab:
Change password – Change a forgotten password directly from the desktop app. This feature can be disabled.
Export a listing of all files – Click Generate to download a .CSV document listing all files in your Sync folder and Vault. This is useful for auditing everything you have in Sync.
Uninstall – See the how to uninstall Sync articles for more details.
Network tab:
Bandwidth settings – You can limit app transfer speed, which is useful if you have limited bandwidth available. Automatic is the fastest setting.
Disk Cache – To improve performance, the Sync app temporarily stores file data in a hidden cache folder, located inside the Sync folder. The temporary cache takes up additional space on your computer and is automatically cleared from time to time. You can manually clear the cache or adjust the automatic cleanup schedule.
Configure a Network Proxy – This is an advanced network configuration that can enable Sync to work behind a SOCKS5 VPN service. The default proxy type is Automatic (no proxy).
SSL Certificates – Allow Sync to be used behind corporate firewalls that utilize trusted third-party SSL certificates. Disabled by default.
Progress tab:
The progress tab provides file transfer details, and lists any files or folders that are not syncing. If your files are not syncing, this is a good place to start troubleshooting.
Advanced tab:
The Advanced tab allows you to control which folders get synced to each computer, a feature called selective sync. Selective sync is typically used if Sync is installed on multiple computers, and you want to control which folders (in your Sync folder) get synchronized to each computer.
Pause and resume the desktop app
The Sync desktop app runs automatically whenever you are signed into your computer. You can manually pause or resume Sync as follows:
- Click the Sync icon on the Windows system tray or the Mac menu bar.
- Click the Settings icon ().
- Select Pause Sync or Resume Sync from the menu.
Updating the Sync desktop app to the latest version
You can manually update Sync as follows:
- Download the latest desktop app installer to your computer. The installer will upgrade an existing installation automatically.
- On Windows run the sync-installer.exe program.
On Mac open the Sync.dmg and run the Sync.app installer. - You will be prompted to allow Sync to install software on your computer. Click Yes, Open or Run to continue.
- Sync will detect an existing installation and uninstall it first. Click Yes. Don’t worry, your existing Sync folder, files and account setting will not change.
- It will take a few seconds for the installer to configure itself, at which point you will be greeted with the Sync installer setup screen.
- The installer will detect your existing account. Ensure Reuse existing account is checked, and click Next.
- Click Finish to exit the installer.
Sync is now upgraded to the latest version.
What version of Sync am I currently running?
- Click the Sync icon on the Windows system tray or the Mac menu bar.
- Click the Settings icon (cog).
- Select Preferences.
- Click the Account tab.
- The version is displayed at the bottom of the Account tab.
Selective sync
If you have the Sync desktop app installed on multiple computers, you can control which
folders within your Sync folder get synced to each computer. This is accomplished via selective sync as follows:
folders within your Sync folder get synced to each computer. This is accomplished via selective sync as follows:
Show on Windows Show on Mac
- Click the Sync icon on the Windows system tray or the Mac menu bar.
- Click the Settings icon (cog).
- Select Preferences.
- Click the Advanced tab.
- By default all folders are checked, which means that all folders will sync to the computer you are configuring selective sync on. Uncheck folders you do not want synced.
- Click Apply.
Note: the Sync app does not automatically delete unchecked folders.
When a folder is deselected via selective sync it will show a grey circle with a minus sign overlay icon, signifying that it is no longer syncing and safe to delete from your computer (to free up space). If you re-check a folder in the future, Sync will re-download it from the cloud.
Controlling folder access with team shared folders:
If you are trying to use selective sync to control which folders other people can access, we recommend you setup team shared folders instead. Team shared folders give you granular control over folder access. See the how to use team shared folders article for more details.
Freeing up space with Vault:
If you are trying to use selective sync to store files or folders in the cloud only, we recommend you use Vault instead. See the what is Vault article for more details.
How do I confirm that the files in my Sync folder are in the cloud?
Sync provides a number of ways to audit and confirm that the files in your Sync folder have been successfully uploaded to the cloud.
This article covers files in your Sync folder only – see here to verify files uploaded to Vault.
The desktop app status icon and progress tab:
The Sync desktop app automatically verifies all files and folders in your Sync folder for consistency, and the status icon in the Windows system tray or Mac menu bar will display as in sync when verification is confirmed.
Important note:
To prevent syncing problems across different operating systems and platforms, a subset of incompatible characters are not supported by Sync. Files named with these characters may be skipped (not uploaded), and will be listed under the desktop app progress tab (regardless of syncing status).
You can access the Sync desktop app progress tab as follows:
Core Sync.app Machine
- Click the Sync icon on the Windows system tray or the Mac menu bar.
- Click the Settings icon ().
- Select Preferences from the menu.
- Click the Progress tab.
Core Sync.app Machines
If you see a file listed under the progress tab as skipped, the easiest solution would be to rename the file without these characters. View the full list of incompatible characters.
Export full file listing:
With the Sync desktop app installed, you can export a full listing of all files stored in your Sync folder and Vault, which makes auditing easier. Here’s how:
- Click the Sync icon on the Windows system tray or the Mac menu bar.
- Click the Settings icon ().
- Select Preferences from the menu.
- Select the Account tab.
- Click Generate beside export, to get a listing of all files.
A .CSV file will download to your computer, which you can open, to search for specific files and verify your files stored in the cloud.
Uninstall the Sync desktop app
A standard uninstall will remove Sync, but retain system configuration information allowing you to easily restore your Sync account on the computer at a later date, if needed.
Follow these instructions:
- Click the Sync icon on the Windows system tray or the Mac menu bar.
- Click the Settings icon ().
- Select Preferences from the menu.
- Select the Account tab.
- Click the Uninstall button and follow the prompts.
Core Sync App Mac
You can also use the full uninstaller, to remove all traces of Sync from your computer.
Get the full uninstaller for Windows here, run the uninstaller and follow the prompts:
https://sync.com/download/new-sync-uninstaller.exe
https://sync.com/download/new-sync-uninstaller.exe
Get the full uninstaller for Mac here, open the disk image and and follow the prompts:
https://www.sync.com/download/sync-uninstaller.dmg
https://www.sync.com/download/sync-uninstaller.dmg