Out of sync error: .thumbnails

zinc · October 24, 2025, 12:01pm

Syncing a music folder form mac to mobile.

On macOS the folder shows as Up to date while Remote Device shows `Out of sync items: 2`.

When looking at folder in question on laptop (show hidden files enabled) neither can be found. Since Mod Device: laptop maybe they are on mobile only. But looking at the folder on mobile also does not show those files.

Mobile shows option to Revert local changes but tapping that does not resolve the issue. It keeps showing as `Out of sync`.

Is there a way to get this resolved?

mraneri · October 24, 2025, 1:27pm

Add them to the ignore file on the phone?

I presume those folders are useless on all other devices.

zinc · October 24, 2025, 1:31pm

But looking at the folder on mobile also does not show those files.

Is that possible for files I do not see? Ideally I’d like to resolve the conflict for good.

Paused the folder and created a new folder with the same content. But accepting the invite on mobile leads to hangs (Syncthing-Fork isn’t responding). It is then closing due to internal error:

java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method ‘boolean java.lang.String.equals(java.lang.Object)’ on a null object reference at com.nutomic.syncthingandroid.util.FileUtils.safCreateDirectory(FileUtils.java:998) at com.nutomic.syncthingandroid.activities.FolderActivity.preCreateFolderStruct(FolderActivity.java:967) at com.nutomic.syncthingandroid.activities.FolderActivity.onSave(FolderActivity.java:864) at com.nutomic.syncthingandroid.activities.FolderActivity.onOptionsItemSelected(FolderActivity.java:620) at android.app.Activity.onMenuItemSelected(Activity.java:4831) at androidx.activity.ComponentActivity.onMenuItemSelected(ComponentActivity.kt:461) at androidx.fragment.app.FragmentActivity.onMenuItemSelected(FragmentActivity.java:264) at androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity.onMenuItemSelected(AppCompatActivity.java:269) at androidx.appcompat.view.WindowCallbackWrapper.onMenuItemSelected(WindowCallbackWrapper.java:109) at androidx.appcompat.app.ToolbarActionBar$2.onMenuItemClick(ToolbarActionBar.java:66) at androidx.appcompat.widget.Toolbar$1.onMenuItemClick(Toolbar.java:224) at androidx.appcompat.widget.ActionMenuView$MenuBuilderCallback.onMenuItemSelected(ActionMenuView.java:769) at androidx.appcompat.view.menu.MenuBuilder.dispatchMenuItemSelected(MenuBuilder.java:833) at androidx.appcompat.view.menu.MenuItemImpl.invoke(MenuItemImpl.java:157) at androidx.appcompat.view.menu.MenuBuilder.performItemAction(MenuBuilder.java:984) at androidx.appcompat.view.menu.MenuBuilder.performItemAction(MenuBuilder.java:974) at androidx.appcompat.widget.ActionMenuView.invokeItem(ActionMenuView.java:620) at androidx.appcompat.view.menu.ActionMenuItemView.onClick(ActionMenuItemView.java:155) at android.view.View.performClick(View.java:8207) at android.view.View.performClickInternal(View.java:8180) at android.view.View.-$$Nest$mperformClickInternal(Unknown Source:0) at android.view.View$PerformClick.run(View.java:32749) at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:959) at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:100) at android.os.Looper.loopOnce(Looper.java:249) at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:337) at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:9410) at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method) at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(RuntimeInit.java:614) at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:1005)

Unsure how to proceed.

mraneri · October 24, 2025, 1:55pm

They are coming from somewhere. It’s possible they are hidden from view but still there and syncthing is seeing them.

what happens if you add them to the ignore file?

The phone is send only?

zinc · October 24, 2025, 2:46pm

macOS client: 1.30.0-1 (send only) Syncthing-fork Android: 2.0.10-1 (receive only)

Sync finished with the newly setup folder. Situation now is:

syncthing-fork android says: up-to Date syncthing macOS says: Out of sync

Not sure where those three files are located. How would I exclude them? Found Ignoring Files — Syncthing documentation

So I’d add

/.stfolder.removed-20251024-154404 /.thumbnails /.nomedia

To the Ingore Patternsin syncthing on macOS? I still find this suprising as this was previously not needed while syncing to old mobile.

zinc · October 24, 2025, 3:03pm

Funny I selected “override changes” on laptop. Now laptop shows as “up to date” and syncthing-fork android shows as “out of sync” with 1 file .thumbnails

This is webGUI on android with the file detail it is complaining about:

Fossify files, with show hidden files enabled, does not show this directory or file.

tomasz86 · October 24, 2025, 3:38pm

Can you check with another file manager (e.g. Material Files) or using ADB (if you’re proficient with terminal commands)? If Syncthing says that the folder is there, then I’d assume that it likely is.

zinc · October 24, 2025, 3:51pm

Material Files indeed showed the hidding file. Odd that Fossify Files failed to do so, but that’s for another discussion.

Removed that folder and we’re good. Thanks so much for your patience and help.