L1
Upload only
Uploads new Photos to WebDAV.- Local additions
- Upload
- Remote additions
- No action
- Deletes
- No action
iOS Photos / WebDAV / Albums
Sync albums with rules you can trust
Pair an iOS Photos album with a WebDAV folder, choose L1-L4, and see what Biko will upload, download, skip, or ask you to review before it acts.
- Private by design
- Your server, your data.
- Transparent actions
- Explained before execution.
- Built for Photos
- Original resources when available.
Choose your sync strategy
Four levels, plain behavior
Biko treats sync as a policy decision. Pick how additions and deletes should move between the bound Photos album and the WebDAV folder.
| Level | Upload local additions | Download remote additions | Mirror local deletes to cloud | Mirror cloud deletes to album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L1 Upload only Back up new Photos to WebDAV. | Yes | No | No | No |
| L2 Add both ways Merge additions without deleting. | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| L3 Cloud mirror deletes Local deletes can clean remote files. | Yes | Yes | Review required | No |
| L4 Full mirror deletes Both sides mirror after confirmation. | Yes | Yes | Review required | Review required |
L2
Add both ways
Merges additions without deleting.- Local additions
- Upload
- Remote additions
- Download
- Deletes
- No action
L3
Cloud mirror deletes
Local deletes can clean remote files.- Local additions
- Upload
- Remote additions
- Download
- Local deletes
- Review required
L4
Full mirror deletes
Both sides mirror after confirmation.- Additions
- Both ways
- Local deletes
- Review required
- Remote deletes
- Review required
Destructive actions always require explicit review before execution.
Plan before action
Every sync run explains itself
Biko collects both sides, filters what the album allows, computes a filename-first diff, then queues work only after delete review is settled.
- 23
- Upload
- 4
- Download
- 6
- Skipped
- 2
- Review
-
1
Collect Photos assets
Read bound album resources, preferring original files when Photos exposes them.
-
2
Scan WebDAV folder
List remote files and read server metadata such as type, size, and etag.
-
3
Apply capabilities
Respect server limits for images, RAW, videos, Live Photo packages, and sidecars.
-
4
Apply album filters
Scope sync by media type, date window, size, or filename patterns.
-
5
Diff against syncedSet
Use the last successful checkpoint to distinguish additions from deletions.
-
6
Review deletes
Show exactly what would be deleted. Confirm, cancel, or keep reviewing.
-
7
Execute queue
Upload, download, delete, resume, and cancel through a persistent task queue.
-
8
Save checkpoint
Persist the new syncedSet so future runs know what changed.
You stay in control at every destructive step.
Safety
Skipped is a feature
When Biko cannot prove a sync action is safe, it skips with a clear reason instead of guessing or overwriting.
Conflict skip
Same filename on both sides with different metadata is surfaced, not overwritten.
Duplicate filename skip
Repeated names on one side do not hide or replace the first discovered file.
Unsupported remote type
Files outside the album sync media model stay out of the task plan.
Disabled by capabilities
A WebDAV target can opt out of RAW, videos, sidecars, images, or Live Photo packages.
Filter exclusions
Album filters never turn the other side's same-name file into an accidental delete.
Partial asset delete skip
Multi-resource Photos assets are not partially removed when that could delete too much.
Media
Media-aware by design
Biko keeps modern photo resources in the right format, without pretending every file is a simple JPEG.
Live Photo
Choose still-only upload or a standard .livp package with the paired MOV resource.
RAW & HEIF
Sync original RAW, HEIC, HEIF, and JPEG resources when Photos provides them.
Videos
Video resources sync as original files when the WebDAV target allows them.
Sidecars
AAE and XMP sidecars can upload to WebDAV, while remote sidecars stay out of Photos imports.
Background sync
Background sync stays honest
iOS decides when background processing can run. Biko uses those opportunities, reports what happened, and never auto-confirms delete work in the background.
- Runs opportunistically with network connectivity.
- May be delayed, skipped, or terminated by iOS.
- Never auto-confirms destructive actions.
- Notifies you when a run completes, fails, or needs review.
FAQ
Small print, clearly stated
What is WebDAV and where can I use it?
Biko connects to any WebDAV server you trust, including NAS, Nextcloud, Synology, or other private storage.
Does Biko upload my data to its own cloud?
No. Your data stays on the WebDAV server you configure.
How are files matched?
Biko matches by filename basename. Same-name conflicts are skipped for manual review rather than overwritten.
What happens in L4?
L4 mirrors deletes both ways after explicit review. Remote deletes can remove assets from the bound Photos album.
Can I change the strategy later?
Yes. Changing L1-L4 or major filters resets the checkpoint so the next run applies the new rules cleanly.
Is my data safe?
Biko is read-only until you confirm actions. Destructive operations always require review.