Vim Mode Per Device
hugoh62 downloadsTurn vim key bindings on or off depending on whether you are on desktop or mobile.
- Overview
- Scorecard
- Updates1
An Obsidian plugin that turns Vim key bindings on or off depending on the kind of device Obsidian is running on.
Vim key bindings are great with a hardware keyboard and painful on a phone's
touch keyboard. Obsidian stores the setting in the vault's shared config
(.obsidian/app.json), so with iCloud, Obsidian Sync, Git or any other sync,
switching it on for your laptop switches it on for your phone too. This plugin
sets it per device type each time Obsidian starts.
Features
- Vim key bindings on for desktop, off for mobile by default.
- Both choices are configurable, so you can do the opposite or turn it on everywhere.
- Writes the setting only when it differs, so synced devices don't keep
rewriting
app.json. - No network access, no telemetry, and no files touched besides Obsidian's own config.
Installation
From Community plugins
- Open Settings → Community plugins → Browse.
- Search for Vim Mode Per Device and select Install, then Enable.
Manually
- Download
main.jsandmanifest.jsonfrom the latest release. - Copy them to
<vault>/.obsidian/plugins/vim-mode-per-device/. - Reload Obsidian and enable the plugin in Settings → Community plugins.
Enable the plugin once: the list of enabled plugins syncs with the vault, so it becomes active on every device.
Settings
Settings → Vim Mode Per Device:
| Setting | Default | Applies on |
|---|---|---|
| Vim key bindings on desktop | On | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Vim key bindings on mobile | Off | iOS, iPadOS, Android (phones and tablets) |
Changes apply immediately to the current device. Other devices pick them up the next time Obsidian starts there.
How it works
On load, the plugin checks Platform.isMobile and sets Obsidian's vimMode
config to the matching setting. The plugin's own settings are stored in its
data.json and sync with the vault like any other plugin data.
Caveats
- Toggling Settings → Editor → Vim key bindings by hand still works, but the plugin applies your per-device choice again the next time Obsidian starts. Change the plugin's settings instead.
- Tablets count as mobile, which is how Obsidian itself classifies them.
- Obsidian doesn't publish an API for its own editor settings. The plugin uses
app.vault.getConfig/setConfig, the internal methods behind Obsidian's settings screens. Many plugins rely on them, but a future Obsidian release could change them.
Contributing
See CONTRIBUTING.md for development setup and the release process.