Hello everyone,

I’ve been following open-source developments around Android cloud storage lately, and I wanted to share some thoughts and spark discussion on possible project ideas for this Hack Week.

What I’ve observed:

As Android apps grow more complex, user data (media, caches, backups) is skyrocketing. We need smarter storage management and more transparent controls.

Many existing cloud-storage apps focus on big providers only, but the open-source ecosystem is still catching up with features like efficient differential sync, offline mode, local encrypted caching, and transparent pricing.

User trust is critical: open codebases, clear permissions, and support for self-hosting are becoming more desirable than ever.

Potential idea for a Hack Week project:

I’m thinking of a modular Android client that:

Allows users to connect to major cloud services and self-hosted storage (Nextcloud, S3-compatible, FTP).

Implements a smart sync engine that tracks changes locally and only uploads truly new/changed data (saving bandwidth).

Offers a browser-style UI for managing large backups with previews, encryption toggles, and usage analytics.

Provides a plugin interface for adding additional storage types in the future, making it highly extensible.

Questions for the community:

Has anyone here worked on a similar project? What were your main pain points (UI design, sync engine performance, battery usage, encryption strategy)?

What features do you think are most missing in current Android cloud storage apps?

Would you prefer a solution that focuses purely on mobile, or one that spans desktop + mobile for full cross-platform coverage?

I’d love to collaborate, get ideas rolling, and maybe form a tiny team for Hack Week to build a prototype. Looking forward to your thoughts and suggestions. Description