Sync Obsidian between Windows and iPhone with GitHub.

This guide starts with a vault on Windows that is not already a Git repository. If your vault is already on GitHub, skip to the iPhone steps. If your only copy is on your phone, publish it from iPhone first, then clone it on Windows.

What you need

• Obsidian on Windows and iPhone, plus a GitHub account.
• Git for Windows, including Git Bash and Git Credential Manager.
• GitSync.md on iOS 17 or later. It costs $19.99 once on the US App Store; local prices vary.
• A separate backup of your notes before moving folders or changing sync methods.

The desktop examples below run in Git Bash, not PowerShell. GitSync.md runs on the phone; Windows uses Git for Windows. You do not need the Obsidian Git plugin for the manual workflow in this guide.

Use a local Windows folder such as C:\Users\YOUR_NAME\Documents\MyVault, provided Documents is not redirected to OneDrive. Pick a folder outside OneDrive, Dropbox, or iCloud if those services manage your current location. Open that folder as your vault in Obsidian. Keep one sync method responsible for the working copy.

1. Put your Windows vault in Git

Open Git Bash in the vault folder. Replace the example path and author details with your own. These commands are for a folder that is not already a Git repository; use git status to check first.

cd "/c/Users/YOUR_NAME/Documents/MyVault"
git init -b main
git config user.name "YOUR_NAME"
git config user.email "YOUR_COMMIT_EMAIL"

The two git config commands set your identity for this repository. Use the commit email you intend to publish with your history, including a GitHub no-reply address if that is your preference.

Keep device settings out of the first commit

For the tradeoff between notes-only and shared configuration, read the Obsidian .gitignore guide.

Create a file named .gitignore at the vault root. For a notes-first setup, start with:

.obsidian/
.trash/
.DS_Store
Thumbs.db

Ignoring .obsidian/ keeps this setup’s plugin settings and device configuration out of Git. You will configure plugins and preferences separately on each device. You can later choose specific portable settings to version. Ignore rules do not remove files that are already tracked, and they do not detect secrets in ordinary notes or attachments.

Stage and inspect the files before committing. Check for private documents, tokens, large attachments, and files you did not intend to upload.

git add .
git status
git diff --cached --stat
git diff --cached

When the review is complete, save the first commit:

git commit -m "Add vault notes"

2. Push to a private GitHub repository

On GitHub, create a new private repository. Leave README, license, and .gitignore initialization off because you already have a local first commit. See GitHub’s repository creation instructions.

Replace YOUR_ACCOUNT and YOUR_REPOSITORY with the new destination:

git remote add origin https://github.com/YOUR_ACCOUNT/YOUR_REPOSITORY.git
git push -u origin main

Git Credential Manager can open a browser for GitHub sign-in when required. Do not use your GitHub account password as a Git HTTPS password. Follow GitHub’s credential setup instructions if authentication fails.

Open the repository on GitHub and confirm your notes and first commit arrived. Private visibility restricts access to the repository; it is not encryption with a key held only by you. Git history also retains earlier versions after an ordinary deletion commit.

3. Clone the vault onto your iPhone

1. Install and open Obsidian. Create a local vault first if needed to make its folder appear under On My iPhone. Leave Store in iCloud off for this route.
2. Open GitSync.md, sign into GitHub, and choose On My iPhone → Obsidian as the save location.
3. Add your private vault repository and clone it. Open the cloned repository folder as a vault in Obsidian; fully close and reopen Obsidian if the vault does not appear.
4. In GitSync.md, check that the selected branch is main, matching the Windows branch.

The main iPhone setup guide covers folder selection in more detail. The same local-folder workflow applies to iPad under On My iPad.

You can now edit in Obsidian and perform Git operations in GitSync.md. If you prefer commands inside Obsidian, install and configure its Git plugin separately: Connect can reuse supported GitHub account credentials. It requires GitSync.md 2.8.0 or later, or 2.8.1 for a published vault.

Get GitSync.md for iPhone and iPad →

4. Verify one edit in each direction

1. On Windows, create a test note in Obsidian. In Git Bash, review, commit, and push it using the daily commands below.
2. On iPhone, open the repository in GitSync.md and pull. Open the test note in Obsidian and confirm the contents.
3. Edit that note on iPhone. In GitSync.md, review the diff, stage the intended edit, commit, and push.
4. Back on Windows, pull and verify the iPhone edit in Obsidian. Check the new commit on GitHub too.

These checks establish that your own setup can transfer changes in both directions. Do them before relying on automatic syncing.

Daily Windows and iPhone workflow

Before editing on Windows, run this from the vault folder:

git status
git pull --ff-only

After editing, review and publish the changes you intend to share:

git add .
git diff --cached --stat
git diff --cached
git commit -m "Update notes from Windows"
git push

If Git reports nothing to commit, skip the commit step. On iPhone, use the same rhythm: pull in GitSync.md, write in Obsidian, then review, commit, and push in GitSync.md before changing devices. Wait for one app’s Git operation to finish before starting another.

Writing offline is fine, but editing the same note independently on two devices can produce conflicts. git pull --ff-only stops when histories diverge. Preserve your local work and resolve the histories deliberately instead of force-pushing or deleting the vault. See the conflict checklist.

Common questions

Can I use iCloud instead?

Obsidian lists iCloud as an option for Apple devices but warns that iCloud Drive on Windows can cause duplication or corruption. This guide uses a Git remote between two local working copies. See Obsidian’s sync documentation for alternatives, including its official Sync service.

Will plugins and settings follow my notes?

Not with the starter ignore rules above. Install and configure plugins on each device. This avoids treating desktop and mobile plugin settings as interchangeable.

What about large images, audio, or PDFs?

Start with a small vault and check attachment sizes before importing a large library. Git LFS needs a compatible workflow on every Git client you use; review GitSync.md’s LFS guide before assuming the Obsidian Git plugin has the same capabilities.

Does this sync automatically in the background?

The instructions here are manual. GitSync.md offers optional Background Sync, but iOS controls execution and timing. Connect configures credentials, not sync intervals. Establish reliable manual transfers first, then consider Apple Shortcuts.