Question 1

Do I need a Syncophant account?

Accepted Answer

No. There is no Syncophant server. Each device talks straight to the storage you configured, using credentials you supply, and those credentials stay in the platform keychain.

Question 2

What happens when I edit the same file in two places?

Accepted Answer

In two-way mode Syncophant keeps both versions. Your copy is renamed with the device name and date, the other keeps its name, and the pair waits in a review queue until you choose Keep mine, Keep theirs, or Keep both.

Question 3

Can it delete my files?

Accepted Answer

It can, because mirroring a deletion is the point of push and pull. A run that would remove 10 or more files and more than a quarter of the destination stops and asks first, and every run can be previewed before it applies anything.

Question 4

Does background sync work on a phone?

Accepted Answer

Partly, and the app says so. Android runs background work at most every 15 minutes and delays it to save battery. iOS decides on its own schedule and may skip days. Both also sync whenever you open the app, which is the only timing either can promise.

Question 5

Is my data encrypted?

Accepted Answer

Transport uses whatever your storage speaks, normally HTTPS or SSH. Files are stored as plain files so the remote stays browsable and you are not locked in. There is no client-side encryption yet.

Question 6

Why does my system warn that the app is unsigned?

Accepted Answer

Supported macOS and Windows commercial desktop releases are signed. Beta and dry-run artifacts may be unsigned, but are not advertised as supported. Every release ships a SHA256SUMS.txt you can check against the download.

Third-party notices.