Obsidian 1.11.0 Early Access is officially rolling out. It completely changes how you access your notes on the go, thanks to a massive focus on widgets and deep system integration across both iOS and Android. There are also many upgrades for desktop users.
You can finally use markdown links right inside your note properties on the desktop, which is a huge step for turning your vault into a truly interconnected database. Even better, Obsidian automatically updates these internal links if you move or rename the destination file.
The desktop version also includes some great quality-of-life changes focused on file safety and organization. If you try to rename a file using unsafe characters like ‘#’ or ‘]’, the app now gives you a warning instead of failing silently. The app also handles messy filnames better now. If you drag and drop a file with unsupported characters, Obsidian cleans the name up for you. Also, there’s a new setting that lets you pick a default file to open when you launch the app, giving you options like New note, Specific note, or Daily note.
If you’re on iOS, you now have access to widgets right on your Lock Screen and in the Control Center. This means you can instantly create a new note, jump straight to your daily note, open a specific note, or launch a search query without even opening the app. Home Screen widgets are also available for viewing notes or creating new ones.
The integration gets even deeper with Siri and Shortcuts. You can now use Siri to capture text directly into Obsidian or open your daily notes, and Shortcuts let you log quick thoughts to the top or bottom of a note instantly, which bypasses the app entirely.
Android users aren’t left out of the party either. New widgets allow you to open a specific note, create a new note, search, or access your daily note. What’s really cool is that you can add multiple widgets of the same type and configure them to perform different actions, maybe triggering different search queries or opening specific project files. If you’re running Android 7.0 or newer, you also get a Quick Settings Tile, and users on Android 7.1 and up can access shortcuts like Open note and Daily note by long-pressing the app icon.
Beyond the quick access features, the entire mobile interface is getting a refresh. The new design gives more space to your notes. Reading mode feels much more immersive now; as you scroll, the interface slides away to give your content full focus. Just tap the screen or scroll up slightly to bring the navigation back. To save your thumbs from stretching, the sidebar controls have been moved to the bottom of the screen. The company has even added haptics to the toggles and checkboxes.
Finally, the update fixes several annoying bugs, including an issue where tapping the screen would put the cursor back at its previous location instead of where you tapped. For tablet users, the toolbar is now center-aligned, making it much easier to use.
If you don’t already have Obsidian, you can download it from the official website, the App Store, or Google Play.
Source: Obsidian/BlueSky
