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zimly allows easy management of your mobile device's backup. It allows you to create flexible configurations for different media collections and document folders on your phone and can target various remote storage options that support the S3 protocol.
The S3 protocol has become the de facto standard for open protocols in cloud storage, much like the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) was in the past.
Many vendors support the S3 protocol, offering a range of services to meet different needs. On this page, we provide tutorials and starter guides for some of the most popular vendors.
AWS S3
ServiceAmazon S3 is the original implementation of the S3 protocol and is a service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS).
- Pay per use
- Low entry costs
- Initially more complex setup
Garage Object Storage
Self-hostedGarage is an open-source, S3-compatible object storage tailored for self-hosting. Used by Nextcloud.
- Open Source
- Used by Nextcloud
Linode Object Storage
ServiceLinode Object Storage is an S3-compatible service by Akamai. It's very easy to get set up and started.
- Easy setup
- Pay per use, but starts at 250GB
Minio
Self-hosted, ServiceMinio is an open-source, S3-compatible object store.
- Open Source
- Scalable
- Web view for your media
FAQ
Can I use a self-signed certificate?
Yes. Zimly supports self-signed certificates by trusting user-provided Certificate Authorities (CAs).
However, it is generally recommended to use certificates issued by a trusted authority, such as Let's Encrypt.
What happens when files are deleted locally?
Zimly does not delete files from your remote S3 bucket. If you remove files locally that were already synced, they will remain intact on the remote bucket.
What if a file with the same name already exists on S3?
Zimly uses a filename-based synchronization method. If a file with the same name already exists in the remote bucket, it will not be uploaded again—regardless of whether the file contents have changed.
This means Zimly does not perform content-based conflict resolution (e.g. via hashing).
What happens if a file transfer is interrupted?
Zimly includes automatic retry functionality for interrupted or unstable network connections.
However, if a transfer fails permanently, Zimly does not detect or clean up incomplete uploads. The integrity of incomplete files must be handled by your S3 provider’s configuration (e.g. multipart upload cleanup or versioning).