Android - Configure Syncthing From Another App

Development
1

I’m working on an idea/app to help ‘manage’ Syncthing. Syncthing is very flexible, but this causes a problem where you have to be knowledgeable about Syncthing configuration to get anything done.

My idea is to have an app that works alongside syncthing that automates the configuration for certain workflows. To help get this idea going, I decided to focus on photo syncing. I made a prototype desktop app using electron. This electron app has a simple UI and can configure Syncthign by editing the config files. It also has the ability to run an embedded version of the Syncthing binary incase the user doesn’t have Syncthing already installed.

I am not sure where to start on the Android side. Does anyone know if it is possible for another Android app to ‘talk’ to the Syncthing Android app? From what I can tell, Android apps can’t access another apps files (so it doesn’t look possible to have my app edit Syncthing’s XML config files).

Thanks for the great software!

2

You can use the rest api (when syncthing is running), but the api is protected using an api key, which is set by the wrapper, so not sure you can access that easily.

3

Yea, I noticed the API on Android was locked by default. Is there an easy way for the user to find the key and copy it?

I’m looking at my app right now and can’t find it. Maybe I’m missing something though

4

Not sure, you’d have to go dig in the android source code.

5

The user can see the password on the Web UI and then input it into your app by copy/paste.