Nextcloud Nativeby Obiente
GitHub

An independent client by Obiente

Your Nextcloud deserves a real app.

Use Files, Photos, Talk, Calendar, and the apps installed on your server from one client on phone, tablet, and desktop.

Get Nextcloud Native See how it works
Nextcloud Native desktop home view with account status, recent files, activity, events, and photo backupNextcloud Native mobile home with files, conversations, events, and sync status
The same account, shaped for desktop and mobile. Real native UI. Synthetic private data.

Available for

  • Windows
  • macOS
  • Linux
  • Android
  • iOS

Built by Obiente. Independent and community-driven.

Everyday work

Open a file. Share a photo. Answer a call.

Nextcloud Native uses your device's file picker, share sheet, notifications, background work, keyboard, and touch controls. Your account and permissions stay with you as you move between them.

Your apps are all there

Files, Photos, Talk, Calendar, Mail, Notes, Deck, and the other apps on your server live under the same account.

It uses the device you are holding

A phone gets touch controls and share sheets. A desktop gets resizable panes, keyboard navigation, context menus, and drag and drop.

It stops before it guesses

Originals are kept, conflicts are shown, and a write is withheld when the server contract is unclear.

Your apps

Each app keeps the shape that makes it useful.

Mail is a mailbox, Deck is a board, Tables is a table, and Memories is a photo library. Shared native building blocks make navigation and actions predictable without flattening everything into a generic data screen.

Explore the app model
Product viewFiles and documents Real Compose UI
Files and documents shown in the real Nextcloud Native Compose interface with synthetic data
Files, Notes, Office, search, sharing, versions, offline folders, and two-way syncSynthetic data, captured from the app.

Browse, edit, share, recover, and synchronize ordinary files through native pickers and file managers. Offline work remains explicit and conflicts never disappear behind a generic success message.

How it works

Native is a behavior, not a coat of paint.

Nextcloud Native reads verified capabilities and versioned contracts, understands the work they represent, and chooses a useful native interface. It never invents an endpoint or passes an embedded website off as an app.

Read the architecture
  1. Server

    Ask what is actually available

    The app discovers the exact features, versions, permissions, and installed apps your Nextcloud makes available.

  2. Contract

    Check before doing anything

    Verified contracts turn files, dates, people, messages, rows, media, relationships, and actions into typed concepts.

  3. Interface

    Use the right native view

    The result becomes a gallery, editor, table, conversation, calendar, board, or dashboard integrated with the operating system.

Every device

Built for each device, not merely resized.

Your data follows the same safety and sync rules everywhere. Each platform still gets the layout, controls, lifecycle, and system integration that belong there.

Nextcloud Native Files on desktop with folders, photos, documents, and offline availabilityNextcloud Native home on mobile
One account. Separate layouts for the screen in front of you.Real Compose UI

Mobile and tablet

Android, iPhone, and iPad use touch-first navigation, native sharing, background transfer, notifications, media controls, file providers, and layouts that adapt from a phone to a large screen.

Desktop

Linux, Windows, and macOS use resizable multi-pane workspaces, keyboard navigation, context menus, drag and drop, native file access, system notifications, and desktop media controls.

Built in the open

The work is public.

GuidesLearn complete workflows step by stepRoadmapPriorities, milestones, and deliveryJournalProduct decisions and deeper stories

Learn by doing

Follow the whole task, not a list of controls.

Every guide uses current synthetic captures from the real app and explains the safe result you should expect.

All guides
Desktop Calendar workspace with calendar sources, a populated month grid, selected-day events, event details, and persistent Nextcloud navigation
Calendar and planning

Plan your work with Calendar

Navigate month and agenda views, create complete events, choose calendars, and update schedules without losing the surrounding workspace.

7 min · 3 steps
Folder sync workspace with several active folder pairs, sync direction, transfer counts, health, recent activity, and selected-pair details
Files and sync

Keep a device folder in sync

Create a folder pair, choose exactly what belongs in it, and understand direction, conflicts, scheduling, and sync health.

8 min · 3 steps
Nextcloud Native desktop overview with account status, quick actions, recent work, upcoming events, and the persistent workspace sidebar
Start here

Get started with Nextcloud Native

Connect your Nextcloud account, understand the workspace, and choose the apps and device settings you will use every day.

6 min · 3 steps
Native Files workspace showing folders, previews, sync state, storage state, selection controls, and the persistent desktop sidebar
Files and sync

Keep important files available offline

Understand cloud-only, cached, pinned, and synchronized files, then control device storage without risking drafts or active transfers.

7 min · 3 steps
Mobile photo backup setup showing Camera and Screenshots suggestions, image and video counts, remote destinations, and upload conditions
Photos and media

Back up photos and videos

Select camera folders, choose safe upload conditions, follow the backup queue, and verify media before freeing device storage.

8 min · 3 steps
Apps workspace with pinned apps, recent work, app categories, installed app cards, search, and a persistent account sidebar
Workspace

Move between Nextcloud apps without losing your place

Find installed apps, pin everyday tools, and switch between nested workspaces while each app remembers its own route and interface state.

5 min · 3 steps

Documentation

Read how the product is put together.

Architecture, security decisions, compatibility rules, and contribution guides live beside the source they describe.

Journal

Notes from building the client.

All project news
Nextcloud Native desktop folder sync center showing several synthetic folder pairs, live progress, a conflict, and a detailed inspector

Folder sync that feels at home on every system

Nextcloud Native connects ordinary device folders to Nextcloud with two-way sync, visible conflicts, selective rules, and system file integration.

6 min read

Backing up your phone photos should feel trustworthy

Verified backup distinguishes safe Nextcloud copies, files that need attention, and storage that can be reviewed for cleanup.

5 min read
Nextcloud Native showing detected Camera and Screenshots folders plus pending and completed photo backup counts on mobile

Syncing an Obsidian folder with Nextcloud

Reliable two-way Nextcloud folder sync keeps Markdown notes visible to Obsidian, preserves conflicting edits, and avoids hidden app folders.

4 min read
Nextcloud Native showing a synthetic Obsidian vault two-way sync pair with pending and completed transfer counts on mobile

Straight answers

Before you connect a server.

Is this a web wrapper?

No. Nextcloud Native consumes server APIs and renders native Compose interfaces. Web content is reserved for formats that genuinely require a document renderer, not app navigation.

Can I keep normal folders and an Obsidian vault in sync?

Yes. Folder pairs connect a normal device folder with a Nextcloud folder, keep files visible to Obsidian and other editors, work offline, and preserve both versions when changes conflict.

Can it back up photos and safely make space on my device?

Yes. Backup distinguishes waiting, uploading, verified, changed, failed, and cloud-only files. Storage cleanup is offered only for the exact file version verified on your selected server.

How does it work with so many Nextcloud apps?

Reusable native components understand common resources such as files, messages, people, events, tables, boards, media, forms, and actions. Verified app knowledge improves specialized workflows without turning every integration into a separate client.

Why use adaptive components instead of only app-specific clients?

App-specific knowledge can improve an experience, but reusable semantics let similar data and actions work across apps we have never tested. Verified adapters remain available for the places where they create a genuine UX improvement.

Is this an official Nextcloud project?

No. Nextcloud Native is an independent Obiente project, licensed under AGPL-3.0-or-later. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Nextcloud GmbH.

AGPL-3.0 open source

Use it. Read it. Help shape it.

Run the clients, test your server and apps, inspect the architecture, or bring a platform integration you care about.