Obsidian Not Working? Common Errors & Fixes

Obsidian Sync usually stalls because one file keeps failing (often a name with illegal characters like an asterisk), the app was suspended by battery saving, or another sync service is touching the vault. Check the Sync log for the looping file, rename it, then force-quit and reopen Obsidian.

Deleted or moved files come back when a device that was offline reconnects and re-uploads its cached copy, or when two devices edit the same note before syncing. Update Obsidian on every device, choose how conflicts are handled in Settings > Sync, and keep other sync services out of the vault.

iCloud is not designed for apps that write many small config files, so Obsidian vaults in iCloud often get duplicate files like 'workspace 2' and long 'Waiting for iCloud to synchronize' screens on iPhone. Delete the duplicates, never combine iCloud with Obsidian Sync, and keep files downloaded on the device.

A stalled 'Loading cache' or slow launch is most often caused by a plugin that indexes the vault at startup, huge numbers of non-Markdown files, or a corrupted cache. Use the plugin startup timer to find the slow plugin, then clear Obsidian's cache folder if it still hangs.

Obsidian's mobile apps load the whole vault index on launch, so large or attachment-heavy vaults can take 5-12 seconds or freeze. Keeping the vault in local app storage, trimming attachments and plugins, and updating to the latest version help most.

When plugins fail to load after an update, a plugin is usually incompatible or community-plugins.json is broken. Update all plugins, restart, and if Obsidian won't even open, move community-plugins.json out of the .obsidian folder to start clean.

A blank black, white or garbled window is almost always a GPU rendering problem in Obsidian's Electron shell, often after a graphics driver update. Turning off hardware acceleration and updating the installer fixes most cases.

Embedded images usually fail because the link no longer matches the file's path or name, the attachment folder setting points elsewhere, or a stray character breaks rendering. Check the raw link, the Files and links settings, and test with plugins off.

If search, Bases or Dataview don't see new notes, Obsidian's metadata index is stuck. Rebuild the cache in Settings > Files and links, then force-quit and reopen; recurring problems usually point to a huge or malformed note or an indexing plugin.

On Android, Google Photos or the system media scanner can manage and remove images that Obsidian Sync downloaded. Obsidian's official fix is adding a .nomedia file to the vault folder on the phone.