Obsidian Syncing Error: "Error: Failed to choose folder"

[EpigS]

Hi everyone,

I recently started using Obsidian, and I’m really enjoying it. I’m also planning to set up a digital garden, which is a way of organizing your notes and ideas in a visual way.

I’m using Syncthing to sync my notes between my phone and computer. I wanted to do this for free, and Syncthing is a great option.

However, I’m getting an error when I try to create a vault on my phone.
The error message is "Error:

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Failed to choose folder: NoActivity found to handle Intent {act=android.intent.action.OPEN_DOCUMENT_TREE flg=Oxc3…"

I’ve searched the Obsidian forums, and I’ve seen that this error is related to custom ROMs. I’m using a custom ROM on my phone, so that’s probably the cause of the problem.

Unable to access storage on android

Steps to reproduce I just installed the app Expected result The app works as usual Actual result The app opens, but you are unable to create/select a vault. The error is “Error: Failed to choose folder: NoActivity found to handle Intent {act=android.intent.action.OPEN_DOCUMENT_TREE flg=Oxc3…

forum.obsidian.md

I’m not sure if there’s a solution to this problem. I’ve tried searching for a solution, but I haven’t found anything yet.

I’m also not sure if other syncing apps, such as GDrive, Autosync, Foldersync, or Resillio Sync, will work with custom ROMs.

I’m really frustrated with this problem. I was excited to use Obsidian, but now I’m not sure what to do.

If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

[TheBauwssss]

I just ran into this exact same issue on my rooted OnePlus 6 with OxygenOS version 10.3.6 (Android 10), and the error message I got is literally identical to yours:

Error Message	Screenshot
Error: Failed to choose folder: No activity found to handle intent { act=android.intent.action.OPEN_DOCUMENT_TREE flg=0xc3 (has extras) }

How I Fixed It

To resolve the error I had to manually install the com.android.documentsui application, and I did so by following the steps detailed in this Android Stack Exchange answer: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/253276/404185

But, in case the above link ever goes down, here is the gist of the answer:

Option 1: Install the application using an ADB command

Open an ADB shell on your computer, connect your phone with USB-debugging enabled, and run the following command:

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.android.documentsui

(If you don’t know how to use Android Debug Bridge commands, here is a guide: https://www.howtogeek.com/125769/how-to-install-and-use-abd-the-android-debug-bridge-utility/)

Option 2: Install the application via a terminal emulator on your phone

If you have root, you can open a terminal emulator on your phone (just search the Play store for ‘terminal emulator’) and execute the following two commands, one after the other:

su
cmd package install-existing com.android.documentsui

_{I chose the second option, and it worked like a charm for me!}

[TheBauwssss]

Hmmm, it seems that for some reason I can no longer edit my previous post, but it is important that you:

Remember to reboot your phone after executing either the ADB or terminal commands!