If I’m not mistaken the Android api provides a generic framework for accessing files in various external providers such as the much requested Google Drive.
Personally, I have a remote folder mounted through another app into this framework that I have been using for markdown notes for years. I currently use a very simple (maybe too simple) text editor app to edit these files but I think Obsidian would provide a much better experience.
The current workflow is to use a timer based sync app like FolderSync and I understand that this can provide some benefits but I think there could also be options that provide some seamless access to external markdown files without having to write code for a bunch of independent providers.
Hi, I am totally new to Obsidian and was looking on sync features beside the obsidian sync. While I understand that Obsidian has to make money somehow, I would prefer to have my own sync mechanisms in place. So I was stumbling about this feature request. Since this is quite a while open, I would love to understand if there are any plans to implement Android SAF which gives me the opportunity to use Nextcloud, DAVx5, etc.
I think this would give folks more options for sync. For example, I use git-annex to manage my attachments in org-mode, ATM. That works on desktop, and on Android, via termux.
While I am considering switching to Obsidian, I would not leave all of my attachments behind, and would not relish the thought of migrating all of them to sync, only to then run in to Sync’s storage limitation!
I would want this for storing my obsidian vault in an encrypted folder managed by anemo, because I’m a bit uncomfortable with how many apps on android just request all files access and therefore have access to my private notes.
I use Nextcloud as my primary cloud storage and would love to use Obsidian as my main file browser/manager on Android. The problem: my phone doesn’t have enough storage to sync everything locally, and I don’t know in advance which folders I’ll need when I’m on the go.
What I need is on-demand access to my Nextcloud files through Obsidian – browse the folder structure, open files when needed, without downloading everything upfront.
Currently there’s no working solution:
Remotely Save downloads everything (no on-demand)
WebDAV Provider app exposes Nextcloud via SAF, but Obsidian doesn’t recognize SAF folders as valid vault locations
FolderSync creates duplicate local copies
SAF support would solve this. Apps like WebDAV Provider or DAVx5 already expose cloud storage through SAF – Obsidian just needs to accept it.
+1. Used GDrive in the past, soon I’ll be moving to Nextcloud.
My vault size exceeds the three digits, and even placing multimedia aside it’s still a pretty humongous vault. I get it that Obsidian mobile was probably originally meant as a quick-note-taking app, but as of now it is sitting pretty far from that idea.
Providing access to external storage is now a must.
The problem is unable to open vault from cloud storage like gdrive just like pc in Android device. I realised we need third party app to do this. Which I find risky and dependent on third party app.
Proposed solution
I suggest adding option to direct open vault from gdrive in Android version too so we can use vault from gdrive cloud storage directly like pc version. The Direct option like pc will remove reliance on third party app.
I removed your second post because it says the same as your first. From the block quote formatting I guess you asked an AI to write a clearer version of your message, but it made it much longer. Your original message was clear enough, and more effective. Thanks!
I’d like to store my Android Obsidian vault in device storage, but I don’t feel safe to grant “manage all files” permission to it, especially when it only needs to access a sepcific folder.
Proposed solution
Let the user select and open a folder on device storage using Android Storage Accessing Framework, without needing to grant permission of managing storage.
Current workaround (optional)
Using app storage instead of device storage can work without the permission grant, but I can’t use external app to sync my vault in that way.
On Android, it is unfortunately not possible to synchronize the Obsidian vault on NextCloud.
The official Nextcloud client on Android does not allow to choose the download directory. The download directory is an internal directory of the NextCloud client application. Of course, writing in this internal directory is not allowed. It is not possible to create the Obsidian vault in the download directory of the NextCloud application client. The NextCloud client application only allows one-way synchronization (only upload).
On the computer (Linux Ubuntu, Linux Debian, …, Mac or Windows), the NextCloud client allows to choose the download directory and thus to synchronize in both directions.
Desktop
On the computer (Linux Ubuntu, Linux Debian, …, Mac or Windows), the NextCloud client allows choosing the download directory and thus to synchronize in both directions.
remote mounted directory in Webdav
Davx is the main tool on Android to synchronize contacts, calendar with Nexcloud.
Moreover Davx also :
allow to mount a remote directory in Webdav
and supports the SSL client certificate as authentication (useful to secure your server as much as possible).
Obsidian and webdav
I have mounted a webdav directory with Davx but I can’t select a directory from Obsidian to choose the location of the Obsidian vault. I can’t select a directory from my Webdav mounted directory with Davx.
My request
To be able to select a directory from a directory mounted in Webav with Davx and to be able to save the Obsidian vault
Davx
The documentation page of Davx on webdav mount management :
This is still an issue, the root cause appears to be incorrect handling in the Capacitor FilesystemPlugin Obsidian seems to use - I’m not entirely sure which version it is, but the plugin does not properly interact with Android’s Storage Access Framework (from what I can tell, newer versions seem to handle it properly though).
Very disappointing that the developers do not seem to care to implement proper support for basic features the OS provides, especially since Obsidian advertises data portability (which is great, but not very useful if the app does not allow me to store the files where I want them to stored);
Obsidian has sync support for only Obsidian Sync and Apple iCloud.
However, not everyone is within the Apple ecosystem, and for a student in school, paying for obsidian subscription is not an option.
Thus, native google drive integration is required.
Proposed solution
Google Drive API can be used to save the vault to cloud.
The user should be able to use any google account of their liking for sync, not only the one used to create the account.
The files should be stored/restored as usual to any user specified folder, not the app folder.
New devices signed in with an existing account should automatically have the synced vault (can depend on user preference I guess).
Would be great if it functioned like the Aternos (free minecraft server) backup system with a few latest auto backups kept, for restoring, just in case something breaks.
It is just seamless, and smooth.
Current workaround
There are some community plugins, but they are clunky and not seamless. They can break and destroy the vault upon the slightest error.
This would be useful, but I’d want it to be conservative rather than just “write files to Drive”. The risky parts are conflict handling, deleted-file recovery, and mobile background sync. Keeping a few automatic snapshots/backups, as you suggest, would be the most important part for me. Also worth considering whether vault files are stored plain in Drive or whether encryption is offered, because a lot of people use Obsidian for private notes.
Exactly, I would appreciate knowing the reasons why.
Reading the comments makes me think that nothing has changed regarding mobile syncing since I tried last year. Paying for Obsidian sync has its own issues too, so we are left with ineffective options.