Welcome to the official Potopopi CamSync configuration guide. This manual provides detailed, step-by-step instructions to connect your digital camera or external SD card reader to your Android device, configure synchronization routes, and maintain seamless background backups.

1. Hardware & USB On-The-Go (OTG) Requirements

For Potopopi CamSync to interface with cameras or external storage directly, your Android device must act as a **USB Host**. This protocol is called **USB On-The-Go (OTG)**.

Hardware Checklist:

• OTG-Capable Android Device: Most modern Android phones and tablets with USB Type-C support this natively.
• Physical Link: A high-quality USB-C to USB-C cable (if your camera uses a Type-C port) or a dedicated USB-C OTG card reader.
• OTG Adapter (if needed): If you use a camera or reader with a traditional USB-A plug, you must use a certified USB-C to USB-A OTG adapter.

2. Direct Camera Connection (USB/MTP)

Potopopi CamSync uses Android's native MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) stack to stream photos and videos directly from digital cameras to your local storage cache.

Step-by-Step Setup:

1. Turn on your camera and open its system menu.
2. Navigate to its USB settings and ensure the USB Connection Mode is set to MTP, PC Remote, or Mass Storage (MTP is highly recommended).
3. Connect the USB cable between your camera's data port and your phone's Type-C port.
4. A system dialog will pop up on Android asking for permission to allow Potopopi CamSync to access the connected device. Grant access, and the app's synchronization dashboard will load your camera's card matrix immediately.

3. SD Card Reader Setup

If you prefer to remove your MicroSD or standard SD card from your camera and sync using a card reader, Potopopi CamSync supports this via Android's Storage Access Framework (SAF).

Step-by-Step Setup:

• Insert your card into the Type-C card reader and plug the reader into your phone.
• Open Potopopi CamSync and navigate to the Destinations tab.
• Choose Local/SD Card, and click Choose Folder.
• In the system file picker, tap the navigation menu (top-left) and select your external SD card volume, then select the target backup directory and tap Allow Access to directory.

4. Configuring Destinations

Configure multiple backup nodes to sync your media in parallel. Potopopi CamSync handles public and self-hosted destinations concurrently.

A. Google Drive (Direct REST Engine)

Our Google Drive connector runs directly on secure REST endpoint queries, avoiding heavy client SDK overheads:

• Click Connect Google Drive and authorize via the secure Google OAuth2 flow.
• All authorization keys and refresh tokens are encrypted locally inside Android's secure EncryptedSharedPreferences storage.
• Limited Scope Protection: The app relies strictly on the drive.file scope, meaning it can only read, write, and see folders and assets that were directly created by Potopopi CamSync. It has zero access to the rest of your Drive.

B. Immich Integration

Back up directly to your personal Immich server:

• Enter your self-hosted Immich instance domain (e.g., https://immich.yourdomain.com).
• Enter your personal **API Key** generated in the Immich User Settings panel.

C. Nextcloud (WebDAV Sync Engine)

Connect natively to your Nextcloud instance:

• Provide your Nextcloud server URL and your login credentials (using Nextcloud App Passwords is highly recommended for security).
• Large File Optimization: Small files (≤ 10 MB) are synchronized via immediate high-speed single PUT requests. Large RAWs and video chunks are synced via WebDAV Chunked Upload v2 protocols to prevent network timeout issues.

5. Dynamic File Routing Matrix & Cellular Gates

Potopopi CamSync boasts a powerful, Room-backed **Routing Matrix** allowing you to customize exactly where different files land.

A. Image vs. RAW Routing

You can route standard JPEGs to one destination (e.g., Immich for fast gallery browsing) and heavy RAW files (`.ARW`, `.CR3`, `.NEF`, etc.) to another (e.g., Nextcloud or an external local HDD for deep archiving).

• Go to **Settings > File Routing Matrix**.
• Set independent target destinations for Common Media and RAW Assets.
• Metadata Packing: The engine automatically aggregates companion metadata files (`.XMP` sidecars, GoPro `.LRV`/`.THM` files) into the RAW category so they are never separated from their original assets.

B. Per-Provider Cellular Data Gates

Avoid expensive carrier data bills by setting strict network gates:

• You can toggle metered mobile data access independently for each provider.
• Example: Let Immich sync JPEGs instantly over cellular network, while constraining Nextcloud RAW backups to run **only** when your phone connects to Wi-Fi.

6. Background Reliability & Troubleshooting

Android's aggressive system battery savers often restrict active background tasks. Potopopi CamSync integrates deep platform safeguards to ensure reliability.

Keeping Background Processes Alive:

• Foreground Service Privilege: Large transfers run in a dedicated foreground service displaying a persistent progress notification. This alerts the Android OS that active data sync is taking place, preventing it from pausing the service.
• Battery Optimization Waiver: For the most stable experience during large 100GB+ sync projects, we recommend turning off battery optimization for Potopopi CamSync. Go to **Settings > Apps > Potopopi CamSync > Battery > select "Unrestricted"**.