How to Sync Obsidian Notes Across Multiple Devices with Syncthing: A Step-by-Step Guide   

Obsidian is a powerful knowledge management tool, but its true potential unlocks when your notes are seamlessly available on every device you own.

While Obsidian offers its own paid Sync service, many users prefer a free, self-hosted alternative that keeps their data under their own control. Syncthing is an open-source, peer-to-peer file synchronization tool that works perfectly for this purpose — no cloud servers, no subscriptions, and complete privacy.

This guide will walk you through setting up Syncthing to sync your Obsidian vault across all your devices, from desktops to mobile phones.

What You'll Need

• Obsidian installed on all devices you want to sync
• Syncthing installed on each device (free download from syncthing.net)
• Your devices connected to the same local network (for initial setup)
• (Optional) A always-on device (like a VPS or home server) to act as a sync relay

Part 1: Install Syncthing on Your Devices

Desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux)

1. Go to syncthing.net/downloads and download the appropriate version for your operating system.
2. Run the installer and follow the prompts.
3. When prompted, choose to run Syncthing on system startup so it always stays in the background.
4. The Syncthing web interface will open automatically at http://127.0.0.1:8384 (or localhost:8384). Bookmark this page — it's your control center.

Android

1. Install Syncthing from the Google Play Store (or Syncthing-Fork as an alternative).
2. Open the app and grant the necessary permissions (storage access is required).
3. The app provides its own interface, or you can access the web UI at the local address shown in the app.

iOS (iPhone/iPad)

Syncthing does not have an official iOS app, but you can use third-party clients:

• SyncTrain (recommended): Free, open-source, available on the App Store, supports iOS 17.0+. It has deeper Shortcuts integration for background syncing.
• Mobius Sync: Also available on the App Store, though it requires the app to be in the foreground during sync.

Note for iOS users: If you use Obsidian's "Require Face ID" security feature, you may need to disable it for Syncthing apps to access the Obsidian folder properly.

Part 2: Locate Your Obsidian Vault

Before syncing, you need to know where your vault lives on each device.

Finding Your Vault Path

On Desktop:

• Open Obsidian
• Look at the bottom-left of the sidebar — your vault name is shown there
• Click the vault name → Open vault settings → The path is displayed under "Vault location"
• Common default locations:
  • Windows: C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Obsidian Vault\
  • macOS: ~/Documents/Obsidian Vault/
  • Linux: ~/Documents/Obsidian Vault/

On Android:

• Obsidian stores vaults in a folder accessible via your file manager, typically under Documents/Obsidian/

On iOS:

• Vaults are stored in the Obsidian app's sandbox. You'll need to use the Syncthing client's "Pick external folder" or "Existing folder" option to create a bookmark to the Obsidian directory.

Part 3: Connect Your Devices

Syncthing uses a peer-to-peer model. Each device gets a unique Device ID (a long string of characters). Devices must explicitly authorize each other before syncing.

Step 1: Get Your Device IDs

On each device, open the Syncthing web interface and look for the Device ID under "This Device" or via Actions → Show ID. You'll also see a QR code option on mobile.

Step 2: Pair Devices

1. On your primary computer (let's call it Device A), click "+ Add Remote Device".

2. Enter the Device ID from Device B (your second device). You can also scan the QR code if both devices are nearby — Syncthing often auto-detects devices on the same WiFi network.

3. Give the device a friendly name (e.g., "My Android Phone" or "Work Laptop").

4. Save the settings.

5. On Device B, you'll see a notification/pop-up asking to accept the connection from Device A. Click Add Device and save.

6. Repeat this process for every device you want to sync.

Tip: If you have a VPS or always-on home server, add it as a device too. It acts as a central relay, ensuring your devices can sync even when they're not online at the same time.

Part 4: Share Your Obsidian Vault Folder

Now that your devices are connected, you need to tell Syncthing which folder to sync.

Step 1: Add the Folder on Your Primary Device

1. In the Syncthing web UI on Device A, click "+ Add Folder".
2. Folder Label: Give it a name like "Obsidian Vault".
3. Folder ID: Leave the auto-generated ID as-is — this ID must match across all devices.
4. Folder Path: Enter the full path to your Obsidian vault folder (the one you located in Part 2).
5. In the Sharing tab, check all the devices you want to share this folder with.
6. Save.

Step 2: Accept the Folder on Other Devices

1. On Device B, you'll see a notification that Device A wants to share a folder.

2. Click Add (or Share).

3. Critical step: Set the Folder Path on Device B to where you want the vault stored locally. Make sure this path points to your existing Obsidian vault location, or to a new folder where you'll open the vault from.

4. Save.

5. Repeat for all devices.

Step 3: Verify Sync

Wait a few moments. Syncthing will start syncing files. You should see:

• A progress indicator in the web UI
• Files appearing in the target folder
• Status changing to "Up to Date" on both sides

Open Obsidian on each device and verify your notes are present.

Part 5: Configure Syncthing for Obsidian (Best Practices)

Ignore the .obsidian Folder on Mobile (Optional but Recommended)

The .obsidian folder inside your vault contains settings, plugins, themes, and workspace configurations. While syncing this folder keeps your setup identical across desktops, it can cause sync conflicts on mobile devices because desktop and mobile plugins/themes may not be compatible.

To exclude it on mobile devices:

1. In the Syncthing web UI, click on your vault folder → Edit.
2. Go to the Ignore Patterns tab.
3. Add the following line:

   .obsidian
   

4. Save.

This way, your mobile device gets your notes but uses its own local Obsidian settings.

Enable File Versioning (Highly Recommended)

Syncthing can keep backup copies of files before overwriting them — a lifesaver if something goes wrong.

1. Edit your vault folder in Syncthing.
2. Go to the File Versioning tab.
3. Set Versioning Type to "Simple File Versioning".
4. Set Keep Versions to 5 (or more, depending on your preference).
5. Save.

This stores up to 5 previous versions of each file, which Syncthing cleans up automatically over time.

Set Ignore Permissions

Since different operating systems handle file permissions differently, enabling this option prevents unnecessary sync conflicts:

1. Edit your vault folder → Advanced tab.
2. Check "Ignore Permissions".
3. Save.

Part 6: iOS-Specific Setup with SyncTrain

If you're using an iPhone or iPad, here's the detailed process with SyncTrain:

1. Install SyncTrain from the App Store.
2. Open the app — it automatically generates a Device ID.
3. Add your iOS device to your other Syncthing instances using this Device ID.
4. Accept the connection on your iOS device.
5. When adding the shared vault folder, choose "Pick external folder" (or "Existing folder") and navigate to the Obsidian directory.
6. Create a new folder inside Obsidian's directory to use as the sync target — this creates a "bookmark" that SyncTrain can access.
7. Enable "Watch for changes" under the folder's Advanced settings for near real-time sync.

Pro tip for iOS: Create a Siri Shortcut that runs "Sync for a while" in SyncTrain before opening Obsidian, ensuring your notes are up to date. Some users create recursive shortcuts that keep sync alive while Obsidian is open.

Part 7: Handling Sync Conflicts

Syncthing creates .sync-conflict files when the same file is modified on two devices before syncing completes. This is normal and protects your data.

How to Resolve Conflicts

1. Look for files with names like Note.md.sync-conflict-20250101-120000-ABC123.md in your vault.
2. Open both the original and the conflict file.
3. Compare the contents and merge the changes manually.
4. Delete the .sync-conflict file once resolved.

How to Minimize Conflicts

• Don't edit the same note on multiple devices simultaneously. Wait about 5–10 seconds after saving on one device before editing on another.
• Keep Obsidian open on only one device when making major changes.
• Ensure all devices have stable internet connections.
• Consider using a central always-on device (VPS/server) as a sync relay to reduce timing issues.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Final Thoughts

Syncthing transforms Obsidian from a single-device note-taking app into a truly cross-platform knowledge base. With no subscription fees, no cloud dependency, and full ownership of your data, it's an ideal companion for privacy-conscious users and self-hosting enthusiasts.

Once configured, the entire setup — including your plugins, themes, and workspace configurations — syncs effortlessly across all devices. You can install a plugin on your desktop and find it ready to use on your Android phone seconds later.

For extra peace of mind, consider backing up your vault to a private GitHub repository periodically, or use Syncthing's file versioning feature. Your notes are valuable — protect them.