move-files

A CLI that watches a folder and automatically moves incoming files to destination folders based on their extension. Works on macOS, Linux, and Windows.

Useful with Syncthing or LocalSend to auto-move files received from your phone.

Install

macOS / Linux

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jensrot/move-files/main/install.sh | bash

If move-files is not found after install, add this to your ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc:

export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Windows (PowerShell)

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jensrot/move-files/main/install.ps1 -OutFile install.ps1
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File install.ps1

Requires Python 3.10+. Both installers create an isolated virtual environment — no sudo or admin rights needed.

Usage

move-files                   # interactive menu
move-files --dry-run         # preview what would be moved
move-files sync              # move all files in the input folder once
move-files watch             # auto-move files as they arrive
move-files watch -i <dir>    # watch a specific folder
move-files return            # move files back to the input folder

Routing rules

Edit INPUT_FOLDER, OUTPUT_FOLDERS, and FALLBACK_FOLDER at the top of move-files.py to change where file types go:

INPUT_FOLDER = "~/Downloads/phone"

OUTPUT_FOLDERS = {
    ".jpg":  "~/Pictures/phone",
    ".jpeg": "~/Pictures/phone",
    ".png":  "~/Pictures/phone",
    ".gif":  "~/Pictures/phone",
    ".heic": "~/Pictures/phone",
    ".mp4":  "~/Movies/phone",
    ".mov":  "~/Movies/phone",
    ".pdf":  "~/Documents/phone",
    ".txt":  "~/notes_phone",
}

FALLBACK_FOLDER = "~/Downloads/moved"

Getting files from your phone

Syncthing (recommended — fully automatic)

Install Syncthing on your computer:

Platform	Command
macOS	brew install syncthing && brew services start syncthing
Linux	sudo apt install syncthing && syncthing &
Windows	Download from syncthing.net and run

Then:

1. Open http://127.0.0.1:8384 and install Syncthing on Android (Play Store)
2. Link devices and share a folder from Android to ~/Downloads/phone
3. Run move-files watch -i ~/Downloads/phone

Files sync automatically over WiFi — no manual steps after setup.

LocalSend (manual send each time)

Install LocalSend on your computer:

Platform	Command
macOS	brew install --cask localsend
Linux	Download the .AppImage from localsend.org
Windows	winget install localsend.localsend

Then:

1. Install LocalSend on Android (Play Store)
2. Both devices on the same WiFi, both apps open
3. Share any file → LocalSend → pick your computer
4. Run move-files to move what arrived

Development

pip install -r requirements-dev.txt
pytest tests/ -v

Requirements

• macOS, Linux, or Windows
• Python 3.10+
• click (installed automatically)