How to sync Obsidian local files across devices?

[JackQP]

I'm thinking of moving my notes to Obsidian but the whole local file thing seems a bit intimidating. How do you handle syncing across devices?

[Elizabeth_G]

Yeah I get the local file thing, it feels odd at first.

[SamuelR]

Obsidian keeps your notes as local markdown files, so there is no built in cloud here. For syncing you pick a method you actually trust like a cloud drive, a sync tool, or a private server, and then keep the vaults mirrored across devices.

[Tyler.M]

Most people get hung up on the fear of losing control with local files. Start small with one vault and a simple folder structure for notes links and tags. For cross device sync you can use Obsidian Sync or set up WebDAV with a cloud drive or a private server. The trick is to keep the workflow simple so changes on one device show up on the others without you babysitting transfers.

[Addison41]

Here is the long honest take on the local file idea. It does feel intimidating at first but you can tame it. The core is to pick a single vault and a sane folder layout for notes links and tags. Then pick a syncing path that you actually trust. Some people go with Obsidian Sync and others use WebDAV or a cloud drive to keep the vault the same on every device. The big win is that you own the files and you can open them from devices without depending on a company to parse your data. The downside is you can run into file conflicts when two devices edit the same note at once. To minimize this use a simple editing habit and avoid editing the same file from two machines at the same time. You can also use Git to version control your vault which gives you a history you can recover from if something goes wrong. I use a weekly backup script that pushes to a private repo and a separate cloud mirror. That way if my laptop dies I still have the notes and the links and the tags. A practical pattern is to keep a small set of core templates in a notes folder that you clone into any new vault so you can start writing fast. Don’t chase the exact Notion style here you want a light system you actually use. If you want a hands off approach you can rely on edit access offline and then sync later. The goal is to reduce friction and keep your notes available offline while still showing up on other devices.

[Jeffrey_J]

Totally get it, but with Obsidian the notes stay yours and syncing is just background.