Obsidian version: 1.12.7
Device: iPhone 14 Pro
iOS version: iOS 26.5
Sync setup: Not using Obsidian Sync or iCloud. Using Syncthing (via the Möbius Sync app) to sync a plain markdown vault folder between an Ubuntu server, a Windows laptop, and this iPhone, no cloud service involved.
Steps to reproduce:
- Fresh install of Obsidian from the App Store.
- Launch the app.
- On the welcome screen, only two options appear: “Set up Obsidian Sync” and “Create new vault.” There is no “Open folder as vault” option here (this part may be expected behavior on first launch).
- Create a local (non-iCloud) vault to get into the app.
- Look for a way to open a different, existing folder as a vault instead (e.g. via a vault switcher or “Open another vault” inside the app).
- No such option is found anywhere in the current vault’s menu, switcher, or settings — only “Create new vault” is offered again.
Expected result:
An “Open folder as vault” option should be available from within the app (commonly documented as accessible via the vault switcher → “Open another vault”), allowing an existing folder — in this case, the Syncthing-synced notes folder exposed via the Files app under Möbius Sync — to be opened directly as a vault without creating a new one or involving iCloud.
Actual result:
The option does not appear anywhere in the app: not on first launch, and not from within an already-created local vault. Only “Create new vault” and “Set up Obsidian Sync” are ever shown.
Additional notes:
This looks related to the existing report “Obsidian does not show ‘Open folder as vault’ on iPadOS 26.2”, but on iPhone rather than iPad, and on version 1.12.7. Happy to provide logs, screen recordings, or further reproduction steps on request.