Setting Up Syncthing with Azure Files

Your Private Google Photos Alternative

Introduction
After showing how to mount Azure Files for Rsync backups, I now present a powerful alternative: Syncthing configured with Azure Files. This solution gives you complete control over your personal media while offering real-time sync capabilities – perfect for replacing services like Google Photos while keeping your data private.

Why This Beats Google Photos

• Full ownership of your photos/videos (no corporate scanning)
• No storage limits or compression of original files
• End-to-end encrypted transfers
• Accessible from all your devices via Azure Files

Perfect Use Cases

1. Private Photo Backup from Phone
   • Sync your camera roll directly to Azure storage
   • Access full-resolution photos from any computer
   • No more “storage full” warnings on your phone
2. Family Photo Sharing
   • Each family member gets their own folder
   • Share selected albums through Azure Files
   • Grandparents can access via simple SMB mounts
3. Creative Workflow
   • Photographers: Sync RAW files from field to studio
   • Videographers: Automatic cloud backup of footage
   • Artists: Version control for design projects

Installation Guide

1. Phone Setup (Android)

• Install Syncthing from F-Droid/Play Store
• Grant “All Files Access” permission
• Set your Camera folder as “Send Only”

2. Server Configuration
   Install Syncthing on your Azure VM:
   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install syncthing
   sudo systemctl enable –now syncthing@fady
3. Azure Files Mount
   sudo mount -t cifs //yourstorage.file.core.windows.net/photos /mnt/azurephotos -o credentials=/etc/smbcredentials/yourstorage.cred,vers=3.0,uid=(id−ufady),gid=(id−ufady),gid=(id -g fady),dir_mode=0770,file_mode=0770
4. Folder Setup
   In Syncthing Web UI (http://localhost:8384):
5. Add “/mnt/azurephotos” as “Receive Only”
6. Add your phone’s DCIM folder
7. Enable “Staggered File Versioning”

Accessing Your Photos

1. From Windows/Mac: Map Azure Files as network drive
2. From Linux: Use the same mount command
3. From Phone: Use Azure Files app or Syncthing’s web UI

Advanced Features

• Face Recognition: Use PhotoPrism in Azure Container
• Sharing: Generate SAS tokens for specific folders
• Search: Enable Azure Cognitive Search

Privacy Advantages

• Microsoft can’t scan your photos (unlike Google)
• Encryption keys remain yours
• No hidden AI training on your memories

Maintenance Tips

1. Set up Azure Monitor alerts
2. Enable Storage Analytics
3. Review access logs monthly
4. Keep Syncthing updated

Troubleshooting

• Slow sync? Adjust “LAN Rate” in Syncthing settings
• Permission issues? Verify mount UID/GID
• Connection problems? Check Azure NSG rules

Final Thoughts
While Rsync remains superior for scheduled, bandwidth-controlled backups, Syncthing offers a compelling alternative for real-time synchronization scenarios. By combining it with Azure Files, you create a powerful, cloud-backed synchronization solution that complements traditional backup methods.

This setup gives you:

• Complete control over your media
• Enterprise-grade reliability
• True privacy for personal memories

Remember that this isn’t an either/or choice – many users successfully employ both Rsync and Syncthing for different aspects of their backup and synchronization strategy.

Next Steps

1. Start with 100GB test collection
2. Migrate existing photos gradually
3. Set up Azure Backup for redundancy

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