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I'd love to use obsidian, but the mobile app does not allow specifying the folder. As a result on iOS you can only use the official syncing method. Maybe it's s

I'd love to use obsidian, but the mobile app does not allow specifying the folder. As a result on iOS you can only use the official syncing method. Maybe it's so you pay for the app, but I would personally rather pay a few for that functionality.

wscott 4y ago
I ended up paying $20 for the 'working copy' git iOS app and then setup an iOS shortcut to sync my repository to a private github repo. So everything is manual when I click the button for the shortcut it syncs. On the desktop the git extension does the same thing, but is automatic. Conflict resolution is as detailed and I want. Yeah lots of non-opensource components in that flow, but it works well and is perfectly happy when I am totally offline.
shakezula 4y ago
Uh, this can’t be true cause I have my Obsidian mobile vault set to my iCloud and use that for syncing and backup and it works pretty much perfectly.
- fnoof 4y ago
  It allows iCloud or obsidian syncing. I tried to set it up with Dropbox because I didn’t trust iClouds conflict resolution and couldn’t get it to work.
  - nvrspyx 4y ago
    I think that's a limitation of the Files API. In the least, I've yet to come across an app that allows syncing with third-party storage apps through Files. I've only seen one-way saving or using the file picker to retrieve a file.
    - poglet 4y ago
      https://apps.apple.com/us/app/keepassium-keepass-passwords/id1435127111 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/keepassium-keepass-passwords/i... In the app description: "KeePassium can work both offline and with your favorite cloud provider. There is no setup: pick your database through the familiar Files interface — and that's it. By integrating with the Files app, KeePassium supports almost all storage providers, including..."
      - nvrspyx 4y ago
        Interesting. I don't have a chance to mess with the app, but I wonder if it works because it's syncing individual kdbx files that the user gives access to one at a time rather than a whole directory (including subdirectories). Logseq and Obsidian, for example, would require syncing an entire directory along with subdirectories. My assumption is that they work with iCloud because they're given their own app-specific folder to do as they wish. If that is the limitation, I wonder if they could get around that by using some type of bundle or archive. Regardless, thanks for the additional information.
  - LordDragonfang 4y ago
    I can't vouch for it because I don't have any iOS devices new enough to support it, but supposedly you can also set it up to sync via git: https://forum.obsidian.md/t/mobile-setting-up-ios-git-based-syncing-with-mobile-app-using-working-copy/16499 https://forum.obsidian.md/t/mobile-setting-up-ios-git-based-...
    - nvrspyx 4y ago
      One thing to note is that this requires manually pulling and pushing in Working Copy as well as paying to unlock pro features ($20 one-time payment) to push to a remote repository.
  - lambdas 4y ago
    You can just save to a folder on your iOS device and push/pull changes with the app “working copy”, which is a full gift client. It costs a pretty penny though.
  - bostonvaulter2 4y ago
    This is due to an iOS limitation. On android you can pretty much use whatever syncing method you like (such as Syncthing)
    - kzisme 4y ago
      This is one of my main gripes with iOS. Even with folder/app/device specific folders it's a massive headache. As you mentioned Syncthing works flawlessly as well as other methods on Android.
barbazoo 4y ago
Just checked and that's the first thing I'm asked to do on the Android app. Maybe it only works when creating a vault?
- LordDragonfang 4y ago
  Android is different (i.e. better) than iOS in this regard, since it has much more robust filesystem support. You can easily use git syncing via termux: https://forum.obsidian.md/t/guide-using-git-to-sync-your-obsidian-vault-on-android-devices/41887 https://forum.obsidian.md/t/guide-using-git-to-sync-your-obs...
teilo 4y ago
I've been using iCloud sync with Obsidian for a year, and it has worked perfectly. Correct, you don't get to put your folder anywhere you want. It has to be in iCloud Drive, but so what?
- MSFT_Edging 4y ago
  If you only use it on a single ios device, it screws up your whole syncing method. Google drive/dropbox works on every other platform seamlessly.
  - teilo 4y ago
    If you need to sync it to anything non-Apple, then yes. If you don't, then iCloud Drive is just fine. In my case, Obsidian syncs just fine between my laptop, iPad, and iPhone. I use Sync.com for everything else.
DMell 4y ago
You can use it with any cloud storage - iCloud, Dropbox, etc.
scubbo 4y ago
This is presumably a limitation of the iOS client, as I've certainly been able to store my vault in a Dropbox folder and sync it to my Android device with DropSync.
rjzzleep 4y ago
Is this a common theme on HN that when something is a negative critique of a product people love, people hysterically act like they were personally attacked instead of trying to research the problem? The iOS client does not allow choosing the folder. You can specify either icloud sync or not, but you cannot select a folder. https://old.reddit.com/r/ObsidianMD/comments/s4kw0k/set_folder_in_ios/ https://old.reddit.com/r/ObsidianMD/comments/s4kw0k/set_fold...

wscott 4y ago

I ended up paying $20 for the 'working copy' git iOS app and then setup an iOS shortcut to sync my repository to a private github repo. So everything is manual when I click the button for the shortcut it syncs. On the desktop the git extension does the same thing, but is automatic. Conflict resolution is as detailed and I want. Yeah lots of non-opensource components in that flow, but it works well and is perfectly happy when I am totally offline.

shakezula 4y ago

Uh, this can’t be true cause I have my Obsidian mobile vault set to my iCloud and use that for syncing and backup and it works pretty much perfectly.

fnoof 4y ago
It allows iCloud or obsidian syncing. I tried to set it up with Dropbox because I didn’t trust iClouds conflict resolution and couldn’t get it to work.
- nvrspyx 4y ago
  I think that's a limitation of the Files API. In the least, I've yet to come across an app that allows syncing with third-party storage apps through Files. I've only seen one-way saving or using the file picker to retrieve a file.
  - poglet 4y ago
    https://apps.apple.com/us/app/keepassium-keepass-passwords/id1435127111 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/keepassium-keepass-passwords/i... In the app description: "KeePassium can work both offline and with your favorite cloud provider. There is no setup: pick your database through the familiar Files interface — and that's it. By integrating with the Files app, KeePassium supports almost all storage providers, including..."
    - nvrspyx 4y ago
      Interesting. I don't have a chance to mess with the app, but I wonder if it works because it's syncing individual kdbx files that the user gives access to one at a time rather than a whole directory (including subdirectories). Logseq and Obsidian, for example, would require syncing an entire directory along with subdirectories. My assumption is that they work with iCloud because they're given their own app-specific folder to do as they wish. If that is the limitation, I wonder if they could get around that by using some type of bundle or archive. Regardless, thanks for the additional information.
- LordDragonfang 4y ago
  I can't vouch for it because I don't have any iOS devices new enough to support it, but supposedly you can also set it up to sync via git: https://forum.obsidian.md/t/mobile-setting-up-ios-git-based-syncing-with-mobile-app-using-working-copy/16499 https://forum.obsidian.md/t/mobile-setting-up-ios-git-based-...
  - nvrspyx 4y ago
    One thing to note is that this requires manually pulling and pushing in Working Copy as well as paying to unlock pro features ($20 one-time payment) to push to a remote repository.
- lambdas 4y ago
  You can just save to a folder on your iOS device and push/pull changes with the app “working copy”, which is a full gift client. It costs a pretty penny though.
- bostonvaulter2 4y ago
  This is due to an iOS limitation. On android you can pretty much use whatever syncing method you like (such as Syncthing)
  - kzisme 4y ago
    This is one of my main gripes with iOS. Even with folder/app/device specific folders it's a massive headache. As you mentioned Syncthing works flawlessly as well as other methods on Android.

barbazoo 4y ago

Just checked and that's the first thing I'm asked to do on the Android app. Maybe it only works when creating a vault?

LordDragonfang 4y ago
Android is different (i.e. better) than iOS in this regard, since it has much more robust filesystem support. You can easily use git syncing via termux: https://forum.obsidian.md/t/guide-using-git-to-sync-your-obsidian-vault-on-android-devices/41887 https://forum.obsidian.md/t/guide-using-git-to-sync-your-obs...

teilo 4y ago

I've been using iCloud sync with Obsidian for a year, and it has worked perfectly. Correct, you don't get to put your folder anywhere you want. It has to be in iCloud Drive, but so what?

MSFT_Edging 4y ago
If you only use it on a single ios device, it screws up your whole syncing method. Google drive/dropbox works on every other platform seamlessly.
- teilo 4y ago
  If you need to sync it to anything non-Apple, then yes. If you don't, then iCloud Drive is just fine. In my case, Obsidian syncs just fine between my laptop, iPad, and iPhone. I use Sync.com for everything else.

DMell 4y ago

You can use it with any cloud storage - iCloud, Dropbox, etc.

scubbo 4y ago

This is presumably a limitation of the iOS client, as I've certainly been able to store my vault in a Dropbox folder and sync it to my Android device with DropSync.

rjzzleep 4y ago

Is this a common theme on HN that when something is a negative critique of a product people love, people hysterically act like they were personally attacked instead of trying to research the problem? The iOS client does not allow choosing the folder. You can specify either icloud sync or not, but you cannot select a folder. https://old.reddit.com/r/ObsidianMD/comments/s4kw0k/set_folder_in_ios/ https://old.reddit.com/r/ObsidianMD/comments/s4kw0k/set_fold...