diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index ecd76c96..9815bbb2 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ dependencies = [
     "fastapi[standard]>=0.115.8",
     "alembic>=1.14.1",
     "rumps>=0.4.0",
+    "qasync>=0.27.1",
 ]
 
 [project.urls]
diff --git a/src/basic_memory/cli/commands/sync.py b/src/basic_memory/cli/commands/sync.py
index 3b2a35cf..c100e75b 100644
--- a/src/basic_memory/cli/commands/sync.py
+++ b/src/basic_memory/cli/commands/sync.py
@@ -97,51 +97,7 @@ def group_issues_by_directory(issues: List[ValidationIssue]) -> Dict[str, List[V
     return dict(grouped)
 
 
-def display_validation_errors(issues: List[ValidationIssue]):
-    """Display validation errors in a rich, organized format."""
-    # Create header
-    console.print()
-    console.print(
-        Panel("[red bold]Error:[/red bold] Invalid frontmatter in knowledge files", expand=False)
-    )
-    console.print()
 
-    # Group issues by directory
-    grouped_issues = group_issues_by_directory(issues)
-
-    # Create tree structure
-    tree = Tree("Knowledge Files")
-    for dir_name, dir_issues in sorted(grouped_issues.items()):
-        # Create branch for directory
-        branch = tree.add(
-            f"[bold blue]{dir_name}/[/bold blue] ([yellow]{len(dir_issues)} files[/yellow])"
-        )
-
-        # Add each file issue
-        for issue in sorted(dir_issues, key=lambda x: x.file_path):
-            file_name = Path(issue.file_path).name
-            branch.add(
-                Text.assemble(("└─ ", "dim"), (file_name, "yellow"), ": ", (issue.error, "red"))
-            )
-
-    # Display tree
-    console.print(Padding(tree, (1, 2)))
-
-    # Add help text
-    console.print()
-    console.print(
-        Panel(
-            Text.assemble(
-                ("To fix:", "bold"),
-                "\n1. Add required frontmatter fields to each file",
-                "\n2. Run ",
-                ("basic-memory sync", "bold cyan"),
-                " again",
-            ),
-            expand=False,
-        )
-    )
-    console.print()
 
 
 def display_sync_summary(knowledge: SyncReport):
diff --git a/src/basic_memory/sync/__init__.py b/src/basic_memory/sync/__init__.py
index 024c0cc2..c108df5d 100644
--- a/src/basic_memory/sync/__init__.py
+++ b/src/basic_memory/sync/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 from .file_change_scanner import FileChangeScanner
 from .sync_service import SyncService
+from .watch_service import WatchService
+
+__all__ = ["SyncService", "FileChangeScanner", "WatchService"]
 
-__all__ = ["SyncService", "FileChangeScanner"]
 
diff --git a/src/basic_memory/sync/watch_service.py b/src/basic_memory/sync/watch_service.py
index 643e4b0f..728bbec1 100644
--- a/src/basic_memory/sync/watch_service.py
+++ b/src/basic_memory/sync/watch_service.py
@@ -131,13 +131,36 @@ class WatchService:
 
         return table
 
-    async def run(self):
+    async def run(self, console_status: bool = False):
         """Watch for file changes and sync them"""
+        logger.info("Watching for sync changes")
         self.state.running = True
         self.state.start_time = datetime.now()
         await self.write_status()
 
-        with Live(self.generate_table(), refresh_per_second=4, console=self.console) as live:
+        if console_status:
+            with Live(self.generate_table(), refresh_per_second=4, console=self.console) as live:
+                try:
+                    async for changes in awatch(
+                        self.config.home,
+                        watch_filter=self.filter_changes,
+                        debounce=self.config.sync_delay,
+                        recursive=True,
+                    ):
+                        # Process changes
+                        await self.handle_changes(self.config.home)
+                        # Update display
+                        live.update(self.generate_table())
+
+                except Exception as e:
+                    self.state.record_error(str(e))
+                    await self.write_status()
+                    raise
+                finally:
+                    self.state.running = False
+                    await self.write_status()
+
+        else:
             try:
                 async for changes in awatch(
                     self.config.home,
@@ -148,7 +171,6 @@ class WatchService:
                     # Process changes
                     await self.handle_changes(self.config.home)
                     # Update display
-                    live.update(self.generate_table())
 
             except Exception as e:
                 self.state.record_error(str(e))
diff --git a/src/basic_memory/ui/menubar/app.py b/src/basic_memory/ui/menubar/app.py
index 0466740b..8135b2b3 100644
--- a/src/basic_memory/ui/menubar/app.py
+++ b/src/basic_memory/ui/menubar/app.py
@@ -1,47 +1,115 @@
-"""Basic Memory menubar app using rumps."""
-import rumps
+"""Basic Memory menubar app using PyQt."""
+import sys
+import asyncio
+from PyQt6.QtWidgets import QApplication, QSystemTrayIcon, QMenu, QStyle
+from PyQt6.QtCore import QTimer
+from PyQt6.QtGui import QIcon
 from loguru import logger
+import qasync
 
-class BasicMemoryApp(rumps.App):
+from basic_memory.config import config
+from basic_memory.cli.commands.sync import get_sync_service
+from basic_memory.sync.watch_service import WatchService
+
+class BasicMemoryTray(QSystemTrayIcon):
     def __init__(self):
-        super().__init__("Basic Memory", "✓")
+        super().__init__()
         
-        # Initialize menu structure
-        self.menu = [
-            rumps.MenuItem("Status: Idle"),
-            None,  # separator
-            rumps.MenuItem("Recent Events"),
-            None,
-            ["Settings",
-                "Choose Home Directory...",
-                "Start at Login"
-            ],
-            None,
-            "Start Sync",
-        ]
+        # Set default icon
+        self.setIcon(QApplication.style().standardIcon(QStyle.StandardPixmap.SP_ComputerIcon))
+        
+        # Create menu
+        menu = QMenu()
+        self.status_item = menu.addAction("Status: Idle")
+        self.status_item.setEnabled(False)
+        
+        menu.addSeparator()
+        self.sync_action = menu.addAction("Start Sync")
+        self.sync_action.triggered.connect(self.toggle_sync)
+        
+        menu.addSeparator()
+        quit_action = menu.addAction("Quit")
+        quit_action.triggered.connect(QApplication.instance().quit)
+        
+        self.setContextMenu(menu)
+        self.show()
 
-    @rumps.clicked("Start Sync")
-    def toggle_sync(self, _):
-        """Toggle sync on/off."""
-        sender = self.menu["Start Sync"]
-        if sender.title == "Start Sync":
-            sender.title = "Stop Sync"
-            self.icon = "↻"
-            # TODO: Start sync process
+        # Initialize sync state
+        self.watch_service = None
+        self.sync_task = None
+        self.is_syncing = False
+
+        # Update timer for status
+        self.status_timer = QTimer()
+        self.status_timer.timeout.connect(self.update_status)
+        self.status_timer.start(1000)  # Update every second
+
+        logger.info("Basic Memory tray initialized")
+
+    def toggle_sync(self):
+        """Start or stop sync process."""
+        if not self.is_syncing:
+            logger.info("Starting sync")
+            self.start_sync()
+            self.sync_action.setText("Stop Sync")
+            self.is_syncing = True
         else:
-            sender.title = "Start Sync"
-            self.icon = "✓"
-            # TODO: Stop sync process
+            logger.info("Stopping sync")
+            self.stop_sync()
+            self.sync_action.setText("Start Sync")
+            self.is_syncing = False
 
-    @rumps.clicked("Settings", "Choose Home Directory...")
-    def choose_home_dir(self, _):
-        """Open dialog to choose home directory."""
-        # TODO: Implement directory chooser
-        logger.info("Choose home directory clicked")
+    def start_sync(self):
+        """Start the sync service."""
+        async def run_sync():
+            try:
+                sync_service = await get_sync_service()
+                self.watch_service = WatchService(
+                    sync_service=sync_service,
+                    file_service=sync_service.entity_service.file_service,
+                    config=config
+                )
+                await self.watch_service.run(console_status=False)
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.exception("Error in sync service")
+                self.status_item.setText(f"Status: Error - {str(e)}")
+
+        # Start sync using the event loop
+        loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
+        self.sync_task = loop.create_task(run_sync())
+
+    def stop_sync(self):
+        """Stop the sync service."""
+        if self.watch_service:
+            self.watch_service.state.running = False
+            self.watch_service = None
+        if self.sync_task and not self.sync_task.done():
+            self.sync_task.cancel()
+
+    def update_status(self):
+        """Update status display."""
+        if self.watch_service:
+            state = self.watch_service.state
+            status = "Running" if state.running else "Stopped"
+            last_scan = state.last_scan.strftime("%H:%M:%S") if state.last_scan else "-"
+            self.status_item.setText(f"Status: {status} (Last scan: {last_scan})")
+        else:
+            self.status_item.setText("Status: Idle")
 
 def main():
     """Run the menubar app."""
-    BasicMemoryApp().run()
+    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
+    
+    # Create event loop
+    loop = qasync.QEventLoop(app)
+    asyncio.set_event_loop(loop)
+
+    # Create tray
+    tray = BasicMemoryTray()
+    
+    # Run event loop
+    with loop:
+        loop.run_forever()
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index 4c407134..777073f7 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ dependencies = [
     { name = "pyright" },
     { name = "python-frontmatter" },
     { name = "pyyaml" },
+    { name = "qasync" },
     { name = "rich" },
     { name = "rumps" },
     { name = "sqlalchemy" },
@@ -123,6 +124,7 @@ requires-dist = [
     { name = "pyright", specifier = ">=1.1.390" },
     { name = "python-frontmatter", specifier = ">=1.1.0" },
     { name = "pyyaml", specifier = ">=6.0.1" },
+    { name = "qasync", specifier = ">=0.27.1" },
     { name = "rich", specifier = ">=13.9.4" },
     { name = "rumps", specifier = ">=0.4.0" },
     { name = "sqlalchemy", specifier = ">=2.0.0" },
@@ -978,6 +980,15 @@ wheels = [
     { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/fa/de/02b54f42487e3d3c6efb3f89428677074ca7bf43aae402517bc7cca949f3/PyYAML-6.0.2-cp313-cp313-win_amd64.whl", hash = "sha256:8388ee1976c416731879ac16da0aff3f63b286ffdd57cdeb95f3f2e085687563", size = 156446 },
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "qasync"
+version = "0.27.1"
+source = { registry = "https://pypi.org/simple" }
+sdist = { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/1c/e0/7c7c973f52e1765d6ddfc41e9272294f65d5d52b8f5f5eae92adf411ad46/qasync-0.27.1.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:8dc768fd1ee5de1044c7c305eccf2d39d24d87803ea71189d4024fb475f4985f", size = 14287 }
+wheels = [
+    { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/51/06/bc628aa2981bcfd452a08ee435b812fd3eee4ada8acb8a76c4a09d1a5a77/qasync-0.27.1-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:5d57335723bc7d9b328dadd8cb2ed7978640e4bf2da184889ce50ee3ad2602c7", size = 14866 },
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "regex"
 version = "2024.11.6"