SOME PNG files not syncing at all – do not appear in Sync logs

[marinakraft]

Hi everyone,

I’ve run into a very strange issue with Obsidian Sync where certain .png files do not sync at all.

• Other PNGs sync fine.
• The problematic ones behave as if they are completely invisible to Sync.
• They never appear in the Sync activity log (neither on iPad nor on Windows).
• Files are valid PNGs (can be opened on both iPad and PC, I even sent them via mail and reimported).
• File names are simple (Kindergarten.png, Buecher.png), no spaces, no special characters.
• File size < 10 MB.
• Vault is not under OneDrive/iCloud/Dropbox. It’s a dedicated Sync vault.
• Plugins are all disabled / Safe mode active.
• Tried renaming, moving into top-level folder, reimporting, adding via PC and via iPad – no change.

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What happens

• On iPad: PNG is visible in the Vault folder via Files app and in Obsidian.
• On Windows: File is also placed correctly in the Vault folder via Explorer.
• In both cases, Sync log does not show any upload event.
• Other attachments in the same folder are uploaded/downloaded without issue.

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Example from Sync log (PC):

(snipped for brevity, showing surrounding uploads – missing entry for Kindergarten.png)

2025-10-02 20:40 - Server pushed [iPad] _7_Media/Obsidian Visualization.png
2025-10-02 20:40 - Server pushed [iPad] _7_Media/Visuelles ABC.jpg
2025-10-02 20:40 - Server pushed [iPad] _7_Media/Zettelkasten.png
...
(no mention of Kindergarten.png at all)

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Steps tried so far

1. Disabled all community plugins, Safe mode.
2. Renamed file (Kindergarten_1.png, test.png).
3. Moved file to Vault root and new folders.
4. Uploaded from iPad and PC separately.
5. Reset/paused Sync, reconnected to remote vault.
6. Downloaded Vault fresh on PC – problematic PNGs still missing.

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Expected

PNG files should appear in Sync logs and sync across devices, like all other attachments.

Actual

Certain PNGs are completely ignored by Sync, as if they don’t exist.

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Devices / Setup

• iPadOS (latest Obsidian + Sync)
• Windows 11 PC (latest Obsidian + Sync)
• Obsidian Sync only (no external sync solution)

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Question:
Is this a known bug with certain PNG metadata, or is there a deeper issue with how Sync detects file changes?
Happy to provide the file itself for testing if needed.

[ariehen]

What Sync plan are you using?

https://help.obsidian.md/sync/plans

If you are using the “Sync Standard” plan, files greater 5MB won’t sync. Could that be the issue?

If that’s the case, give this feature request a heart (counts as an upvote):

Log when files won't sync due to size limits

Use case or problem Sync won’t handle files >100mb. Sometimes I’m unaware that a file hasn’t synced Proposed solution Add an error message to the sync log, something like “Skipping file (name) as it exceeds 100Mb limit”

[CawlinTeffid]

From discussion on Discord (Discord), file size is looking like the culprit. Moving to Help for now.