SleepSync 1.1.0 helps reduce standby battery drain on Android handhelds
SleepSync 1.1.0 is a small Android app that pauses Syncthing-Fork when your handheld’s screen turns off. When you wake it, SleepSync lets Syncthing resume according to its normal sync settings. Simple as that.
Useful if you sync saves between devices but you keep losing battery while your handheld sits idle. The developer reports overnight drain dropping from around 14% to 2% on an AYN Thor (your results will vary). The app has also been tested on the Retroid Pocket Classic.
Version 1.1.0 adds support for current, legacy and debug Syncthing-Fork builds. If you have several installed, you can choose which one SleepSync controls.
Setup is simple: enable Service Control by Broadcast in Syncthing-Fork’s Settings → Behaviour, install the APK and tap Enable SleepSync. Older Syncthing-Fork builds may keep that setting under Experimental.
SleepSync requires Android 6.0 or newer and has no internet permission. One small caveat: removing it from recent apps can stop its background service on some devices, so leave it using Home or Finish setup.
The developer has also released SleepManager, which expands the idea to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Tailscale and sleep battery stats, with configurable delays and conditions. They now use it instead of SleepSync in their own setup, though SleepSync remains the simpler option if you only need Syncthing control. SleepManager APKs are available on GitHub.
Just in case
For those who don’t know, Syncthing keeps folders synchronized between your devices without relying on cloud storage. For handheld gaming, that means syncing saves, save states and other files between your PC, NAS and Android handhelds, so you can pick up where you left off on another device (as long as the games or emulators use compatible saves). And Syncthing-Fork is a community maintained Android app for Syncthing, with controls for when syncing runs, such as Wi-Fi and charging conditions.