Keeping Your Obsidian Notes Private: Hiding File Paths
Obsidian is a powerful note-taking app loved for its flexibility and ability to connect ideas. But what happens when you want to keep some of your notes private, hidden from prying eyes? While Obsidian itself doesn't have a built-in "hide" feature, there are several clever workarounds to protect your sensitive information.
Why Hide File Paths?
- Privacy: Sometimes, notes contain personal information, financial data, or other sensitive details you wouldn't want shared.
- Organization: You might want to create a "secret" vault within your Obsidian notes, separated from your regular notes.
- Project Management: When working on collaborative projects, you might have files containing confidential information that should not be seen by everyone.
Methods to Hide File Paths
Let's dive into the methods you can use to keep your Obsidian file paths hidden:
1. Folder Renaming and Moving
This is the simplest method.
- Create a new folder: Within your Obsidian vault folder, create a new folder specifically for your private notes.
- Rename the folder: Give it a cryptic or ambiguous name that doesn't immediately reveal its purpose.
- Move your private notes: Move all the notes you want to hide into this folder.
Example:
Imagine your Obsidian vault is located at C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Obsidian\MyVault. You create a new folder named _private within this vault. Then, you move the notes you want to keep private into this folder.
Important Note: While renaming and moving folders helps obfuscate the location of your files, anyone with access to your computer can still find these folders.
2. Symbolic Links
Symbolic links, often called symlinks, create shortcuts that point to other files or folders. They are particularly useful for hiding the actual location of your private notes.
Steps:
- Create a symbolic link: Use the
mklinkcommand in your operating system's terminal (Windows) or command line (macOS and Linux). - Point the link to your private folder: The command would look something like this:
mklink /J "C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Obsidian\MyVault\SecretNotes" "C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Private\SecretVault"
Example:
You can create a symbolic link named SecretNotes within your main Obsidian vault that points to a folder named SecretVault located somewhere else on your computer.
Benefits:
- Flexibility: You can move the private folder anywhere on your computer without changing the link.
- Better Security: It's harder for someone to find the actual location of your hidden notes.
Important Note: Symbolic links are not a foolproof security measure. Someone familiar with the system can still determine the location of the linked folder.
3. Using Encryption Tools
This is the most secure method for hiding your Obsidian notes.
Steps:
- Choose an encryption tool: Popular options include VeraCrypt, 7-Zip, and GPG.
- Encrypt your private folder: Select your private folder containing the notes you want to hide and encrypt it using your chosen tool.
- Access your encrypted folder: You'll need the password or passphrase to decrypt the folder and access your notes.
Example:
Using VeraCrypt, you can create an encrypted container and mount it as a virtual drive within your computer. You can then move your private notes into this container.
Benefits:
- Strongest protection: Encryption is the most reliable way to prevent unauthorized access to your sensitive information.
- Flexibility: You can use encrypted containers to store other important files as well.
Important Note: Always remember your encryption key or passphrase, as losing it means you'll lose access to your encrypted data.
Conclusion
Obsidian doesn't have a built-in feature for hiding file paths, but by using folder renaming, symbolic links, or encryption tools, you can effectively keep your sensitive notes private. Choose the method that best suits your needs and comfort level with technical solutions.