How to Sync Files to Google Drive, Dropbox & More — From One App
If your files are scattered across Google Drive, Dropbox, and a USB stick in a drawer, you're not disorganized — you're normal. Every cloud service wants to be your only one, so each ships its own app, its own folder, and its own way of doing things. Keeping them straight is the actual problem.
Sync by Miciniti takes a different approach: one app that connects to all of your storage — Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Box, Amazon S3, and local drives including USB storage — and moves files between them with simple, repeatable tasks. It runs on iPhone and iPad, Android, Mac, and Windows. Here's how to set it up, step by step.
How Sync thinks about your files
Three concepts, and you know the whole app. Drives are places files live: cloud services (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, Amazon S3) and local storage (your device's own storage or a USB/external drive). Sources are the local drives that supply the files you want to upload — and receive the files you download. Tasks tie them together: pick one or more sources, pick a target drive, choose an operation, and run it. Set it up once, run it whenever you want.
Step 1: Add your cloud drive
Open Sync and go to the Drives tab, tap Add Drive, and pick your service — say, Google Drive. Sign in to your account when prompted and grant access; Sync connects to your own account, and you're always in control of what it can see. Your drive appears in the list, ready to use. Repeat for Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, or Amazon S3 — as many as you need.
Step 2: Create a task
Go to the Tasks tab and tap New Task. Choose your source — for example, the folder on your phone with the documents you want backed up. Choose your target drive — the Google Drive you just added. Then pick an operation and save.
Step 3: Pick the right operation
This is where Sync earns its keep. Most apps give you one sync behavior; Sync gives you five, so the task does exactly what you intend:
- Backup uploads everything from source to drive — the first full copy of your files to the cloud.
- Backup Sync uploads only files that changed — regular top-ups after the first backup.
- Restore downloads everything from drive to source — recovering files on a new or reset device.
- Restore Sync downloads only files that changed — pulling recent changes down.
- Full Sync makes both sides identical — new files are copied both ways, and deletions are mirrored.
One caution: Full Sync mirrors deletions. If a file is gone on one side, it will be removed from the other. For a safety copy of your files, use Backup or Backup Sync — they only ever add and update.
Step 4: Run it
Tap the task and run. Sync compares, transfers, and reports what moved. Next time, run the same task again — no re-configuring. You can create as many tasks as you like: photos to Google Drive, documents to Dropbox, a full archive to Amazon S3.
Browse everything with the built-in file manager
Sync includes a file manager that works on every connected drive — browse, upload, download, rename, and delete files on Google Drive, S3, or a USB stick from the same screen. No more hopping between four apps to find one file.
What it costs
Sync is free to start: connect any one drive at no cost (ad-supported), so you can try it with your main cloud account before deciding anything. Additional drives and features — more cloud services, USB/external drive support, and the built-in Wi-Fi web server — unlock with a Sync subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase.
Get Sync
Download Sync for iPhone and iPad, Android, Mac, or Windows — and if you're deciding how to structure your first backup, our guide to organizing your files for maximum productivity pairs well with it.
Frequently asked questions
What cloud storage services does Sync support?
Sync connects to Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Box, and Amazon S3, plus local storage: your device's internal storage and USB/external drives.
Is Sync free?
Yes — you can connect any one drive for free (ad-supported). Additional drives and features are unlocked with a Sync subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase.
Can I sync files to more than one cloud service?
Yes. Create a separate task for each destination — for example, one task backing up photos to Google Drive and another archiving documents to Amazon S3. Each task remembers its own sources, target, and operation.
What's the difference between Backup and Full Sync?
Backup only copies files to the target drive — nothing is ever deleted. Full Sync makes both locations identical, which includes mirroring deletions in both directions. Use Backup for safety copies and Full Sync for two locations that should always match.
Can I sync files to a USB drive?
Yes. Sync's External Drive support covers USB and removable drives, so a task can back up to — or restore from — physical storage as easily as a cloud service.
Does Sync run automatically in the background?
Tasks run on demand: open the app, tap the task, and it transfers exactly what the operation calls for. Because tasks are saved, a re-run is two taps.