Provides an 'sshd' server with shell access, rsync and scp/sftp services.

Some documentation can be found on the wiki

Please do NOT request implementing some sort of root access. Such requests will be closed immediately.

Download the latest release: 1.11.0

Warning: when installing on devices with the newest Google updates, this app may be scanned and flagged as fake.

What you can do:

Visit https://keepandroidopen.org/
Log an issue and ask for details; but read the above site FIRST.
Ignore the false positive, and install anyhow.
Read the source code and build the app yourself from the source, and install that.
Feel free to not install/delete the app.

What you should not do:

blame the developer and start wild accusations. All the sources are here, and you can build/verify for yourself every single line.

Services:

Services are provided by:

https://matt.ucc.asn.au/dropbear/dropbear.html
https://rsync.samba.org/
https://github.com/openssh/openssh-portable

The latest release contains:

Dropbear 2025.89
rsync 3.4.1
sftp-server from OpenSSH 10.2p1

Rsync support:

For those who are unclear about how rsync works, a brief and very simple description can be found on wikipedia:

rsync will use SSH to connect as user to remote-host.[14] Once connected,
it will invoke the remote host's rsync and then the two programs will
determine what parts of the local file need to be transferred so that
the remote file matches the local one.

More details can be found on how-rsync-works

To be explicitly clear: there is no rsync daemon started!

User Interface languages:

Available in Chinese, English, French, German and Tamil.

Translations are editable on Weblate

Pull-requests with translations are also welcome.
Contact me by logging an issue if you want to provide translations in another way.
Please log a GitHub issue if you want to be credited by name (instead of github alias) with your help.

Device support:

Standard Android:
- Requires minimal Android 11 (API 30)
- Supported/tested up to Android 16 (API 36).
Android/Google TV
- Not supported on versions 11/12 but might work depending on TV brand/model.
- Supported/tested on the Google TV emulator version 13/14.
- Not tested on actual TV's; all feedback with brand/models welcome!

Android Permissions:

android.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS
android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE
android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_SPECIAL_USE

These are standard permissions required by Android to be able to run sshd as a service. It will allow the service to keep running, while you switch to other apps.

android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED

Another standard permission which is needed to be able to start the service at device boot. You can enable/disable this in the app settings.

android.permission.MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE

You will be requested to grant this permission. It is needed to be able to effectively use the "rsync" and "sftp" commands. Without it, you would only be able to access the app's embedded "files" directory.

As rsync is of course a means to make a private backup/sync of the files on your device, there is a need to give the app special permission to access all files.

This must be (and is) explicitly requested when the app is run, and involves you to open the device settings and manually give this permission. The app can only prompt you for this, and you must do this manually. You can of course deny/ignore this request if accessing the app embedded "files" directory is enough for your needs.

More info on MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE can be found in this Android doc article and in this Google article in the section "All Files Access Permission"

Thanks

Tamil translation: தமிழ்நேரம்
Chinese translation: yzqzss
Inspired by, and uses parts of the native C code from http://www.galexander.org/software/simplesshd/

Sshd4a

Install / Use

README