---
id: delta-drive.what-is-a-synced-folder-in-delta-drive
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/delta-drive/what-is-a-synced-folder-in-delta-drive
category: "Delta Drive, Delta Trust & My Drive"
subcategory: "Linked folders and copies"
question: "What is a synced folder in Delta Drive, and how is it different from a linked folder?"
alt_questions:
  - "Two-way sync a Mac folder with Delta Drive"
  - "Sync a folder both ways"
  - "Keep a folder the same on my Mac and Delta Drive"
  - "Mac to Drive or Drive to Mac sync"
  - "How do I stop syncing a folder?"
  - "Can I keep a folder on my Mac in sync with my drive?"
  - "Will a synced folder delete my files?"
  - "What happens if a file changed on both sides of a sync?"
  - "Does folder syncing drain my battery?"
short_answer: "A synced folder keeps a folder on your Mac and one in your drive the same — Both ways, Mac → Drive or Drive → Mac. Anything a sync removes goes to a Trash, never erased. When both sides changed a file, Newer wins by default, or choose Keep both."
tags: ["sync", "synced folders", "linked folders", "two-way sync"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/delta-drive/how-do-i-link-a-folder-on-my-mac-to-delta-drive", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/delta-drive/if-i-delete-a-file-on-my-mac-is-it-deleted-from-delta-drive"]
applies_to: "all"
wiki: https://storagestudio.us/wiki/synced-folders
last_reviewed: 2026-10-29
---

# What is a synced folder in Delta Drive, and how is it different from a linked folder?

A synced folder lives on your Mac *and* in your drive, and a change on either side — a new file, an edit, a deletion — is made on the other side too. A linked folder only ever copies from your Mac to the drive and never deletes anything there.

1. Open the folder in Delta Drive where you want it, and choose **Add ▸ Sync a folder…**.
2. Pick the Mac folder, check its name in the drive, and choose **Both ways** (recommended), **Mac → Drive** or **Drive → Mac**.
3. Choose **Start syncing**.

Nothing a sync removes is erased: it goes to your Mac's Trash or the drive's Trash. When both sides changed a file, **Newer wins** by default, or choose **Keep both**. **Stop syncing…** deletes nothing.

It's light on your Mac: it waits until you stop changing files and holds off while your Mac is busy, hot, on low battery or on a metered connection. **Sync now** always runs.

See [why a sync stopped to ask](https://storagestudio.us/faq/delta-drive/why-did-my-synced-folder-stop-and-ask).