Unwanted syncing of all files

[d00r5]

⚠️ Before posting ⚠️

• [x] This is a bug, not a question or an enhancement.
• [x] I've searched for similar issues and didn't find a duplicate.
• [x] I've written a clear and descriptive title for this issue, not just "Bug" or "Crash".
• [x] I agree to follow Nextcloud's Code of Conduct.

Steps to reproduce

1. Sync only certain files
2. Wait several minutes for the app to check updates
3. The entirety of the files get synced
4. Delete locally all files that are wrongly being synced
5. Wait several minutes for the app to check updates
6. The entirety of the files get synced

Expected behaviour

It should not sync files that were not explicitly synced previously

Actual behaviour

It syncs all files every time

Android version

14

Device brand and model

Pixel 7a

Stock or custom OS?

Custom (explain in "additional information")

Nextcloud android app version

3.30.1 RC1

Nextcloud server version

29.0.0

Using a reverse proxy?

I don't know

Android logs

No response

Server error logs

No response

Additional information

GrapheneOS Logs contain personal informations that I don't want to share publicly (file names etc), hence no logs are attached

[joshtrichards]

The entirety of the files get synced

By synced do you mean green icon appears on the files?

What other files are you seeing being synced? Files in other folders? Files in the same folder? etc.

[d00r5]

Yes. I decide to sync (green icon) only two files at the root of my Nextcloud (/Passwords.kdbx and /Notes.md). They are listed in the "on device" tab. But after some time, I see that the app syncs (green icon and listed "on device") the entirety (all files and folders under root /, for example /Documents/id.pdf, /Documents/resume.pdf…). The internal two way sync option in settings lists all files contained in my Nextcloud too and I cannot remove any of them.

If I try to delete locally all these folders, they aren't removed from this list (internal two way sync) and keep being synced.

[d00r5]

#13747 and #13752 may be related as it syncs everything even when no files changed and the entirety of the files

[zeigerpuppy]

Confirming this behaviour... unwanted syncing of all files

• Lineage OS (Oneplus 11 Pro)
• latest Nextcloud Dev installed from F-droid.

[butterfly78]

Here too,

• Android 14 (HyperOS 1.0.5.0) on Xiaomi 11T pro
• latest Nextcloud DEV from F-droid (20241008)
• Nextcloud Server Version 30.0.1 RC1

[robelix]

Here, too

• Android 14 / Lineage-microG on a Motorola edge 30
• Nextcloud Server 29.0.8
• Nextcloud dev 20241008 from F-droid

Updated Nextcloud dev from F-droid yesterday - then it started downloading everything from my Nextcloud. I did never set up any 2-way sync, only auto-upload for pictures and videos. No Idea how to disable sync - the settings -> 2-way-sync opens a long list of files and folder where I can't do anything. Had to disable Wifi and mobile Data to stop it from downloading.

[foss-]

This is a major issue to the point where pulling the update should be considered. Not sure what the policies for blocker bugs are, but this certainly is a good candidate. Since @joshtrichards is involved nextcloud is aware. But I am astonished that no further reaction happened so far. I had to downgrade the android app and this has caused more than a small disruption.

[alxrdn]

This is indeed a very significant disruption: filling up local storage, draining battery, over consuming network bandwidth, over loading server, ...

[develop-Greenant]

Hi @foss- out of interest, which version did you downgrade to? Will have to to the same!

[Q3x7Dvh]

Hi @foss- out of interest, which version did you downgrade to? Will have to to the same!

3.30.0 worked for me.

[foss-]

3.30.0 indeed works. Make sure, if you are using F-Droid, to disable automatic updates. I just got updated to the broken version again 🤦

There is a two week old PR which reads as if it would address this problem. So far review is pending: https://github.com/nextcloud/android/pull/13683

[DerDreschner]

I have the same issue. Downgrading to 3.30.0 solved the issue for me as well.

• Android 13 (Fairphone 4)
• App 3.30.1 directly from repository (via Obtanium, non-gplay-apk)
• Server 30.0.0

[zeigerpuppy]

Thanks for the tip on getting older version @DerDreschner

For anyone who is interested, I had a bit of an interesting time purging all the downloaded files (some of which I don't want on my device). The nextcloud files were not stored in a directory, they are stored in the media storage (which is a referenced object store from what I can work out). Files there can only be deleted by the app which created them (so I had not access after removing nextcloud app).

Anyway, it can be done via USB debugging...

1. enable developer options on phone
2. in developer options, enable USB debugging and Rooted debugging
3. use the adb commands from your connected computer (in my case, Devuan Linux)

get the connected devices

adb devices

get root

adb root

you will need to accept a permission request on the phone

adb shell

you may be asked again for permission

then run this command to clear storage:

pm clear com.android.providers.media.module 

reset the phone after this command and all the files in the media store will be nuked.

! be careful with this, it worked for me but may delete your treasured cat photos - perhaps even in other apps!

[the-voidl]

Same issue - after an upgrade to Nextcloud 3.30.1 it started to download all files from my account.

• LineageOS 21 (Android 14)
• Nextcloud F-Droid 3.30.1

After downgrading to Nextcloud 3.30.0 it seems I can click the three dots on a folder and "stop sync". Though I had to do it for a lot of subfolders.

In 3.30.1 it was not even possible to "stop" syncing any folder in the 3-dot-menu. Also in 3.30.1 I cannot edit the 2-way-sync list in any manner manually. Is that intended?

[solonovamax]

I'm experiencing the same issue. I cannot cancel the sync by any means.

this is a serious issue, as it is attempting to sync nearly a hundred gigs of photos and video for me, and I haven't even been using nextcloud that long. I'm sure there are others who have hundreds of gigs stored in nextcloud.

[BITS-Editor]

Same here, Android 14 stock, v3.30.1 F-Droid

I have uninstalled the app now - which is a pity.

[xlash123]

I can also confirm it was working fine on 3.30.0. I just upgraded to 3.30.1 and discovered this was happenning because my phone got unusually hot. I tried unticking the "Sync" checkbox in details, but even after deleting the files locally, it began to download again. For now, I'll just leave the network permission disabled.

Android 13, /e/OS 2.4.1-t

[licaon-kter]

disabled 3.30.1 in https://gitlab.com/fdroid/fdroiddata/-/commit/1f73fe95c6b6e405d962e0d525aa1fa2f2d4a854 (it will go away in 2 cycle though)

regarding the Dev version, what's its status? is latest 20241012 still faulty?

[Kitt3120]

Pixel 9 Pro XL with GrapheneOS and Nextcloud 3.30.1 through F-Droid. Same problem. I just noticed that I got a bunch of notifications, and now my phone is trying to sync 2 TiB of data.

Downgraded to 3.30.0 and everything is fine again.

[xlash123]

I just installed version 20241016 of dev. I haven't encountered the bug with it. I even forced synced a folder to see if it would trigger it.

I also installed 3.30.1 on a work profile on my phone (to avoid deleting my current install) and set it up. I also haven't had that start downloading everything. Could this be an issue only with client upgrades?

[licaon-kter]

@xlash123 do test upgrades too then :)

[cautious-bread]

Came here after witnessing my phone getting killed by the Nextcloud app. Good lord, I thought someone had exploited something. Half glad it's not just me. Might be thea lst straw regarding Nextcloud for me.

Android 14. GrapheneOS. Pixel 7a. Auto updates via Droid-ify.

[xlash123]

I uninstalled Nextcloud and reinstalled 3.30.0. After signing in, I upgraded to 3.30.1. It's been a few hours now and the bug has not resurfaced.

[jplitza]

My bet for "commit that caused this" is on db3a7d8d1fc40f16bd4b5b334b205c4cd5b2fd38, which would suggest that the problem only occurs when upgrading from 3.29, since the internal sync timestamp then would be null.

[the-voidl]

would suggest that the problem only occurs when upgrading from 3.29

I gave it a try: After already having downgraded to 3.30.0, I installed 3.30.1 from F-Droid once again. -> after 15mins again the (3.30.1) client began to sync everything

[chrostino]

can confirm I encountered the same behaviour upgrading from 3.30.0 to 3.30.1

[mart-ch]

I could fix this issue for me. Android: settings-apps-nextcloud

Delete cache, delete storage. Sign in again -> no auto sync

[gagio]

Same behavior for me: syncing all files and draining my mobile data after update from 3.30.0 to 3.30.1 from fdroid. After deleting 3.30.1 and installing the previous version, everything works fine.

Can the this

"I could fix this issue for me. Android: settings-apps-nextcloud

Delete cache, delete storage. Sign in again -> no auto sync"

be confirmed as working for everyone?

Will there be a bugfix soon?

[anoo2niem]

Same here, after just updating from f-droid to 3.30.1 the app wants to sync 4 tb to my phone...

I'm on GrapheneOS and revoked network acces for now. Is there any way i can downgrade without losing my 'config' in auto-upload?

[ne20002]

Same for me. After update to 3.30.1 the app tried to synchronize everything (more than 800GB). I have not found a way to stop it or any configuration for this. All folders showed up in 2-way-sync settings but also no option to stop it. I had to deinstall the app completely