Obsidian mobile sync

Obsidian Mobile Sync

Setup mobile access to Obsidian vault via GitHub sync (free) or Obsidian Sync (paid).

CRITICAL Pitfall

"Obsidian doesn't need login" — WRONG for mobile sync.

• Desktop-only: No account needed
• Mobile sync: Requires authentication (Obsidian Sync OR Git sync)

Always clarify sync requirements when user asks about mobile access.

Sync Options

ALWAYS present free options FIRST. Users expect cost-free solutions by default.

Option 1: Git Sync (Free) ⭐ RECOMMENDED

Cost: $0 (100% free)
Setup: Push to GitHub → Install Obsidian Git plugin (desktop)
Mobile:

• Android: MGit (free) — full Git functionality
• iOS: Working Copy (free for pull, $19.99 for push) OR iSH + Git (free, terminal-based)

Pros: Free, version control, forever history, no vendor lock-in
Cons: Manual sync on mobile (2-3 taps per session)

iOS Free Alternative: iSH app + Git CLI (100% free, no purchase needed)

Option 2: Obsidian Sync (Paid)

Cost: $10/month or $96/year
Setup: Create account → Subscribe → Enable sync
Mobile: Install app → Sign in → Select vault
Pros: Auto-sync, conflict resolution, E2E encrypted, zero manual work
Cons: Paid subscription ($120/year)

When to recommend: User explicitly values convenience over cost, or has budget for premium tools.

GitHub CLI Setup (Recommended)

Install:

curl -fsSL https://cli.github.com/packages/githubcli-archive-keyring.gpg | sudo dd of=/usr/share/keyrings/githubcli-archive-keyring.gpg
echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/githubcli-archive-keyring.gpg] https://cli.github.com/packages stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/github-cli.list
sudo apt update && sudo apt install gh -y

Login:

gh auth login
# Select: GitHub.com → HTTPS → Yes → Login with browser

Scope Management: gh auth login grants basic scopes (repo, workflow, read:org). If you need to delete repos later, add delete_repo scope:

gh auth refresh -h github.com -s delete_repo

This prevents "HTTP 403: needs delete_repo scope" errors when running gh repo delete.

Create repo + push (one command):

cd ~/Documents/Obsidian\ Vault
gh repo create obsidian-vault --private --source=. --remote=origin --push

Obsidian Git Plugin (Desktop Auto-Sync)

Install: Settings → Community plugins → Browse → "Obsidian Git"

Configure:

• Vault backup interval: 10 minutes
• Auto push interval: 30 minutes
• Auto pull interval: 10 minutes
• Commit message: vault backup: {{date}}

Result: Zero manual work on desktop.

Mobile Setup

Android (MGit)

1. Install Obsidian + MGit from Play Store
2. MGit → Clone repository:
   • URL: https://github.com/USERNAME/obsidian-vault.git
   • Path: /storage/emulated/0/Obsidian/vault
   • Auth: Username + Personal Access Token
3. Obsidian → Open folder as vault → Select cloned folder

Sync: Pull before edit, Commit + Push after edit

iOS Option A: iSH + Git (Free) ⭐

100% free, no purchase needed.

1. Install Obsidian + iSH Shell from App Store (both free)
2. In iSH terminal:

   apk add git
   cd ~
   git clone https://USERNAME:[email protected]/USERNAME/obsidian-vault.git
   

3. Obsidian → Open folder as vault → On My iPhone → iSH → obsidian-vault

Sync workflow:

# Pull (before edit)
cd ~/obsidian-vault && git pull

# Push (after edit)
cd ~/obsidian-vault
git add .
git commit -m "Update from iOS"
git push

Pros: Free, full Git functionality
Cons: Terminal-based (not GUI)

iOS Option B: Working Copy (Paid for Push)

Free for pull, $19.99 one-time for push to private repos.

1. Install Obsidian + Working Copy from App Store
2. Working Copy → Clone → URL → Paste repo URL → Auth with token
3. Obsidian → Open folder as vault → Working Copy → Select repo

Sync: Pull before edit, Commit + Push after edit (requires Pro)

Mnemosyne Integration Pattern

Store pointers in Mnemosyne, not full content:

# Good: Store pointer
mnemosyne_remember(
  content="VPS cleanup: [[VPS Cleanup]]",
  importance=0.7,
  source="reference"
)

# Bad: Store full content
mnemosyne_remember(
  content="VPS cleanup steps: 1. df -h, 2. apt clean...",
  importance=0.7,
  source="reference"
)

Strategy:

• Mnemosyne (40%): Preferences, environment facts, pointers
• Obsidian (60%): Project docs, notes, tasks, diagrams

Workflow:

1. User asks about topic
2. Mnemosyne recalls pointer: "See [[Note Name]]"
3. Agent reads full content: read_file(path="~/Documents/Obsidian Vault/Note Name.md")

See references/mnemosyne-integration-examples.md for real workflow examples.

Complete setup workflow: Full Mnemosyne + Obsidian + GitHub integration takes ~30 minutes. Components: Obsidian (Snap), obsidian-skills (5 skills), GitHub CLI, Git, Mnemosyne. Result: 40% Mnemosyne (fast recall, pointers) + 60% Obsidian (rich content, Bases, Canvas) + GitHub backup. Production ready, zero maintenance, permanent.

GitHub token for autonomous operations: See references/github-token-permanent-access.md for permanent token setup (enables autonomous repo operations without repeated auth prompts).

Automation Script

#!/bin/bash
# Save as ~/setup_obsidian_github.sh
set -e

gh auth status || { echo "Run: gh auth login"; exit 1; }
USERNAME=$(gh api user -q .login)
cd ~/Documents/Obsidian\ Vault
git remote remove origin 2>/dev/null || true

gh repo create obsidian-vault \
    --private \
    --source=. \
    --remote=origin \
    --push \
    --description="Obsidian vault with Mnemosyne integration"

echo "✅ Repo: https://github.com/$USERNAME/obsidian-vault"

Run: chmod +x ~/setup_obsidian_github.sh && ~/setup_obsidian_github.sh

Conflict Resolution

If merge conflict:

1. Pull shows conflict
2. Open file, look for markers:

   <<<<<<< HEAD
   Your changes
   =======
   Remote changes
   >>>>>>> origin/master
   

3. Edit to resolve
4. Commit + Push

Pitfalls

Recommending paid solutions first — Users expect free options by default. Always present Git sync (free) before Obsidian Sync (paid). Only recommend paid when user explicitly values convenience or has budget.

iOS: Recommending Working Copy without mentioning cost — Working Copy is free for pull but requires $19.99 Pro for push to private repos. User frustration signal: "Bayar anjir working copy untuk push, ngapa lo saranin ini lol" — Always present iSH + Git (100% free) as primary option, Working Copy as secondary paid alternative.

Using GitHub password — Deprecated. Use Personal Access Token (https://github.com/settings/tokens/new with repo scope).

Not pulling before editing — Always pull first on mobile to avoid conflicts.

Storing full content in Mnemosyne — Wastes memory. Store wikilink pointers instead.

Claiming no login needed — True for desktop-only, false for mobile sync.