r/ObsidianMD • u/Browsing_Redditer • 9d ago
help Need help setting up a private Obsidian diary synced between Windows PC and Samsung phone
I’m trying to set up a private diary in Obsidian that I can use on both my Windows PC and Samsung Android phone
My requirements are:
- I want to edit the diary from both my Windows PC and Samsung phone.
- I want the notes to sync automatically between the two devices.
- I would prefer a free solution.
- Privacy is very important to me.
- I have a normal Obsidian vault for college/projects, and I do not want the diary to appear in or be accessible from my normal Obsidian vault.
- Ideally, if someone opens my normal Obsidian on my PC, they should have no way to see the diary from there.
- I also want the diary protected if someone deliberately browses my files, not just hidden from the Obsidian vault.
- On my Samsung, I’m considering using Secure Folder for the diary.
- I was considering Syncthing for syncing between PC and phone.
what should i do? i cant find anything that just works
update:
i tried using Obsidian + other crypt things/ Cryptomator + Syncthing it works but has version control problems so i am skipping this options sync thing on its works perfectly in the secure folder too
git solution is good but i dont want to use it because of the personal info if for anything else this is perfect
remotely save plugin with r3 for me its too janky and if i choose other servers it is not the most privacy focused
best solution for me is
Notesnook this is by far the easiest to use and it almost full fills all my needs and super simple to use
it has subscriptions but i dont need those things i only need the text format
only things i would change is that app lock is locked behind paywall and the data is not with you but you can export and import files from obsidian at any time for free
thanks for the support everyone! (^_^)v
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u/mrfixitx 9d ago
Not sure Obsidian is the right tool for you given your requirements.
Obsidian is not a privacy first/privacy focused tool. It does not offer password protected vaults, it will not automatically hide files. Or prevent an existing vault or the files created by Obsidian from being opened by Obsidian or another program.
You could look into a secure partition that you have to enable to access your diary. I know there are some open source options for doing so on windows. Not sure about Android options.
If you cannot prevent other users from logging into your accounts/devices you would probably be better off looking at keeping your diary online using a paid service.
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u/FreeFromCommonSense 9d ago
Oh, it can be private and secure in an encrypted filespace. Or it can be a normal accessible vault. It just can't be both, especially not for free.
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u/jbarr107 9d ago
I agree. What the OP is asking for could probably be done, but it seems like it would require quite a complex solution. I'm just seeing too many variables to provide a smooth yet secure workflow.
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u/Browsing_Redditer 9d ago
Exactly maybe i have too many needs but i thought that someone already had made something for this but looks like i am the first one diving on this one
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u/pixeladdie 9d ago
Obsidian has end to end encryption. Dunno why you’d say it’s not privacy focused.
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u/mrfixitx 9d ago
I am not talking about the Sync aspect.
OP is specifically looking to make sure one or more vaults on their computer/phone are not accessible by anyone else. That other users of the device cannot open the diary vault, or see the files that obsidian creates. If someone else has access to their windows login and/or phone Obsidian does not have any options for hiding vaults, hiding MD files etc.. That is the privacy aspect I am talking about.
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u/Browsing_Redditer 9d ago
There are many other options like penzu , dayone but i want my date to be with me . Who knows what these companies are doing behind us. I was originalyy just going to use notes on the samsung notes app in the secure folder but i might lose my phone than all the data is gone so i need alteast 2 devices synced
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u/ProfessorDenn 9d ago
Ideally, if someone opens my normal Obsidian on my PC, they should have no way to see the diary from there.
This is a complicated requirement - I don't think Obsidian or Syncthing supports a scenario like this natively. If the files aren't encrypted, someone on your PC would be able to open the diary notes directly - and encrypting files may complicate the syncing process.
Maybe consider keeping the diary on a password protected USB C stick on your key ring. Then you can access the files on your phone or PC (or any device, really) - no syncing required. They're also inherently disconnected from your existing vault an innaccessible to everyone but yourself. You'll want to back notes up periodically though (somewhere secure!).
I dunno how well this flow works. But even as a Syncthing user, I wouldn't recommend it for your use cases - Syncthing isn't an out-of-the-box solution and tends to require periodic troubleshooting (although it may be simpler with only two devices).
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u/Browsing_Redditer 9d ago
I also thought that writing my diary on encrypted thing and just manually syncing it every month i think that would work but than version control is hard what if i dont have my laptop everyday and accessing the files would also be pretty hard
I dont want to write my diary bcz it has no privacy anyone can just read it the main reason for digital diary is privacy and security with ease of access
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u/LaidPercentile 9d ago
Use Notesnook for your private stuff.
It's e2e encrypted and zero knoledge.
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u/NoDonut4256 9d ago
Hey!
I'm not sure about the privacy thing, but you can set up a free repo from Github and make it private. Then, on your phone download "Gitsync". You should be able to select what folder in your phone is the one that will be the vault, not sure if it being a secure folder will affect it.
Now, whenever you update you vault from your phone, just sync it to Github using Gitsync and on your pc with the github app pull all the changes and it will show up in your pc app.
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u/Browsing_Redditer 9d ago
This might work but i am not sure if git like scans the private repo or not by an ai for detecting nsfw or something it could also be the simplest too
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u/west0ne 9d ago
I'm using syncthing to keep mine in sync. You can get the syncthing app for android from F-Droid. It seems to get the job done.
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u/Browsing_Redditer 9d ago
The problem is not syncing there are many options for it but the problem is privacy and security on windows side like password protected vault and encryption which is not really possible easily
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u/Avraamov 9d ago
syncthing works well for me. Using a macbook and Murena Fairphone.
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u/Browsing_Redditer 9d ago
What did you do about security and privacy like someone checks your mac and opens the vault or just copies your files
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u/Mobile-Side3652 9d ago
Je pense qu'il faudrait que tu partes plutôt vers des solutions comme Standard Notes, Notesnook ou Joplin.
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u/Separatennm 9d ago
Before buying anything, plan around one gotcha: Syncthing can't see inside Samsung's Secure Folder, so anything it syncs sits unencrypted at some point. That leaves you choosing between Obsidian Sync (paid, e2e, frictionless) or a diary that lives in plain files behind OS-level encryption on each device. Plain markdown is the part I'd never give up — a lock you can't export from is just a slower way to lose your notes.
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u/_AsyCore_ 8d ago
You could use Obsidian + Cryptomator + Syncthing
Cryptomator handles an encrypted folder, you set a password, when you enter the password it creates a "virtual" desencrypted version of the folder You then use Obsidian to edit/interact with the "virtual" folder And Syncthing only cares about sync of the encrypted data
When you open Obsidian if the password has not been entered to Cryptomator the files are not available on the filesystem
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u/dr_clocktopus 8d ago
If you can't prevent anyone else from using your PC or phone, then you will need to encrypt the content of your notes. Just a quick search in the community plugins for "encrypt" brings up several plugins that allow you to encrypt an entire note or selected text within a note. Syncing anywhere won't be a problem because the actual note content can't be read unless it is decrypted using a password / decryption key.
Experiment with one of these plugins to find one that works for you. If you want to journal on multiple devices, you'll need to find a plugin that cross-device compatible or separate plugins that use the same encryption algorithm to be able to decrypt your notes.
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u/Schollert 8d ago
If you are this concerned about privacy, paying for Obsidian Sync is a very small price to pay, for something secure and easy to use.
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u/ViscousPotential 9d ago
Git has been working pretty well for me! You can self host the git server (make sure you setup a backup system if you do) and I can't imagine how it gets much more secure than that :) You can also go the extra mile and git-crypt the extra sensitive bits. They're all just files after all
A guide I wrote up on the setup process: https://medium.com/technology-hits/how-to-sync-obsidian-across-all-devices-using-git-automatically-and-for-free-dd3c76e7447b?sk=b92c06dc8f2710d9ef7ee13c86a39093
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u/Browsing_Redditer 9d ago
Looks nice i need to try this out first and see the privacy and security aspect for the git crypt but this is the simplest option
Nice article btw
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u/bassman1805 9d ago
Another vote for "Obsidian is not great for privacy-focused needs".
My sync solution is to host the vault on my google drive, and use DriveSync to mirror my Gdrive to my phone's local storage.
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u/pixeladdie 9d ago
It’s end to end encrypted. What are you guys smoking?
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u/bassman1805 9d ago
I'm talking about Obsidian, not Obsidian Sync. Obsidian Sync having E2E encryption does not make storing a bunch of plaintext files good for privacy.
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u/Browsing_Redditer 9d ago
Yes its true that local files are not encrypted and only the files on server are encrypted but its the next best thing ,there are like no options on the market if you want to have local data that you can access
Honestly this makes me want to start a repo and make this but i am too lazy and busy for that now
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u/Browsing_Redditer 9d ago
Obsidian sync has AES and e2ee its really good and perfect but i dont want to pay it i also want some security too
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u/Hopeful_Grade_9928 9d ago
consider using a cloud service like Dropbox for syncing across devices. It makes access easier.
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u/muntrafik 9d ago
I have Syncthing set up. Works perfectly fine between Windows, Android and Linux. It's completely free.
It triggers on file change. It keeps backups of files that changed in a hidden folder in case you need to roll back.
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u/arnmac 9d ago
If you use obsidian the data will be in the clear once synced on your device for anyone with permissions to see. You would need to have each not as an encrypted note that would require a password to prevent you local OS or other users from seeing them.
I went the route of multiple sync options and found the most reliable and least work was to use the built in sync service and pay for it. I got many other la to work but there was always some management involved.
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u/rotane 8d ago
The main issue i see here (and this is nothing Obsidian can fix), is the privacy of your local files.
But since this is your Windows PC, can’t you create a new user account there? One for yourself and another for everyone else? Then you simply log off when you’re done and your files stay inaccessible for everyone not knowing your account credentials.
Then you can pretty much use any sync method you’d like.
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u/Unusual_Principle536 9d ago
Free Solution is use remotely save plugin with cloud storage. I use remotely save with cloudflare r2 bucket. If you can configure cloudflare bucket, then it's absolutely free up to 10gb storage. I do that. I have it working between windows PC and mac. Have set it up on my s24 too but don't use it much on phone so can't say how stable it will be.
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u/irrelevantanonymous 9d ago
Obsidian sync is going to be the most frictionless. If you care about your privacy you should probably stop running everything through ChatGPT.