Where Does GSConnect Store Pairings and Cache?
GSConnect keeps device settings in dconf, certificates in .config gsconnect and per-device cache in .cache gsconnect on Linux.
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GSConnect splits state three ways. Live settings sit in dconf under the Shell extensions tree with per-device branches. Identity lives as certificate files in .config gsconnect. Disposable per-device cache fills .cache gsconnect with contacts and plugin data.
Backups need the first two and can skip the third. Pairing breaks most often at the firewall rather than in any folder, with the discovery port range closed by default on strict setups. The extension directory itself holds code, never state, so leave it out of archives.
Where GSConnect stores this, by platform
~/.config/gsconnect
Certificates and private keys identifying this machine, including certificate.pem. Losing this folder forces fresh pairing with every phone. Keep it with the dconf dump for a working restore.
~/.cache/gsconnect
Per-device cache with contacts.json and plugin payloads under device ID folders. Safe to delete when troubleshooting discovery, with plugins disabled first since live data also sits in memory.
/org/gnome/shell/extensions/gsconnect
Live settings tree with per-device branches for plugins and pairing state. Dump for backups and reset per device when stale entries block discovery. Extension code lives separately under local share and holds no state.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up GSConnect pairings?
Archive ~/.config/gsconnect with its certificate files plus a dconf dump of the extensions tree. The certificates identify your machine to paired phones, so losing them forces re-pairing. Cache under ~/.cache/gsconnect rebuilds and can stay behind.
My phone never appears in GSConnect. What treats that?
Open ports 1714 through 1764 for TCP and UDP in the firewall. Discovery and transfer both need that range, and a silent firewall is the top cause of phones never appearing in settings. KDE Connect on the same machine also fights over the ports, so stop it first.
Is GSConnect the same as KDE Connect?
They are different implementations sharing a protocol. GSConnect is the GNOME Shell extension with dconf plus config and cache folders, while KDE Connect is the desktop app with its own pairing store. Kill stray kdeconnect daemons when running GSConnect to free the ports.
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