# Pho - Self-Hosted Photo Sync — Photos to NAS, No Cloud Needed

> Photo gallery replacement and cloud sync app. (iPhone/iPad app by 渊浩 张.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pho-self-hosted-photo-sync/id6451428709 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [渊浩 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/1698247040)
- Category: Productivity, Photo & Video
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 2.70/5 from 10 App Store ratings · 7 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 46 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2023-07-27
- Data updated: 2026-08-12
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pho-self-hosted-photo-sync/id6451428709/reviews.md

## What is Pho?

Pho is a serverless photo sync and gallery app. It backs up your photos directly to your own network storage — Samba (SMB), WebDAV, NFS or Baidu Netdisk — without routing them through any third-party cloud photo service. No middleman server. No database. No subscription lock-in. The files are entirely yours.

[Your photos, only in your own storage]
Pho never uploads your photos to a third-party server. All photos are stored in your own network storage using a "year/month/day" directory structure, with original filenames preserved. You can access, migrate, or reuse these raw files anytime without Pho — they're ordinary files, not packaged, not locked, not hidden behind a proprietary format. This is the fundamental difference between Pho and every cloud photo service.

[Replace your built-in gallery]
Pho isn't just for sync — it works as your daily gallery. Local and cloud photos appear in a single timeline, with:
· Grouping by date, pinch-to-zoom
· Lazy thumbnail loading — smooth even with tens of thousands of photos
· Full EXIF info
· Live Photo playback
· Native HEIC / HEVC / RAW (DNG) / video support

[Original quality, no compression]
Pho preserves the original quality of your photos and videos — no compression, no re-encoding, no EXIF stripping. Your 4K videos and DNG RAW files stay exactly as they were. Cloud browsing is also original quality — no silent downscaling like some cloud photo services.

[Background auto-sync]
Scheduled sync runs in the background: on iOS, the system schedules it while charging — no need to open the app manually. Wi-Fi-only option avoids cellular data usage. A passive local notification is sent on completion (silent, no screen wake). After the first sync, Pho incrementally compares local and cloud, uploading only new photos.

[AES encryption]
Privacy-conscious? Pho supports AES encryption: photos are encrypted before upload and decrypted before download. Encrypted files use a .aes suffix — even if storage is inspected or leaked, originals cannot be recovered. Encrypted videos stream natively without downloading the whole file. You can always find these encrypted files in your own storage and decrypt them without Pho using the same algorithm and password.

[Supported storage]
· Samba (SMB) — works with NAS, router USB storage, Windows shared folders
· WebDAV — works with self-hosted services, Jianguoyun, Nextcloud, etc.
· NFS — works with Linux / NAS
· Baidu Netdisk — popular in China, OAuth login

Each storage type only needs to be configured once and connects automatically afterwards. Switch or reconfigure anytime.

[Pro features]
· Parallel upload: upload multiple photos at once for faster backups
· Encrypted storage: AES encryption to protect your privacy
· Custom upload filters: filter by file type and date
· Camera-only album: intelligently filter out screenshots and downloads
· Theme color: switch to your preferred theme
· Free up storage: delete synced photos to reclaim phone space

Three plans available: monthly, yearly, and lifetime. Subscriptions can be canceled anytime via App Store subscription management.

[Who it's for]
· Privacy-conscious users who don't want photos hosted by third-party cloud services
· Users with a NAS, router USB storage, self-hosted WebDAV, or Baidu Netdisk
· Users looking to replace the native gallery and manage local + cloud photos in one place
· Users who need local encryption before backup

[About Pho]
Pho is an open-source project with source code publicly available on GitHub. No ads, no tracking, no data collection. Maintained by a single developer, continuously improved based on user feedback. For issues or suggestions, find feedback channels in Settings → About, or contact the developer directly.

Thank you to every user who chose Pho.

Privacy Policy: https://pho.tools/privacy.html
Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

## Key features

- Photo gallery replacement
- Cloud photo synchronization
- SMB, WebDAV, NFS support
- Simple user experience
- View and manage photos

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pho pro - lifetime | $34.99 | one-time |
| Pho Pro - Monthly | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pho Pro - Yearly | $19.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (7 of 7)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pho-self-hosted-photo-sync/id6451428709/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Does nothing even after successful configuration

*2024-08-09, version 1.4.9*

I configured my local NAS using SMB protocol. I was able to successfully browse my folders so login configuration was successful. Then I saved my connection and expected to be able to see all my photos under cloud section of the app and nothing happened. I tried closing the app and relaunching no change. I tried using the menu and click on Zoom in and Zoom out hoping it would trigger loading of photos, nothing happens.

### 5/5 — 无法备份

*2024-06-04, version 1.4.9*

app很好用，操作方式符合原相册。同类中无可替代
1.[bug]ios16备份实况只有缩略图，全屏无法查看，只有缩略图，nas上也无视频。
2.[建议]备份文件夹按月份存放，使用源文件名命名备份。
3.[建议]使用这种方式备份一般不选择公有云，可不必支持网络存储

### 1/5 — 垃圾

*2024-01-12*

就是一个半成品
live photo用webdav上传直接看不了，是灰色的，Play live photo failed:
PlatformException (VideoError, Failed to load video: resource unavailable, null, null)
在其他地方把刚才上传图片下载下来显示的是损坏

左右滑动和放大的操作不跟手，和系统自带的图库相比
视频进度条小，拉不了
不能横屏
不能像iCloud图片一样，先下载一个模糊的缩略图，再下载完了再放高清版本
还说好用的话所有平台都换这软件呢，用不下来，感觉完全不行

### 4/5 — 已购买，使用中碰到几个问题和建议

*2023-11-29, version 1.4.9*

1.自动同步功能缺失
2.上传目录层级选择过少，无法做到按月或者按年
3.软件强行更改照片名称增加前缀，对多软件备份造成困扰
4.Live photo 会对单张照片更名并生成文件夹，造成pc端管理的不便
5. live photo显示上传成功后，云端目录内缺失视频文件，软件端显示为live photo但点开后播放错误

希望作者完善，成为能够替代photo sync的软件

### 5/5 — 看看

*2023-10-01, version 1.4.5*

不知道为什么通过SMB一直连接失败

### 3/5 — 想要替代原生相册的话，最起码要做好浏览功能吧

*2023-09-19, version 1.4.3*

列表页面滑动卡顿（14PM 不存在性能问题吧），点开照片不能下拉返回只能点左上角箭头返回，不像是个想做正经相册的样子

### 1/5 — Literally does not work

*2023-09-08, version 1.4.2*

I tried both a SMB server and a WebDAV server and NEITHER one works. It just gives you an error or refuses to connect. Even though connecting works on my computer… the files app on my iPhone… and literally any other SMB server client app. This app doesn’t work at all.

## Frequently asked questions about Pho

### What is Pho?

Pho is designed to replace your smartphone's native photo gallery and synchronize your photos to cloud storage. It aims to provide a simple and excellent user experience for viewing and managing your photo library.

### Does Pho support syncing with different storage services?

Yes, Pho supports synchronization with various services including SMB, WebDAV, and NFS. This allows for flexible photo management across different platforms and storage solutions.

### What devices is Pho available on?

Pho is available on Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod. This broad compatibility allows users to manage their photos across multiple Apple devices.

### How often is Pho updated?

The latest version, 1.4.9, was released on November 13, 2023. The app was initially released on July 27, 2023, indicating relatively frequent updates.

### What is the age rating for Pho?

Pho has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for a wide range of users, including children.

### What are the user reviews like for Pho?

Pho has a rating of 2.7 stars from 10 ratings. This suggests that while some users may find value in the app, there is room for improvement based on overall user sentiment.

### Does Pho have ads?

No, Pho does not contain advertisements. This provides an uninterrupted experience for users managing their photo library.

### Is Pho free to use?

Pho is free to download and use, with the option for in-app purchases. This freemium model allows users to try the core functionality before committing to any additional features.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.5.0 — 2026-07-27

Pho 1.5

This update continues to polish stability and the sync experience.

— What is Pho —

Pho is a serverless photo sync and gallery app. Your photos are never uploaded to a third-party cloud photo service — they sync directly to your own network storage: Samba, WebDAV, NFS or Baidu Netdisk. No middleman server, no database, no subscription lock-in. The files are entirely yours. Pho can also replace your phone's built-in gallery, unifying local and cloud photos in one timeline.

— Why Pho —

· No server, no database: files stay in your own network storage, auto-organized by year/month/day. You can access the raw files without Pho anytime.
· Original quality: no compression, no re-encoding — original photos, videos and EXIF preserved.
· Background auto-sync: scheduled by the system while charging, no need to open the app. Wi-Fi-only option available.
· Unified local + cloud gallery: one timeline, lazy thumbnails, pinch-to-zoom, EXIF info and Live Photo support.
· AES encryption: encrypt before upload, decrypt before download. Encrypted videos stream natively. Files get a .aes suffix. Protects against inspection and leaks.
· Format support: HEIC / HEVC, RAW (DNG), Live Photo, videos.

— Pro features —

· Parallel upload: upload multiple photos at once for faster backups.
· Encrypted storage: AES encryption to protect your privacy.
· Custom upload filters: filter by type and date so only what you want gets synced.
· Camera-only album: filter out screenshots and downloads for a clean camera roll.
· Theme color: switch the app theme to your taste.
· Free up storage: delete already-synced photos to reclaim phone space.
· Monthly / Yearly / Lifetime — three plans to choose from.

— Who it's for —

· Privacy-conscious users who don't want photos hosted by third-party cloud services
· Users with a NAS, router USB storage, self-hosted WebDAV, or a Baidu Netdisk account
· Users looking to replace the native gallery and manage local + cloud photos in one place
· Users in regions where local encryption before backup is essential

We keep improving based on your feedback. For issues or suggestions, find feedback channels in Settings → About, or email the developer directly.

### 1.4.9 — 2023-11-13

Fix the issue where the unsynchronized list needs to be refreshed every time the app is launched when using the default album.

### 1.4.6 — 2023-10-10

1. support connect smb storage without password
2. optimize cache use
3. add clear cache feature

### 1.4.5 — 2023-09-26

1. Add an "Application Information" page.
2. Support one-click deletion of synchronized photos.
3. Add custom theme color feature.

### 1.4.4 — 2023-09-21

1. Optimize the WebDAV transfer mechanism to reduce transfer failures.
2. No longer refresh all photos after deleting a photo.
3. Keep the screen on during photo synchronization to avoid interruptions due to screen timeout.

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## Related topics

[photo syncer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/photo-syncer) · [photo sync](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/photo-sync) · [daemon sync](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/daemon-sync)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-12.*