Setting up Obsidian with iCloud

How to sync your Obsidian vault with iCloud

Connect Obsidian on iPhone and Mac to the same vault in iCloud Drive. Check the Apple Account, vault location and downloaded files. To append from Simple Memo, also set up the integration and destination, then check the local write and sync on another device separately.

By SimpleMemo Developer · Published

How do I sync Obsidian with iCloud?

SHORT ANSWER

Turn on iCloud Drive, then create the vault inside the "Obsidian" folder in iCloud Drive. On iPhone that means toggling "Store in iCloud" while creating the vault; on Mac it means picking the Obsidian folder inside iCloud Drive in the file picker.

On the second device, choose "Open folder as vault" and point it at the same folder. Obsidian's documentation warns about the location: a vault outside iCloud Drive/Obsidian/[Your Vault Name] may have syncing issues.

Step 1: Turn on iCloud Drive

Sign in to the same Apple Account on the devices you want to sync and enable iCloud Drive. Setting names vary by OS version; refer to Apple’s setup guide.

  1. iPhone / iPad
    Open Settings → your account → iCloud → Drive and turn on Sync this iPhone or Sync this iPad.
  2. Mac
    Open System Settings → your account → iCloud → Drive and turn on Sync this Mac.

Step 2: Create the vault inside iCloud

Do this once, on your first device. Either platform works, but the flow differs: iPhone gives you a toggle, Mac makes you pick the folder yourself.

Creating it on iPhone / iPad

  1. Open Obsidian and tap Create new vault.
  2. Enter a name for the vault.
  3. Toggle on "Store in iCloud". This is the whole trick. Leave it off and the vault stays on that one device.
  4. Tap Create.

Creating it on Mac

  1. Open Obsidian and choose Create new vault.
  2. In the file picker, navigate to iCloud Drive → Obsidian.
  3. Create a folder for the vault and name it.
  4. Select Create to finish.
WHY INSIDE THE "OBSIDIAN" FOLDER

iCloud Drive gives apps their own area. The "Obsidian" folder carrying the app's icon is that area, and it is where Obsidian on iOS reads and writes. A plain folder you created yourself with the same name is a different thing — Obsidian's documentation says in so many words: do not use the plain folder without the app icon.

Step 3: Open the same vault on your second device

On the second device you do not create a vault — you open the existing folder. Creating one here leaves you with two vaults of the same name sitting side by side.

  1. Open Obsidian on the other Mac or iPhone.
  2. Open the vault switcher and choose Open folder as vault.
  3. Navigate to iCloud Drive → Obsidian and select the vault folder you created on the first device.

Three checks from the official guide

The official guide calls out vault location, file offloading and mixed sync services. Check these items, then use the same note to verify the result.

TRAP 1

The vault sits outside the "Obsidian" folder

The correct location is iCloud Drive/Obsidian/[Your Vault Name]. A vault created directly in iCloud Drive, or inside Documents, either isn't visible to Obsidian on iOS or causes syncing problems. Here's how to check.

  1. Open the Files app on iPhone.
  2. Tap Browse, then select iCloud Drive under Locations.
  3. Confirm the vault is inside the Obsidian folder. Before changing its location, save a separate backup and avoid overwriting a vault with the same name. Afterwards, open it in Obsidian and check the notes and sync on another device.
TRAP 2

iCloud has offloaded the files

iCloud can push the contents of unused files off the device and keep them only in the cloud. Obsidian reads the vault's files directly, so when the contents aren't there, the files read as missing. The official FAQ states plainly that this offloading causes sync issues. The fix depends on your macOS version.

Environment What to do Scope
macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later Right-click the Obsidian folder in iCloud Drive and choose Keep Downloaded Only the Obsidian folder
macOS 14 (Sonoma) or earlier Turn Optimize Mac Storage off in iCloud settings All iCloud storage on that device

Obsidian's documentation calls this optional but strongly recommended for keeping load times fast. Note that on macOS 14 and earlier the switch reaches beyond Obsidian — it affects everything iCloud stores on that Mac.

TRAP 3

Two sync methods layered on one vault

Obsidian's documentation has a dedicated note — avoid mixing sync services — telling you not to sync one vault through several services at once, giving Obsidian Sync plus iCloud as the example. The reason is data conflicts and corruption. If you're on iCloud and want to try the official Sync, move to one or the other rather than running both.

For the same reason, skip iCloud Drive on Windows. The documentation lists iCloud's recommended systems as macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, and states that iCloud Drive on Windows may lead to file duplication or corruption. If Windows or Android is in your mix, iCloud isn't the method to pick.

iCloud carries the whole folder, settings included

A vault is just a folder, and alongside your Markdown files it holds a .obsidian folder with your settings. iCloud Drive syncs at the folder level, so your settings ride along with your notes. For most people that's the convenient default — same theme, same hotkeys, both devices.

If you'd rather keep settings separate per device, the documentation points to a per-device configuration folder feature. (The Syncthing section says to exclude .obsidian from syncing when you want separate settings — which is also confirmation that settings live inside the vault.) iCloud has no exclude list, so on iCloud that feature is the way to do it.

Official sources and the limits of this check

We reread Obsidian’s English and Japanese sync guides on September 30, 2026, for their guidance on vault location, downloaded files and mixing sync services. Translations may have different update dates; check the English guide if the steps differ. Reading documentation or source code is separate from confirming sync between devices. This update did not measure iCloud sync time or concurrent editing on physical devices.

Writing into an iCloud vault from outside Obsidian

Simple Memo can append directly to a vault folder you have allowed it to access. Writing on iPhone and syncing through iCloud to another device are separate stages. Check the destination file first, then open the same note on your Mac or another device.

📁 Enable the integration and vault access
On iPhone, enable Obsidian integration, select the vault folder available in the Files picker and allow access. The app retains access information, but a move or permission change may require selecting it again. When direct folder access works, it can append without opening Obsidian.
📝 Where it writes
The destination is the configured daily note or Inbox note. Check the filename and location, run the Obsidian write test, and open the indicated note to find the test text. See the daily-note guide for more.
🤝 Process writes in order
The implementation uses NSFileCoordinator to coordinate file access and processes writes through a queue. These are measures against conflicts; they do not guarantee that the entire workflow, including concurrent edits on other devices and iCloud sync, cannot lose an entry.
⏳ When the write can't happen
On supported delivery paths, an item that cannot be written immediately is held on the device and retried when the app returns to the foreground or another retry occurs. The implementation stores held text encrypted with AES-GCM. Check pending or failure states and the destination note. Sync time on another device varies with connectivity and file state; there is no fixed number of seconds.
Check a write into your vault

Enable integration, choose the vault and target, and check a short test entry. The write test sends no email; verify iCloud sync on another device afterwards.

Download on the App Store
QR code to download on the App Store On desktop? Scan with your phone

FAQ

Where in iCloud Drive should the vault live?
Not at the top level of iCloud Drive — inside the "Obsidian" folder within it. The official documentation spells out iCloud Drive/Obsidian/[Your Vault Name], tells you to use the folder carrying the Obsidian app icon, and warns against the plain folder without it. Check in the Files app: Browse → iCloud Drive, and confirm your vault is inside the Obsidian folder.
Notes look empty or stale on my iPhone
Check the account, vault location and iCloud Drive state as well as whether files are downloaded. Obsidian’s guide explains that offloading can cause sync issues. On Mac, check Keep Downloaded on macOS 15 or later, or Optimize Mac Storage on macOS 14 or earlier. A Mac setting change alone does not guarantee that an iPhone issue is resolved.
Can I run iCloud and Obsidian Sync together?
The official documentation says to avoid mixing sync services, naming Obsidian Sync plus iCloud as the example, to prevent data conflicts and corruption. Keep one sync method per vault. For a comparison of the methods themselves, see our sync methods overview.
Does iCloud Drive on Windows work?
The official documentation lists iCloud's recommended systems as macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, and states that iCloud Drive on Windows may lead to file duplication or corruption. If Windows or Android needs to be in the loop, pick a different sync method.
Can Simple Memo write into an iCloud vault?
Vault access, Obsidian integration and a destination are required. When direct folder access works, the app can append without opening Obsidian. First run the Obsidian write test and check the destination text; then open the same note on another device to check iCloud sync. Write success, sync time and concurrent editing are not guaranteed in all conditions.
TEST ENVIRONMENT & SCOPE

Update checked September 30, 2026: we compared Obsidian’s sync guide, Apple’s iCloud Drive setup guide, and Simple Memo source for vault access, writing and pending items. No physical-device measurement was performed. This does not verify sync time, concurrent-editing outcomes or every condition in the distributed app. The documentation comparison described on August 27, 2026 in Linux was also not a physical iCloud test. After changing settings, check a short test entry at the destination and on another device.

Related pages

Setting up Obsidian Sync Sync methods compared Obsidian integration Appending to your daily note What is a vault Getting started with Obsidian Obsidian pricing FAQ

References

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