What can go wrong when the plan is hidden
Duplicate explosion
The phone and the cloud may already contain the same photos, but with different names, folders, metadata, or timestamps. A blind sync can fail to recognize them and copy everything again in both directions. A clean 20 GB photo library becomes 40 GB of near-duplicates, and cleanup becomes your problem.
Wrong side wins
If you choose the wrong cloud folder, connect a new account, or hit a permission problem, one side may appear empty. In a two-way sync, an empty side can be interpreted as the latest state. That is how a mistake can turn into a mass delete instead of a backup.
Silent overwrite
You may have edited a photo on the phone while the cloud still keeps the original. A timestamp difference, provider behavior, or migration detail can make the wrong version look newer. Without review, the version you care about can be replaced without a clear warning.
SyncGallery shows the plan first
It scans both sides before changing anything
When you start a new sync rule, SyncGallery reads the selected folder on your Android device and the destination folder in Google Drive or OneDrive. At this stage, it only compares. Nothing is uploaded, downloaded, deleted, or overwritten yet.
It explains every proposed operation
The review screen lists the planned work file by file. You can see whether a photo will be added to cloud, added to device, updated, deleted, or marked as a conflict. When both sides contain a different version of what appears to be the same file, SyncGallery asks you to choose: keep the device version, keep the cloud version, or keep both.
You approve, ignore, or cancel
If the plan looks correct, tap Execute. If some files should never be part of this rule, select them and tap Ignore; SyncGallery adds them to the exclusion list so they are skipped in future syncs too. If the whole plan looks wrong, tap Cancel, adjust the rule, folder, or direction, and scan again. The important point: nothing runs until you approve it.
Scan first. Review the plan. Then sync with confidence.
After the first sync, automation can be safe
Once you approve the first batch, SyncGallery remembers the folder pairing and can run quietly in the background. You are not asked to approve every small routine change. The review comes back when it matters: for conflicts, large deletes, large updates, or other thresholds you configure. The goal is simple: automatic when everything is normal, visible when something could be risky.
Try it before your next big photo sync
Install SyncGallery and review the first sync plan before your photos move anywhere.
Get it on Google PlayFrequently asked questions
Will I see this review every time?
No. The full review is mainly for the first sync of a new rule and for situations that deserve attention later, such as conflicts, bulk deletions, or large batches of changes. Normal background syncs can run automatically.
Can I approve the whole plan at once?
Yes. If the review looks correct, tap Execute and SyncGallery runs the batch. You only need to inspect individual files when you want to exclude something or resolve a conflict differently.
What happens if I ignore the wrong file?
Ignored files are not lost. They are added to the exclusion list for that sync rule. Open Files excluded from sync in settings, restore the file, and it can be included again during a future sync.
Which cloud services support the first-sync review?
The review workflow is designed for SyncGallery cloud rules and currently works with Google Drive and OneDrive. The same idea applies regardless of provider: compare first, show the plan, then run only after approval.
Screenshots and labels on this page reflect the SyncGallery app at the time of writing. The exact wording and layout may evolve in future versions.