Rclone CLI Tool - Complete Guide for Termux (2025)

Version: Latest stable (v1.68+)
Platform: Termux (Android)
Official Website: https://rclone.org
GitHub: https://github.com/rclone/rclone
Last Updated: October 2025

What is Rclone?
Basic Setup
Configuration
Essential Daily Commands
Sync & Copy Operations
File Management
Mount Operations
Advanced Features
Useful Flags & Options
Real-World Examples
Troubleshooting

What is Rclone?

Rclone is a command-line program to manage files on cloud storage. It supports over 70+ cloud storage providers including:

Google Drive
Dropbox
OneDrive
Amazon S3
MEGA
pCloud
And many more…

Key Features:

Sync files between local and cloud storage
Mount cloud storage as a local filesystem
Encryption support
Multi-threaded transfers
Bandwidth limiting
Resume interrupted transfers

Basic Setup

Verify Installation

rclone version

Check Available Commands

rclone help

Get Help for Specific Command

rclone help <command>
# Example:
rclone help copy

Configuration

1. Configure a New Remote

rclone config

Interactive Menu:

n - New remote
d - Delete remote
r - Rename remote
c - Copy remote
s - Set configuration password
q - Quit config

2. List Configured Remotes

rclone listremotes

3. Show Config File Location

rclone config file

rclone config create <name> <type> [options]

# Example: Configure Google Drive
rclone config create mydrive drive scope drive

5. Test Remote Connection

rclone about <remote>:

# Example:
rclone about mydrive:

Essential Daily Commands

1. List Files and Directories

List top-level directories

rclone lsd <remote>:

# Example:
rclone lsd mydrive:

List all files recursively

rclone ls <remote>:path

# Example:
rclone ls mydrive:Documents

List with details (size, modification time)

rclone lsl <remote>:path

# Example:
rclone lsl mydrive:Photos

List directories only

rclone lsf <remote>:path --dirs-only

# Example:
rclone lsf mydrive:Backup --dirs-only

List files only

rclone lsf <remote>:path --files-only

2. Check Storage Information

rclone about <remote>:

# Shows: Total space, Used space, Free space
# Example:
rclone about mydrive:

3. Size of Directory

rclone size <remote>:path

# Example:
rclone size mydrive:Documents

4. Check Files (Dry Run)

rclone check source:path dest:path --dry-run

# Example:
rclone check /sdcard/DCIM mydrive:Backup/DCIM --dry-run

Sync & Copy Operations

1. Copy Files (One Direction)

rclone copy source:path dest:path [flags]

# Copy local to cloud
rclone copy /sdcard/Documents mydrive:Backup/Documents

# Copy cloud to local
rclone copy mydrive:Photos /sdcard/Pictures

# Copy between remotes
rclone copy mydrive:Folder1 dropbox:Folder2

Key Features:

Doesn’t delete files from destination
Skips files that haven’t changed
Creates destination if it doesn’t exist

2. Sync Files (Mirror)

rclone sync source:path dest:path [flags]

# Sync local to cloud (DANGEROUS: deletes files in dest not in source)
rclone sync /sdcard/Documents mydrive:Backup/Documents

# Always test with --dry-run first!
rclone sync /sdcard/Documents mydrive:Backup/Documents --dry-run -v

⚠️ WARNING: sync makes destination identical to source (deletes extra files)

3. Bisync (Two-Way Sync) ⭐ NEW in 2024+

rclone bisync source:path dest:path [flags]

# Initial sync (required first time)
rclone bisync /sdcard/Documents mydrive:Documents --resync

# Regular bisync
rclone bisync /sdcard/Documents mydrive:Documents

# With conflict resolution
rclone bisync /sdcard/Documents mydrive:Documents --conflict-resolve newer

Conflict Resolution Options:

none - Keep both files
newer - Keep newer file
older - Keep older file
larger - Keep larger file
smaller - Keep smaller file

4. Move Files

rclone move source:path dest:path [flags]

# Move local to cloud
rclone move /sdcard/OldFiles mydrive:Archive

# Move between cloud providers
rclone move mydrive:Folder dropbox:Folder

5. Deduplicate Files

rclone dedupe [mode] remote:path

# Modes: interactive, first, newest, oldest, largest, smallest, rename

# Example: Keep newest, delete duplicates
rclone dedupe newest mydrive:Photos

File Management

1. Create Directory

rclone mkdir remote:path

# Example:
rclone mkdir mydrive:NewFolder

2. Delete Directory

rclone rmdir remote:path

# Example (only if empty):
rclone rmdir mydrive:OldFolder

3. Delete Files

# Delete a single file
rclone delete remote:path/file.txt

# Delete all files in a directory (keeps directory structure)
rclone delete remote:path

# Example:
rclone delete mydrive:TempFiles

4. Purge Directory (Delete Everything)

rclone purge remote:path

# Example (DANGEROUS - deletes directory and all contents):
rclone purge mydrive:OldBackup

5. Copy Single File

rclone copyto source:path/file.txt dest:path/file.txt

# Example:
rclone copyto /sdcard/photo.jpg mydrive:Photos/vacation.jpg

6. Move Single File

rclone moveto source:path/file.txt dest:path/newname.txt

# Example:
rclone moveto /sdcard/old.pdf mydrive:Documents/new.pdf

7. Cat (Display File Contents)

rclone cat remote:path/file.txt

# Example:
rclone cat mydrive:Documents/notes.txt

8. Copy URL to Remote

rclone copyurl https://example.com/file.zip remote:path/

# Example:
rclone copyurl https://example.com/data.zip mydrive:Downloads/

Mount Operations

1. Mount Cloud Storage

rclone mount remote:path /local/mount/point [flags]

# Example:
mkdir -p ~/cloud
rclone mount mydrive: ~/cloud --vfs-cache-mode writes

# Mount in background
rclone mount mydrive: ~/cloud --daemon --vfs-cache-mode full

2. Unmount

fusermount -u /local/mount/point

# Example:
fusermount -u ~/cloud

3. Mount with Better Performance (Termux)

rclone mount mydrive: ~/cloud \
  --vfs-cache-mode full \
  --vfs-cache-max-size 1G \
  --vfs-cache-max-age 24h \
  --buffer-size 64M \
  --dir-cache-time 72h \
  --daemon

4. Check Mount Status

# List mounted filesystems
df -h | grep rclone

# Or
mount | grep rclone

Advanced Features

1. Serve Cloud Storage via HTTP

rclone serve http remote:path --addr :8080

# Example with authentication:
rclone serve http mydrive: --addr :8080 --user admin --pass mypassword

# Access at: http://localhost:8080

2. Serve via WebDAV

rclone serve webdav remote:path --addr :8081

# Example:
rclone serve webdav mydrive: --addr :8081

3. Serve via FTP

rclone serve ftp remote:path --addr :2121

# Example:
rclone serve ftp mydrive: --addr :2121 --user ftpuser --pass ftppass

4. Crypt (Encrypted Remote)

# First, create a crypt remote through config
rclone config create mycrypt crypt remote mydrive:encrypted

# Use it like any remote:
rclone copy /sdcard/private mycrypt:
rclone ls mycrypt:

5. Filter Files

# Include only specific files
rclone copy /sdcard/DCIM mydrive:Photos --include "*.jpg"

# Exclude specific files
rclone copy /sdcard/Documents mydrive:Backup --exclude "*.tmp"

# Multiple filters
rclone copy /sdcard/Music mydrive:Music \
  --include "*.mp3" \
  --include "*.flac" \
  --exclude "*/.cache/**"

6. Bandwidth Limiting

# Limit to 1MB/s
rclone copy /sdcard/videos mydrive:Videos --bwlimit 1M

# Limit upload only
rclone sync /sdcard/photos mydrive:Photos --bwlimit 500K

# Time-based limits (slower at night)
rclone copy /sdcard/large mydrive:Backup --bwlimit "08:00,512K 19:00,2M"

7. Progress Monitoring

# Show progress
rclone copy /sdcard/files mydrive:Backup --progress

# Detailed stats
rclone copy /sdcard/files mydrive:Backup --stats 5s --stats-one-line

# JSON output for scripting
rclone copy /sdcard/files mydrive:Backup --stats 1s --stats-one-line-json

8. Resume Interrupted Transfers

# Rclone automatically resumes by default
# Force check all files:
rclone copy /sdcard/files mydrive:Backup --check-first

Useful Flags & Options

Global Flags

Flag	Description	Example
`--dry-run`	Test without making changes	`rclone sync /sdcard mydrive: --dry-run`
`-v` or `--verbose`	Verbose output	`rclone copy /sdcard mydrive: -v`
`-P` or `--progress`	Show progress	`rclone copy /sdcard mydrive: -P`
`--transfers=N`	Number of parallel transfers (default: 4)	`rclone copy /sdcard mydrive: --transfers=8`
`--checkers=N`	Number of checkers (default: 8)	`rclone sync /sdcard mydrive: --checkers=16`
`--bwlimit=BANDWIDTH`	Bandwidth limit	`rclone copy /sdcard mydrive: --bwlimit=1M`
`--exclude=PATTERN`	Exclude files	`rclone copy /sdcard mydrive: --exclude "*.tmp"`
`--include=PATTERN`	Include files	`rclone copy /sdcard mydrive: --include "*.jpg"`
`--min-size=SIZE`	Minimum file size	`rclone copy /sdcard mydrive: --min-size=1M`
`--max-size=SIZE`	Maximum file size	`rclone copy /sdcard mydrive: --max-size=100M`
`--log-file=FILE`	Log to file	`rclone sync /sdcard mydrive: --log-file=sync.log`
`--delete-during`	Delete during transfer	`rclone sync /sdcard mydrive: --delete-during`
`--backup-dir=DIR`	Move deleted files here	`rclone sync /sdcard mydrive: --backup-dir=mydrive:Trash`
`--track-renames`	Track file renames	`rclone sync /sdcard mydrive: --track-renames`

Performance Flags

# Maximum performance
rclone copy /sdcard/files mydrive:Backup \
  --transfers=16 \
  --checkers=16 \
  --buffer-size=64M \
  --drive-chunk-size=64M \
  --use-mmap

# Conservative (low bandwidth/resources)
rclone copy /sdcard/files mydrive:Backup \
  --transfers=2 \
  --checkers=4 \
  --bwlimit=500K

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Daily Photo Backup

#!/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin/bash
# Save as: backup-photos.sh

# Backup DCIM to Google Drive with logging
rclone copy /sdcard/DCIM mydrive:Backup/DCIM \
  --include "*.jpg" \
  --include "*.png" \
  --include "*.mp4" \
  --create-empty-src-dirs \
  --log-file=/sdcard/rclone-backup.log \
  --log-level INFO \
  --stats 1m \
  -P

echo "Backup completed at $(date)" >> /sdcard/rclone-backup.log

Example 2: Sync Documents (Two-Way)

#!/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin/bash
# Save as: sync-docs.sh

# Two-way sync between local and cloud
rclone bisync /sdcard/Documents mydrive:Documents \
  --conflict-resolve newer \
  --verbose \
  --create-empty-src-dirs

# If first time, add --resync flag

Example 3: Encrypted Backup

# First, create encrypted remote:
# rclone config create mycrypt crypt remote mydrive:encrypted

# Backup sensitive files encrypted
rclone copy /sdcard/Private mycrypt:Backup \
  --progress \
  --log-file=/sdcard/encrypted-backup.log

Example 4: Automated Daily Sync with Termux

#!/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin/bash
# Save as: daily-sync.sh
# Schedule with: termux-job-scheduler

DATE=$(date +"%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
LOG="/sdcard/sync-log.txt"

echo "=== Sync started: $DATE ===" >> "$LOG"

# Sync multiple folders
rclone sync /sdcard/Documents mydrive:Backup/Documents \
  --exclude ".git/**" \
  --exclude "*.tmp" \
  --log-level INFO \
  --stats 1m

rclone copy /sdcard/DCIM mydrive:Photos \
  --include "*.{jpg,png,mp4}" \
  --log-level INFO

echo "=== Sync completed: $(date +"%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S") ===" >> "$LOG"

# Send notification
termux-notification -t "Rclone" -c "Backup completed successfully"

Example 5: Download Entire Folder from Cloud

# Download with progress bar
rclone copy mydrive:SharedFolder /sdcard/Downloads/SharedFolder \
  -P \
  --transfers=4

# Or sync to keep up-to-date
rclone sync mydrive:SharedFolder /sdcard/Downloads/SharedFolder \
  --dry-run  # Test first!

Example 6: Move Old Files to Archive

# Move files older than 30 days to archive
rclone move /sdcard/Downloads mydrive:Archive/Downloads \
  --min-age 30d \
  --delete-empty-src-dirs \
  -v

Example 7: Compare Two Locations

# Check differences between local and remote
rclone check /sdcard/Documents mydrive:Backup/Documents \
  --one-way \
  --missing-on-dst missing-files.txt

# Full comparison (both directions)
rclone check /sdcard/Documents mydrive:Backup/Documents

Example 8: Create Public Link (Google Drive)

# First, get file path
rclone lsf mydrive:SharedFiles

# Create public link
rclone link mydrive:SharedFiles/document.pdf

Example 9: Mount Google Drive for File Browsing

# Install termux-auth for better integration
pkg install fuse2

# Create mount point
mkdir -p ~/gdrive

# Mount Google Drive
rclone mount mydrive: ~/gdrive \
  --vfs-cache-mode full \
  --vfs-cache-max-age 24h \
  --vfs-cache-max-size 1G \
  --allow-other \
  --daemon

# Access files
ls ~/gdrive
cd ~/gdrive/Documents

Example 10: Batch Upload with Filter

# Upload only videos larger than 10MB
rclone copy /sdcard/Videos mydrive:Videos \
  --include "*.mp4" \
  --include "*.mkv" \
  --min-size 10M \
  --transfers=4 \
  -P

Troubleshooting

1. Check Configuration

rclone config show

2. Test Connection

rclone ls remote: --max-depth 1

3. Verbose Debugging

rclone copy source dest -vv --log-file=debug.log

4. Clear VFS Cache

rclone rc vfs/forget

5. Check Rclone Status

rclone rc core/stats

6. Common Issues in Termux

Permission Denied:

# Allow storage access
termux-setup-storage

# Check permissions
ls -la /sdcard/

Mount Issues:

# Install required packages
pkg install fuse2 fuse3

# Unmount if stuck
fusermount -uz ~/mountpoint

Out of Memory:

# Reduce transfers and checkers
rclone copy source dest --transfers=2 --checkers=4

7. Reset Configuration

# Backup first
cp ~/.config/rclone/rclone.conf ~/rclone.conf.backup

# Reconfigure
rclone config

Quick Reference Card

# CONFIGURATION
rclone config                    # Configure remotes
rclone listremotes               # List configured remotes
rclone about remote:             # Show storage info

# LISTING
rclone lsd remote:               # List directories
rclone ls remote:path            # List files recursively
rclone lsl remote:path           # List with details
rclone size remote:path          # Show directory size

# COPY & SYNC
rclone copy source: dest:        # Copy files (one-way)
rclone sync source: dest:        # Mirror (DELETES extras)
rclone bisync source: dest:      # Two-way sync
rclone move source: dest:        # Move files

# FILE OPERATIONS
rclone mkdir remote:path         # Create directory
rclone rmdir remote:path         # Remove empty directory
rclone delete remote:path        # Delete files
rclone purge remote:path         # Delete everything
rclone cat remote:path/file      # Display file content

# ADVANCED
rclone mount remote: ~/mount     # Mount as filesystem
rclone serve http remote:        # Serve via HTTP
rclone dedupe newest remote:     # Remove duplicates
rclone check source: dest:       # Compare locations

# USEFUL FLAGS
--dry-run                        # Test without changes
-P, --progress                   # Show progress
-v                               # Verbose output
--transfers=N                    # Parallel transfers
--bwlimit=1M                     # Bandwidth limit
--exclude "*.tmp"                # Exclude pattern

Pro Tips for Termux Users

Storage Access: Always run termux-setup-storage first
Battery: Use termux-wake-lock for long operations
Background: Use nohup or screen for background tasks
Scheduling: Use termux-job-scheduler for automation
Notifications: Use termux-notification to alert completion
Power: Keep device charged during large transfers

Example Background Script

#!/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin/bash
# background-sync.sh

termux-wake-lock

nohup rclone sync /sdcard/Documents mydrive:Backup \
  --log-file=/sdcard/sync.log \
  --stats 5m &

echo "Sync running in background. PID: $!"
echo "Check progress: tail -f /sdcard/sync.log"

Additional Resources

Official Documentation: https://rclone.org/docs/
Command Reference: https://rclone.org/commands/
Forum: https://forum.rclone.org/
GitHub Issues: https://github.com/rclone/rclone/issues
GitHub Discussions: https://github.com/rclone/rclone/discussions

License

This guide is provided as-is for educational purposes. Rclone is licensed under MIT License.

Last Updated: October 2025
Rclone Version: v1.68+
Compatible with: Termux on Android 7.0+

Remember: Always test with --dry-run before performing destructive operations like sync or purge!


---

## Detailed Explanation and Usage

### How to Use This Guide

#### 1. **First Time Setup**

Start by configuring your first remote (e.g., Google Drive):

```bash
rclone config

Follow the interactive prompts:

Choose n for “New remote”
Enter a name (e.g., “mydrive”)
Choose storage type (e.g., “drive” for Google Drive)
Follow authentication steps
Save and exit

2. Basic Operations

Once configured, you can immediately start using these commands:

List your files:

rclone ls mydrive:

Copy photos to cloud:

rclone copy /sdcard/DCIM mydrive:Photos --progress

Download from cloud:

rclone copy mydrive:Documents /sdcard/Documents --progress

3. Understanding Sync vs Copy

COPY - Only adds/updates files, never deletes:

rclone copy /sdcard/Documents mydrive:Backup
# Safe: Original files remain even if removed from source later

SYNC - Makes destination identical to source (DANGEROUS):

rclone sync /sdcard/Documents mydrive:Backup
# DANGER: Deletes files in mydrive:Backup not in /sdcard/Documents

BISYNC - Two-way synchronization (NEW):

rclone bisync /sdcard/Documents mydrive:Backup --resync  # First time
rclone bisync /sdcard/Documents mydrive:Backup           # Subsequent runs
# Safe: Syncs changes both directions with conflict handling

4. Daily Workflow Examples

Morning: Backup photos taken yesterday

rclone copy /sdcard/DCIM mydrive:Photos \
  --max-age 24h \
  --progress

Evening: Sync documents both ways

rclone bisync /sdcard/Documents mydrive:Documents \
  --conflict-resolve newer \
  --verbose

Weekly: Archive old downloads

rclone move /sdcard/Download mydrive:Archive/Downloads \
  --min-age 7d \
  --delete-empty-src-dirs \
  -P

5. Safety Tips

Always test first with --dry-run:

rclone sync /sdcard/Important mydrive:Backup --dry-run -v

Use --backup-dir for safety:

rclone sync /sdcard/Documents mydrive:Documents \
  --backup-dir mydrive:Trash \
  --suffix -backup-$(date +%Y%m%d)

Enable logging:

rclone copy /sdcard/files mydrive:Backup \
  --log-file=/sdcard/rclone.log \
  --log-level INFO

6. Performance Optimization

For fast WiFi:

rclone copy /sdcard/Videos mydrive:Videos \
  --transfers=16 \
  --checkers=16 \
  --buffer-size=64M \
  -P

For slow/metered connection:

rclone copy /sdcard/Videos mydrive:Videos \
  --transfers=2 \
  --bwlimit=500K \
  -P

7. Automation in Termux

Create a backup script (~/backup.sh):

#!/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin/bash

# Acquire wake lock
termux-wake-lock

# Run backup
rclone copy /sdcard/DCIM mydrive:Photos \
  --include "*.{jpg,png,mp4}" \
  --log-file=/sdcard/backup.log \
  -P

# Send notification
termux-notification -t "Backup Complete" -c "Photos backed up successfully"

# Release wake lock
termux-wake-unlock

Make it executable:

chmod +x ~/backup.sh

Run manually or schedule it.

Key Concepts Explained

1. Remote Syntax

remote: = root of remote storage
remote:path/to/folder = specific folder
/sdcard/ = local Android storage

2. Transfer Modes

copy = Add/update only
sync = Make identical (deletes extras)
move = Copy then delete source
bisync = Two-way sync

3. Filtering

--include = Only these files
--exclude = Skip these files
--min-age = Older than X
--max-age = Newer than X
--min-size / --max-size = Size filters

4. VFS Cache Modes (for mounting)

off = No caching (slow but safe)
minimal = Cache file structure only
writes = Cache writes locally first
full = Cache everything (fastest)

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Student - Document Backup

# Daily sync of study materials
rclone bisync ~/storage/documents mydrive:University \
  --conflict-resolve newer \
  --create-empty-src-dirs

Use Case 2: Photographer - Photo Management

# Upload today's photos
rclone copy /sdcard/DCIM mydrive:Photography/2025 \
  --include "*.{jpg,JPG,raw,RAW}" \
  --max-age 24h \
  -P

# Archive photos older than 30 days
rclone move /sdcard/DCIM mydrive:Photography/Archive \
  --min-age 30d \
  --create-empty-src-dirs

Use Case 3: Developer - Code Sync

# Sync git repositories
rclone sync ~/projects mydrive:Backup/Projects \
  --exclude ".git/**" \
  --exclude "node_modules/**" \
  --exclude "*.log" \
  --delete-excluded

Use Case 4: Content Creator - Video Backup

# Upload rendered videos
rclone copy ~/Videos/Rendered mydrive:YouTube/Uploads \
  --include "*.mp4" \
  --min-size 10M \
  --transfers=4 \
  -P

This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to use rclone effectively in Termux as of 2025. The commands and features are based on the latest stable releases and official documentation.

Citations:

Official Documentation: https://rclone.org/docs/
GitHub Repository: https://github.com/rclone/rclone
Command Reference: https://rclone.org/commands/
Filtering Guide: https://rclone.org/filtering/
Bisync Documentation: https://rclone.org/bisync/

Rclone CLI Tool - Complete Guide for Termux (2025)#

Table of Contents#

What is Rclone?#

Basic Setup#

Verify Installation#

Check Available Commands#

Get Help for Specific Command#

Configuration#

1. Configure a New Remote#

2. List Configured Remotes#

3. Show Config File Location#

4. Configure Without Interactive Menu (Headless)#

5. Test Remote Connection#

Essential Daily Commands#

1. List Files and Directories#

List top-level directories#

List all files recursively#

List with details (size, modification time)#

List directories only#

List files only#

2. Check Storage Information#

3. Size of Directory#

4. Check Files (Dry Run)#

Sync & Copy Operations#

1. Copy Files (One Direction)#

2. Sync Files (Mirror)#

3. Bisync (Two-Way Sync) ⭐ NEW in 2024+#

4. Move Files#

5. Deduplicate Files#

File Management#

1. Create Directory#

2. Delete Directory#

3. Delete Files#

4. Purge Directory (Delete Everything)#

5. Copy Single File#

6. Move Single File#

7. Cat (Display File Contents)#

8. Copy URL to Remote#

Mount Operations#

1. Mount Cloud Storage#

2. Unmount#

3. Mount with Better Performance (Termux)#

4. Check Mount Status#

Advanced Features#

1. Serve Cloud Storage via HTTP#

2. Serve via WebDAV#

3. Serve via FTP#

4. Crypt (Encrypted Remote)#

5. Filter Files#

6. Bandwidth Limiting#

7. Progress Monitoring#

8. Resume Interrupted Transfers#

Useful Flags & Options#

Global Flags#

Performance Flags#

Real-World Examples#

Example 1: Daily Photo Backup#

Example 2: Sync Documents (Two-Way)#

Example 3: Encrypted Backup#

Example 4: Automated Daily Sync with Termux#

Example 5: Download Entire Folder from Cloud#

Example 6: Move Old Files to Archive#

Example 7: Compare Two Locations#

Example 8: Create Public Link (Google Drive)#

Example 9: Mount Google Drive for File Browsing#

Example 10: Batch Upload with Filter#

Troubleshooting#

1. Check Configuration#

2. Test Connection#

3. Verbose Debugging#

4. Clear VFS Cache#

5. Check Rclone Status#

6. Common Issues in Termux#

7. Reset Configuration#

Quick Reference Card#

Pro Tips for Termux Users#

Example Background Script#

Additional Resources#

License#

2. Basic Operations#