Android: Auto Upload detecting deleted pictures

[arjunsarin]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

I was using Google Photos for the last few years. Now, coming to Nextcloud, I miss the chance to sort photos out after they have been taken. Photos are immediately uploaded but usually I review them a few hours later. Only the best photos should remain in the cloud. Bad photos locally deleted should also be deleted online.

Describe the solution you'd like

Photos taken are automatically upload but when I delete some of them a few hours later, they are deleted in the cloud as well. I wan't to review the locally stored photos so that I can check them even without Internet connection.

Describe alternatives you've considered

It is possible to browse the photos within the NextCloud App (via Photos). This, however, requires a stable and fast internet connection. This is not sufficient for me.

Additional context

Keep in mind that it still has to be possible to delete old photos locally from the phone to free up space. In this case, of course, all photos have to stay in the cloud.

Google solves that by providing an app for managing photos on the phone. Pictures can be view locally and deleted in this app. Deleted pictures are also deleted on Google Photos online. In addition, there is a function called "Free phone space" which suggests to delete all photos already uploaded.

Feature was also discussed in the forum: https://help.nextcloud.com/t/how-does-sync-in-mobile-app-works-with-removing-files/22959/6

[AndyScherzinger]

cc @tobiasKaminsky @nextcloud/designers @jancborchardt for feedback

[cieska]

me too, regarding googles photos functionality.

[arjunsarin]

Meanwhile I found another solution for syncing photos:

People with similiar needs should checkout SyncThing. Peer-to-Peer synchronization. Totally different approach but it fits my personal needs and I stopped using NextCloud for photos.

However, NextCloud still is a great project and great platform. So I would definitely appreciate to see this feature someday.

[ma12-co]

I think it would be a very nice feature to have as an opt in option, what do you think @jancborchardt?

[jancborchardt]

Totally agree, yep. This is one big reason why I actually do not use Automatic upload. This of course creates another issue because then you need to manually upload every once in a while, which is not nice either.

So it would definitely be nice, but is it doable or technically feasible @AndyScherzinger @tobiasKaminsky?

[AndyScherzinger]

So it would definitely be nice, but is it doable or technically feasible @AndyScherzinger @tobiasKaminsky?

TL;DR: There would be ways to implement this but it would be quite the effort

---

There are two scenarios mentioned above: "manual deletions to be synced to server" (read: local deletion=>server-side deletion), "free up some space" (read: make sure files are available server-side then delete them locally).

Issues I think of:

• a manual mass deletion would lead to a mass deletion on the server so people already using the app likely won't expect this (and will loose their data; I am aware of the trashbin...) -> this would be handled via the "opt-in" character of the feature of course (still one might forget about it, like "usb connection, delete all photos...")
• We don't have a Nextcloud Photos app as-in any actions on images are handled through our app (if you delete stuff outside Google's photo app, they don't care, neither should we).

So in order to implement this we would need to:

• Extend the Auto Upload view(s) to browse all local images and visually show if available on server
• Add deletion action within such a view (might have issues with file permission, so this might not work or break based on (future) Android version(s)
• have a sync mechanism to even know which files have been uploaded already (we don't store this info yet and also don't have a check/compare mechanism as of today)

[ma12-co]

Sounds good, looking forward to see all this awesome photo goodness moved to a nextcloud photos android app :)

:bomb:

[tobiasKaminsky]

I think this is totally out of scope of the app.

Let us transfer this idea to Desktop:

• you have your image colletion in /home/user/tobi/images
• you add two images there
• Desktop client should detect this, upload it and then remove it, if you delete it there?
• in fact Desktop client is doing a total "stupid" 2 way sync of any file within its folder, but does not tamper at all with any file outside it

So to transfer it back, I would suggest this

• upload images via auto upload & move file inside NC folder
• have a real 2 way sync (we do not have right now)
• delete any file you wish -> gets also deleted on server

[AndyScherzinger]

I think this is totally out of scope of the app.

I think it depends on the solution. We can't sync deletions because this is impossible in my opinion since the app can never "know" why a user deleted an image (like to free space on the phone).
So the way to properly detect a deletion (like you stated @tobiasKaminsky) is when such a deletion is triggered within the Nc app since we could then just ask the user what to do (delete local, remote, both; this is also how the Amazon app behaves). This would either have to be done like mentioned by @tobiasKaminsky _or_ we would have to implement browsing within the Auto Upload screen for each of these folders, implement multi-selection and a delete action that asks which version to be deleted (local/server/both). This would mean we need to store (for performance reasons, sync-check just takes too long) which file we already uploaded and indicate this (like done in Google Photos which indicated files that haven't been uploaded yet).
So the later solution is quite the effort I am afraid so unlikely to happen any time soon except if someone would be willing to implement this (I'd like to but don't have the time)

[ben-utzer]

We can't sync deletions because this is impossible in my opinion since the app can never "know" why a user deleted an image (like to free space on the phone).

Why not just offer a two way sync? I don't get why this is taken so complicated, there is many cases where two way sync is useful and Nextcloud Android app is the first cloud storage app I ran into that does not offer this function.
I read rumors that there was a two way sync in the early times, I guess that is a false info.

What we need is the following functions autoupload (upload only or send only), two way sync (real sync including deletions) and download (again only download from the server but all changes in the future too).
That is precisely what a user would expect, what existing functions can be migrated to and what other cloud storage services offer since 2010 or so.

[wis775]

As a user, I would expect a two way sync of auto uploaded files.

I‘ve set up the auto-upload feature, to have easy access to the photos of my mobile from my pc.

So, lets tell a short story.

On a trip, I take some photos with my mobile. After returning home, the auto-upload feature uploads the photos into the cloud and moves them into the app folder. On the next day, I have a look at the photos on my moblie (lets say with Samsung Gallery) and delete the „not-to-keep“ ones.

I would expect, that the deleted photos are also deleted in the cloud. Why I should delete my photos twice?

Why I use Samsung Gallery App and not the Nextcloud Client to show/delete photos: Because it’s integrated into the operating system, it can cast the photos to Chromecast and have the better usability.

[ben-utzer]

As a user, I would expect a two way sync of auto uploaded files.

I can understand that and agree fully to what you wrote.
Yesterday someone pointed out that I misunderstand the nextcloud client for Android, it is just a app you can use instead of the web interface, it is not a sync, download or upload client.
So I wonder if that is right, if so there should be a separate sync client.

[weiss]

So, lets tell a short story.

I think the problem is pretty much clear. As has been pointed out above, the solution isn't totally obvious; and will either way require some development effort.

FWIW, my personal workaround for your use case is to work with two folders: The DCIM/Camera folder is _not_ auto-uploaded to Nextcloud. I take photos into that folder and check them later on. After deleting the “not-to-keep” pics, I move the remaining photos into a Pictures/Album folder which _is_ then auto-uploaded to Nextcloud. (I.e., the DCIM/Camera folder is like a to-do list—it's empty once I'm done going through my recent photos.)