SyncthingPause: Lightweight Windows Tray Application for Efficient Syncthing Management
Primary Purpose:
SyncthingPause is a lightweight Windows tray application designed to simplify the management of Syncthing with one-click pause and resume functionality.
Key Features:
Middle-click pause/resume for quick access.
Timed pauses (5 minutes, 30 minutes) for temporary syncing suspension.
Per-folder/device control allows selective pausing.
Launches Syncthing hidden without a console window.
Tray icon status indicators provide clear sync state visibility.
Settings GUI for configuration options like public network auto-pause and sound notifications.
Audience & Benefit:
Ideal for Windows users who need straightforward management of their Syncthing syncing operations, SyncthingPause offers an intuitive solution to pause syncing when needed. Installable via winget, it includes additional features such as file conflict detection, crash alerts, and startup configuration options, ensuring efficient bandwidth use and seamless operation.
README
SyncthingPause
Pause Syncthing from your tray. One click. Resume when you're done.
A lightweight Windows tray companion for Syncthing, built with C# (.NET 8 WinForms). Launches Syncthing hidden, shows sync state in the icon, and gives you one-click pause/resume — that's the headline feature; everything else exists to support it.
> Renamed from SyncthingTray (v2.x). v3.0.0 is the same project, refocused around its actual usage pattern (pause when you need bandwidth) and renamed to avoid confusion with Martchus's Syncthing Tray (the well-known Qt cross-platform tray app). Existing v2.x installs continue working; see Migration below.
Screenshots
Tray Menu
Settings
Features
One-click pause/resume via menu, middle-click, or timed pause (5 min, 30 min, until resumed)
Per-folder and per-device pause with partial-pause icon when not everything is paused
Launches Syncthing hidden (no console window)
Tray icon shows running state (sync / partial-pause / pause) with dark-themed context menu
Start, stop, and restart Syncthing from the tray menu
Open the Syncthing Web UI with a double-click
Synced Folders submenu — open any synced folder in Explorer
SyncthingPause.exe — self-contained, no .NET runtime needed (~147 MB)
WinGet
winget install itsnateai.SyncthingPause
WinGet installs stay current automatically — use winget upgrade itsnateai.SyncthingPause. The in-app self-update button detects WinGet installs and points you back at the CLI instead of trying to overwrite the managed binary.
> If you previously installed itsnateai.SyncthingTray, see Migration — the WinGet PackageIdentifier changed with the rename, so winget upgrade won't carry you across versions automatically.
Self-update integrity
Releases publish a SHA256SUMS file alongside the exe. The in-app Update button downloads it, verifies the hash, and fails closed if anything is missing or doesn't match. Unverified updates never land on disk.
Requirements
Windows 10/11
Syncthing — download syncthing-windows-amd64-*.zip and extract syncthing.exe
> Note: This is a lightweight alternative to Martchus's Syncthing Tray (Qt-based, ~80 MB) — that one's the established cross-platform Syncthing tray app with built-in file browser and embedded web view. SyncthingPause focuses on the single thing most users actually open the tray for: pausing Syncthing when you need bandwidth.
Download Syncthing and extract syncthing.exe to the same folder
Run SyncthingPause.exe — Syncthing starts automatically in the background
Right-click the tray icon > Settings to enter your API key
Configuration
Right-click the tray icon and select Settings to configure:
Double-click action — configurable: Open Web UI, Force Rescan, Pause/Resume, or Do Nothing
Middle-click action — configurable: same options as double-click
Run on startup — creates/removes a Windows Startup shortcut
Start browser — open the Web UI when Syncthing launches
Sound notifications — play sounds on device connect/disconnect, file errors, unexpected stop
Auto-pause on public networks — pause syncing on public Wi-Fi
Startup delay — wait N seconds before launching Syncthing
Syncthing path — custom path to syncthing.exe
Web UI URL — custom Syncthing Web UI address
API Key — required for pause/resume, status polling, and graceful shutdown. Find it in the Syncthing Web UI under Actions > Settings > API Key.
Discovery — toggle Global Discovery, Local Discovery, and NAT Traversal
Auto-update — check for Syncthing updates daily
Settings are saved to SyncthingPause.ini in the application directory.
Diagnostics
Diagnostic logging is off by default. To enable it, add DiagnosticLogging=1 to SyncthingPause.ini. When enabled, a rolling log is written to %LOCALAPPDATA%\SyncthingPause\tray.log (1 MB cap, one-generation rotation to .1) — attach this file to any bug report.
Migration from SyncthingTray (v2.x)
SyncthingPause v3.0.0 was previously released as SyncthingTray v2.x. The rename comes with a migration bridge so existing users carry their state forward without manual steps:
Pause state — pause.dat is auto-migrated from %LOCALAPPDATA%\SyncthingTray\ to %LOCALAPPDATA%\SyncthingPause\ on first launch (Copy → verify → delete legacy). The 22-folder paused state from v2.x users survives the upgrade transparently.
Settings — if SyncthingTray.ini is co-located with the new exe, it's one-shot copied to SyncthingPause.ini. The legacy file is preserved for rollback.
Startup shortcut — any SyncthingTray.lnk in your Startup folder is removed on first launch so old and new don't both auto-launch and fight over syncthing.exe.
Running predecessor — any running SyncthingTray.exe in your session is killed at SyncthingPause startup so it releases its pause.dat lock before migration runs.
Manual cleanup after v3.0.0 verifies cleanly
winget uninstall itsnateai.SyncthingTray (the rename predecessor stays in WinGet's manifest registry as a deprecated package; users running winget upgrade are pointed at the new ID)
Delete %LOCALAPPDATA%\SyncthingTray\ once you've confirmed pause state migrated
Uninstall
Right-click the tray icon → Exit
Delete SyncthingPause.exe and SyncthingPause.ini
Delete %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\SyncthingPause.lnk if you enabled "Run on startup"
Delete %LOCALAPPDATA%\SyncthingPause\ (contains the diagnostic log, pause state, and update sentinel)
If installed via WinGet: winget uninstall itsnateai.SyncthingPause
Syncthing itself is separate — uninstall it via whatever method you used to install it.
