Getting your Obsidian vault onto Google Drive is only part of the job. Your other devices also need a way to synchronize and open those notes. Start with Drive for desktop on Windows or Mac, a folder-sync app on Android, or a compatible community plugin on iPhone and iPad.
Set up a local Drive vault on your computer
On Windows and Mac, use Drive for desktop to keep a complete local copy of your vault.
- 1.Install Google Drive for desktop, open it, and select Get started → Sign in. Complete Google sign-in in your browser. Use this current client instead of the retired Backup and Sync application named in older tutorials.
- 2.Open the Drive icon in the Windows notification area or macOS menu bar. Select Settings → Preferences → Folders from Drive → My Drive syncing options → Mirror files. The sidebar entry also appears as Google Drive.
- 3.For an existing vault, open Obsidian’s Vault profile → Manage Vaults.... Leave that window open and close the vault window. Beside the vault, select More options → Move vault, then choose the resulting local My Drive folder.
- 4.For a new vault instead, select Vault profile → Manage Vaults... → Create new vault → Create. Enter the Vault name, use Browse to choose the local Drive location, then select Create.
- 5.Wait for synchronization to finish. Open the Drive icon to check its progress before continuing on another computer.
- 6.On each additional computer, connect the same Google account and select Mirror files. Once the vault downloads, open Obsidian’s Manage Vaults... → Open folder as vault → Open. Select the local vault folder and click Open.
Download the whole vault if you use streaming
Offline access gives Obsidian local files while Drive stays streamed; shared drives require this route because they cannot be mirrored.
For My Drive, open the Drive icon and select Settings → Preferences → Folders from Drive → My Drive syncing options → Stream files. In File Explorer or Finder, right-click the vault folder and select Offline Access → Available offline. Wait for every file in the vault to download.
In Obsidian, select Manage Vaults... → Open folder as vault → Open. Select the downloaded vault folder. Click Open.
Bring the vault to Android with DriveSync
On Android, Autosync for Google Drive, also called DriveSync, connects your Drive folder to a local vault that Obsidian can open. The Google Drive app’s Make available offline control alone does not synchronize files into a local Obsidian vault directory.
Install Autosync for Google Drive using Install on its Google Play page. Connect your Google account inside DriveSync. Create a folder pair with Local folder in device set to your locally accessible vault folder.
Set Remote folder in cloud storage to the corresponding vault folder in Google Drive. Choose Two-way so edits travel in both directions. Enable the folder pair. Enable automatic synchronization.
Tap Sync for the first run. Wait for the vault files to synchronize. Open the synchronized local folder in Obsidian.
DriveSync requires premium features for larger uploads, additional folder pairs or accounts, and shared drives.
Connect an iPhone or iPad through a plugin
Obsidian does not officially support direct Google Drive vault synchronization on iOS. Google Drive Sync by richardx366 provides a community plugin route for desktop and mobile, including iPhone and iPad, and requires Obsidian 1.13.0 or later.
Start with an empty vault. This plugin manages its own remote storage, so the ordinary Drive folder used by desktop clients or Android folder-sync apps is not an interchangeable starting point.
Open Settings → Community plugins → Turn on community plugins. If the displayed onboarding control is Restricted mode, turn it off instead. Select Browse and search for Google Drive Sync by richardx366. Select Install.
Select Enable. Open the plugin author’s token service and select Sign In. Sign in with Google, then copy the refresh token.
Paste the token into the plugin’s settings, then reload Obsidian. Import existing notes through Obsidian. The author prohibits manually uploading into the plugin’s generated Drive folder or editing its files outside Obsidian.
Use the ribbon sync button or Push to Google Drive to upload changes. Use Pull from Google Drive to download changes. Enable Automatically push changes for delayed automatic uploads.
Repeat the plugin setup on your other devices using matching local vault names. If synchronization fails, check for plugin updates at Settings → Community plugins → Current plugins → Check for updates, then select Update all.
Keep changes consistent between devices
Include the complete vault folder when using ordinary filesystem clients, including attachments and the .obsidian folder if you want settings to travel. Some plugins intentionally exclude configuration or trash folders.
Wait for synchronization to finish before editing the same note on another device. Avoid simultaneous editing before changes arrive.
Use one synchronization service for each vault. Obsidian warns against running competing synchronization services on the same vault.
Choose Two-way in Android folder-sync apps for editable copies on both devices. Upload-only, download-only, and archive modes do not provide the same bidirectional synchronization.
For an initial transfer or manual backup, open the destination folder at Google Drive. Select New → Folder Upload. Select the complete vault folder. This uploads a copy; it does not establish continuing two-way synchronization.
Keep browser uploads and ordinary Drive folders separate from plugin-managed remote storage. Plugins can restrict access to files they created or files specifically authorized for them. Finish the first synchronization before opening the vault on your next device.
Restore synchronization when files do not arrive
Start with the desktop client’s pause control. Open the Drive icon and select Settings → Resume syncing. A paused client stops synchronizing all its files, including your vault.
On a Mac, select Google Drive under Finder’s Locations. Select Enable when prompted. Use Finder’s Google Drive location instead of an old tutorial’s fixed folder path.
For blocked Mac folder access, open the Apple menu → System Settings → Privacy & Security → Files and Folders. Enable the relevant Google Drive permissions.
On a Pixel, open Settings → Apps → App battery usage. Select the companion app you installed, such as Autosync. Turn on Allow background usage. Other Android manufacturers use different background settings.
Keep automatic synchronization enabled inside the companion app as well. If files still do not arrive with a work or school account, ask your administrator to check whether Drive for desktop and your chosen synchronization app are permitted.
Pause or stop vault synchronization
Use the synchronization client’s controls when you want changes to stop traveling to Drive. Removing a vault from Obsidian’s remembered list neither stops Drive synchronization nor deletes the folder.
For a temporary desktop pause, open the Drive icon and select Settings → Pause syncing. This pauses the entire client, including files outside your vault.
Before disconnecting a streamed account, copy any files you need outside Drive. Google says disconnecting a streaming account removes its offline files.
To disconnect, open the Drive icon and go to Settings → Preferences → Advanced Settings. Scroll to the account. Select Disconnect account, then select OK.
To disable an Obsidian synchronization plugin, open Settings → Community plugins → Installed plugins. Turn off the plugin’s switch. Disabling or removing it does not automatically delete its Drive data or revoke its Google authorization.
To revoke a third-party app’s access, open your Google Account connections and select Access to your Google Account. Select the synchronization app. Select See details → Remove access → Confirm. Revoking access does not delete files already uploaded.
Disable the client’s synchronization as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Obsidian Sync use Google Drive?
No. Obsidian Sync uses a separate backend. Google Drive synchronization relies on a desktop client, folder-sync app, or compatible community plugin.
Can I sync an existing vault without moving its folder?
Yes. On Windows or Mac, open the Drive icon → Settings → Preferences → Folders from your computer, select your computer’s entry (it may read My Laptop, My Computer, or your device’s name) → Add folder. Select the vault, choose Sync with Google Drive, then select Done. Its cloud copy appears under Computers. This synchronizes that computer’s folder and differs from putting each computer’s vault in My Drive.
Can I use Google Drive to sync Obsidian on Linux?
Google has no official Linux desktop client. The paid Insync client supports Linux: connect your Google account, open Cloud Selective Sync, select the vault, and choose 2-way sync with its local location. Open the resulting local folder in Obsidian.
Is Google Drive free in Remotely Save?
No. Google Drive is a paid Remotely Save PRO backend. Its automatic synchronization requires Obsidian to remain open.