SyncGallery / Bulk-change safety thresholds

Stop risky bulk changes before they sync

Automatic sync is useful until one wrong cleanup, wrong folder, or cloud-side mistake is mirrored everywhere. SyncGallery lets each rule pause large deletes and modifications for review before anything moves.

Where automatic sync becomes risky

Phone cleanup becomes cloud cleanup

Your phone is almost full. Android suggests freeing space, or you manually remove a large group of photos after checking that they are already backed up. A strict two-way sync may interpret that as a command to delete the same files from the cloud too, even though the cloud had plenty of space and was supposed to be your safety copy.

A wrong cloud folder becomes the new truth

You connect the wrong cloud folder, rename a directory, or someone with access reorganizes a shared folder. A sync engine that blindly trusts the latest state can pull that mistake down to your phone and make a good local library match a bad cloud state.

Many updates hide one bad overwrite

A batch of modifications may look harmless, but one file inside it can be the wrong version: an older cloud copy, a failed edit, or a renamed duplicate. If the app auto-applies the batch, you only discover the lost version later.

Recovery depends on the service, folder, and timing

Cloud recycle bins are helpful, but they are not a product strategy. Retention rules differ between providers, account types, shared folders, and time limits. SyncGallery's goal is simpler: pause the risky operation before you need recovery.

The pattern is always the same: a small mistake becomes a large synchronized change.

Before: one cleanup can become a cloud-side bulk delete. After: SyncGallery pauses the batch and asks before anything moves. BEFORE Storage almost full Free up space Phone · 124 / 128 GB Cleanup deletes 120 photos sync mirrors the delete Cloud · 200 GB / 1 TB −120 A small cleanup becomes a synchronized bulk delete. AFTER Scan Decide Review Pending Operations 120 deletes · limit 5 · Parked 20240615_142309.jpg Delete on cloud My Images 20240712_091845.jpg Delete on cloud My Images 20240828_173052.jpg Delete on cloud My Images + 117 more items Cancel Ignore Action Execute Pause → Review → Decide
Without a threshold, one cleanup can become a cloud-side delete. With SyncGallery, the run is parked first, so you can review the proposed batch before it changes anything.

How SyncGallery adds a safety gate

Set limits per sync rule

Every rule can have its own safety limits for modifications and deletions in a single run. A family archive can use a strict limit. A temporary working folder can allow more changes. Set the limit to 1 when even a single delete or overwrite should require review.

Rule editor — threshold settings limiting how many files a single run may delete or update before pausing for review.

If the batch is too large, it pauses

When a sync would exceed the rule's limit, SyncGallery does not continue in the background. It parks the proposed operations, marks the rule as needing review, and shows the pending batch in the app. No files are deleted, overwritten, or moved until you approve.

Sync Status card with the awaiting-confirmation alert: tasks have been parked for review instead of running automatically.

Conflicts are never decided silently

If the same file changed differently on both sides, SyncGallery keeps the conflict for review instead of choosing a winner by timestamp. You can keep the device version, keep the cloud version, or keep both.

Review screen showing the parked tasks, all selected, ready for a single approve/ignore decision.

Review the batch at the right level

The review screen is designed for large batches, not only one-by-one decisions. You can:

  • Approve the full batch when the changes are expected
  • Reject or cancel the batch when the plan clearly looks wrong
  • Filter or select by operation type, such as deletes, updates, new files, or conflicts
  • Handle individual files differently when one item needs special care
  • Ignore selected files so this rule will skip them in future syncs

The safest bulk delete is the one that never runs without your approval.

After you review it

Approving one batch does not disable the safety gate. The threshold stays attached to the rule, so the next unusually large delete, update, or conflict batch will pause again. Routine syncs remain automatic; risky syncs ask first.

Give every rule its own safety limit

Install SyncGallery and decide how much each folder is allowed to change before the app must stop and ask.

Get it on Google Play

Frequently asked questions

What happens if a sync exceeds the threshold?

The run pauses and the proposed operations are saved as a pending batch. Nothing is executed until you open the review screen and approve, reject, ignore, or cancel the changes.

Does the threshold protect both directions?

Yes. The threshold is checked against the proposed operation batch, not against only one side. It can stop deletes or modifications that started on the phone, in the cloud, or in a shared folder.

Can different folders have different limits?

Yes. Thresholds belong to individual sync rules. You can use strict limits for irreplaceable photo archives and looser limits for folders where frequent changes are normal.

What is the difference between Cancel and Ignore?

Cancel stops the current pending batch, but the same files may be proposed again on a future scan if the rule still sees the same difference. Ignore excludes selected files from that rule until you restore them from Files excluded from sync.

Can I make SyncGallery ask about every delete?

Yes. Set the deletion threshold to 1 for that rule. Then any proposed delete will pause for review before it is applied.

Screenshots and labels in this page reflect the SyncGallery app at the time of writing. The exact wording of review-screen labels may evolve in future versions.