View Mode Lock — Control view modes by device, folder, tag, or property

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Disclaimer

Is this project open source? Yes
Is this project completely free? Yes
Is this project vibe-coded beyond the author’s ability to comprehend how it works? Yes
Community Directory: [View Mode Lock](View Mode Lock - Obsidian Plugin)

Hi everyone! I made View Mode Lock, a community plugin for controlling how Markdown notes open in Obsidian.

I wanted to edit notes normally on desktop while reducing accidental edits on my phone and tablet. I also wanted completed notes and reference folders to remain in Reading view automatically.

What it does

View Mode Lock can keep notes in:

  • Reading view
  • Live Preview
  • Source mode

You can apply a view mode using:

  • A global Reading view lock
  • Folder rules
  • Tag rules
  • Property name and value rules
  • A note-level frontmatter property

Device-specific behavior

Desktop, tablet, and phone can be configured independently.

Each device can:

  • Follow the existing rules
  • Always use Reading view
  • Disable view locking

For example, you can allow normal editing on desktop while keeping every note in Reading view on your phone and tablet.

Example

To open completed notes in Reading view:

  • Rule type: Property
  • Property name: status
  • Property value: completed
  • View mode: Reading

Individual notes can also use:

---
view-mode-lock: reading
---

Supported values are:

  • reading
  • live-preview
  • source
  • off

The plugin also provides commands for toggling the current note lock and the global lock, so you can assign your own hotkeys.

It supports desktop, tablet, and phone. The interface follows Obsidian’s language setting, using Korean when Obsidian is set to Korean and English otherwise.

Installation

Open Settings → Community plugins → Browse and search for View Mode Lock.