Sync your workspace across devices
Obsidian Sync keeps your agent's workspace mirrored across every device you use it on. Read your Daily Planner on your phone, jot a note on a tablet, edit a knowledge base file on a second laptop, and it all stays in step.
Why you might want it
Your workspace lives in one folder on one computer. Obsidian Sync copies that folder, end-to-end encrypted, to Obsidian's servers and back down to your other devices. It's the simplest way to read and edit your notes from your phone. It is a paid Obsidian add-on, and it is separate from backing up with GitHub, which versions your workspace and prepares it for cloud sessions.
Before you start
- You've opened your workspace as a vault in Obsidian. If not, start with Edit your workspace in Obsidian.
- You have an Obsidian account with an active Sync subscription. Sync is a paid add-on with a few tiers — see Obsidian pricing — and you can add it from your account page.
First, check where your workspace folder lives. Obsidian Sync should be the only cloud service watching that folder. If it sits inside iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, two sync systems will fight over the same files and cause conflicts. Keep it somewhere that isn't already synced — on a Mac, your home folder; on Windows, a folder on the C:\ drive. If you need to move it, do that before you start syncing. This is covered when you first install your agent.
Set it up on your main computer
Log in to your Obsidian account
With your workspace vault open, go to Settings → General → Account and select Log in. Sign in with the account that has your Sync subscription.
Turn on the Sync plugin
Go to Settings → Core plugins and toggle Sync on. A new Sync section appears in Settings.
Create a remote vault
In Settings → Sync, select Choose next to Remote vault, then Create new vault. Give it a name, pick the server region closest to you, and set an encryption password.
Connect to the vault
Select Connect and enter that encryption password to unlock the vault.
Turn on every file type, then start syncing
By default Sync only handles Markdown notes, but your workspace also holds images, PDFs, audio, and config files your agent relies on. In Settings → Sync, scroll to the file-type section and turn on every toggle — images, audio, videos, PDFs, and Sync all other types — so nothing is left behind. Then choose Start syncing. Your first upload may take a few minutes depending on the size of your workspace.
See the file-type toggles
Write your encryption password down. It is set per remote vault and is what end-to-end encrypts your notes. Obsidian cannot recover it for you, and you'll need it to connect every other device. Store it somewhere safe, like a password manager.
Add your phone or another device
Install Obsidian and log in
Install Obsidian on the new device, open it, and log in to the same account from Settings → General → Account. On a phone, get the app from the App Store or Google Play.
Connect to your remote vault
Turn on the Sync core plugin, open Settings → Sync, select Choose, and pick the remote vault you created. Select Connect and enter your encryption password.
Let it download
Name the local copy on this device, then start syncing. Obsidian pulls your workspace down. From now on, edits on any connected device flow to the others automatically.
On a phone, turn on Dataview for your dashboards
Your Daily Planner and Habit Tracker dashboards run on a plugin called Dataview. On a computer it's already bundled and enabled, but on mobile you have to switch it on by hand. Go to Settings → Sync and turn on Installed community plugins, then go to Settings → Community plugins and enable Dataview. Without it, the dashboards look blank on your phone.
Good to know
- Your phone holds a copy of the notes, not your running agent. To send your agent work from your phone, see Reach your agent from your phone.
- Use selective sync in Settings → Sync if you'd rather not pull every folder onto a small device.
- Sync keeps a version history, so you can roll a note back if an edit goes wrong. It is not a substitute for a full backup, though — pair it with GitHub backup.
Stuck or need help?
Send a message and it comes straight to me. Tell me where you got stuck and I'll write back.
Rather have it done for you?
If following the steps yourself isn't how your brain works today, that's fine. On a Zoom call you share your screen and hand me control, and I set it up for you, right there on your own computer. You watch it come together and end the call with a working setup, nothing left on your plate.
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