diff --git a/qt/aqt/main.py b/qt/aqt/main.py
index 0e5dc111d..69a0f5158 100644
--- a/qt/aqt/main.py
+++ b/qt/aqt/main.py
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ class AnkiQt(QMainWindow):
         self.setupSignals()
         self.setupAutoUpdate()
         self.setupHooks()
-        self.setupRefreshTimer()
+        self.setup_timers()
         self.updateTitleBar()
         # screens
         self.setupDeckBrowser()
@@ -1170,12 +1170,14 @@ Difference to correct time: %s."""
         showWarning(warn)
         self.app.closeAllWindows()
 
-    # Count refreshing
+    # Timers
     ##########################################################################
 
-    def setupRefreshTimer(self) -> None:
-        # every 10 minutes
+    def setup_timers(self) -> None:
+        # refresh decks every 10 minutes
         self.progress.timer(10 * 60 * 1000, self.onRefreshTimer, True)
+        # check media sync every 5 minutes
+        self.progress.timer(5 * 60 * 1000, self.on_autosync_timer, True)
 
     def onRefreshTimer(self):
         if self.state == "deckBrowser":
@@ -1183,6 +1185,12 @@ Difference to correct time: %s."""
         elif self.state == "overview":
             self.overview.refresh()
 
+    def on_autosync_timer(self):
+        elap = self.media_syncer.seconds_since_last_sync()
+        # autosync if 15 minutes have elapsed since last sync
+        if elap > 15 * 60:
+            self.maybe_auto_sync_media()
+
     # Permanent libanki hooks
     ##########################################################################
 
diff --git a/qt/aqt/mediasync.py b/qt/aqt/mediasync.py
index a28a5a4b4..e4a01d9bc 100644
--- a/qt/aqt/mediasync.py
+++ b/qt/aqt/mediasync.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import time
 from concurrent.futures import Future
 from copy import copy
 from dataclasses import dataclass
-from typing import Callable, List, Optional, Union
+from typing import List, Optional, Union
 
 import aqt
 from anki import hooks
@@ -213,6 +213,16 @@ class MediaSyncer:
         diag: MediaSyncDialog = aqt.dialogs.open("sync_log", self.mw, self, True)
         diag.exec_()
 
+    def seconds_since_last_sync(self) -> int:
+        if self.is_syncing():
+            return 0
+
+        if self._log:
+            last = self._log[-1].time
+        else:
+            last = 0
+        return intTime() - last
+
 
 class MediaSyncDialog(QDialog):
     silentlyClose = True