Mobile Sync

Module 4: Mobile Sync

The best capture system is the one that’s in your pocket when the idea arrives.

Right now, your vault only lives on your computer. That means every thought you have away from your desk either gets lost or goes into a notes app you’ll never check again. This module puts your vault on your phone so captures go directly where they belong.

Your Sync Options

There are three realistic choices, in order of recommendation:

Obsidian Sync ($4–8/month depending on plan) — the official sync service. Set it up once, forget about it. Your vault appears on any device with Obsidian installed, syncing automatically in the background. Conflicts are handled. History is kept. This is the simplest option by far.

iCloud (free, Mac and iOS only) — move your vault folder into iCloud Drive on your Mac, then point Obsidian Mobile at the same folder. Works well if you’re entirely in the Apple ecosystem. Can have occasional sync conflicts on heavily-used files. Not available for Android.

Syncthing (free, open source) — peer-to-peer sync between devices. No cloud storage of your files. More technical to set up, but gives you full control. Good choice if you’re privacy-focused or want to avoid subscriptions.

For most people: just use Obsidian Sync. The $4/month is the cheapest part of this whole system.

Mobile Setup

Install Obsidian from your phone’s app store. It’s the same app, mobile-optimised.

If you’re using Obsidian Sync, open the app, go to Settings > Sync, and log in with your Obsidian account. Select your vault and wait for the initial sync to complete. Depending on how many notes you have, this takes a few minutes to a few hours.

Once it’s synced, you have your full vault on your phone. Every note. Every folder. Every link.

For mobile, adjust a few settings: increase the font size slightly, enable the mobile toolbar (gives you quick-access buttons for common actions), and set the default new note location to 01 Inbox. That last one is important — captures should land in your inbox automatically without having to navigate there.

Capture on the Go

The mobile workflow is simpler than the desktop one. You’re not processing or organising from your phone. You’re capturing.

Quick text captures: Tap the new note button. Type. Done. It lands in your inbox and is waiting for you at your desk.

Voice memos: Record a voice memo in your phone’s native app, then transcribe it (most phones do this automatically now) and paste the text into a new inbox note. Takes thirty seconds.

Screenshots and photos: Obsidian Mobile handles image attachments. Screenshot something interesting, open Obsidian, create a new note, paste the image. Add a line of context about why you grabbed it.

Web articles: If you’re on iOS, the Obsidian share sheet extension lets you send articles directly to your inbox with title and URL captured automatically.

The pattern is the same as everything else in this system: capture now, process at the desk. Your phone is the capture layer. Your desktop is where thinking happens.

Before moving on:

• Obsidian Mobile installed on your phone
• Sync configured and working
• First mobile capture made and confirmed in your inbox on desktop

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This module evolves as your system does.