Nextcloud Nativeby Obiente
GitHub

An independent client by Obiente

Your Nextcloud deserves a real app.

Test Files, Photos, Talk, Calendar, and installed-app workspaces in the current Android, Linux, and Windows alpha builds.

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.

Platform status

  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Android

Built by Obiente. Independent and community-driven.

Get the current build

Download for your platform.

AndroidAndroid 8.0 or newerAPKWindowsx86-64 - unsigned MSIMSILinuxDebian and Ubuntu - x86-64DEBLinuxFedora and RHEL - x86-64RPMmacOSIntel - sign-in unavailableDMG

Alpha software: keep another copy of important data. Check the release notes and checksums before installing.

Everyday work

Open a file. Review a photo. Read a message.

Nextcloud Native uses verified server APIs and the platform integrations implemented for Android, Linux, and Windows. Capability checks keep unavailable actions out of otherwise useful workspaces.

Your installed apps are discoverable

Files, Photos, Talk, Calendar, Mail, Notes, Deck, and other server apps share one account, with native support shown at its verified level.

It uses the device you are holding

Android gets touch controls, system Back, and share sheets. Linux and Windows use resizable panes, pointer actions, and desktop file integration where implemented.

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, search, sharing foundations, Android offline storage, folder pairs, and desktop virtual filesSynthetic data, captured from the app.

Browse and preview ordinary files, edit guarded text content, and use platform file integration. Sync, cache, and conflict state remain explicit while the alpha is still being hardened.

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

Android mobile and tablet

Android is the active mobile target, with touch-first navigation, system Files integration, permissions, and durable background work. iPhone and iPad builds are planned but not available.

Linux and Windows desktop

Linux and Windows have authenticated alpha packages and OS-specific file integration. macOS has an early packaging artifact but no supported Keychain-backed login yet.

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
Nextcloud Native Android Calendar month view with previous and next navigation, Today, visible events, selected date, source labels, refresh, and add action
Calendar and planning

Use Nextcloud Calendar on Android

Browse month and agenda views on Android, create CalDAV events, edit writable series safely, and understand read-only calendars and conflicts.

8 min · 3 steps
Nextcloud Native Android Add sync flow showing the selected device folder, the Nextcloud destination, direction, and a reviewable mapping
Files and sync

Sync an Android device folder with Nextcloud

Create an Android folder pair with the system picker, choose upload, download, or two-way direction, and configure durable background sync safely.

10 min · 3 steps
Nextcloud Native Android Home screen showing the connected account status, quick actions, recent files, upcoming events, photo backup, and conversations
Start here

Get started with Nextcloud Native on Android

Install the Android alpha, connect your Nextcloud account with Login Flow, find native workspaces, and check permissions and offline access.

8 min · 3 steps
Nextcloud Native Android Files workspace showing cloud folders and documents with favorites, previews, transfer state, and offline availability indicators
Files and sync

Keep Nextcloud files available offline on Android

Pin individual Nextcloud files on Android, verify durable downloads, use the system Files provider, and remove local copies without deleting cloud data.

8 min · 3 steps
Nextcloud Native Android Photo backup screen showing detected Camera and Screenshots folders, item counts, estimated sizes, and proposed Nextcloud destinations
Photos and media

Back up Android photos and videos to Nextcloud

Allow Android media access, map Camera or Screenshots to Nextcloud, run a safe upload-only sync, and verify pending, failed, and backed-up states.

9 min · 3 steps
Nextcloud Native desktop Calendar month workspace with source list, date grid, event rows, search, selected event inspector, Today, refresh, and view controls
Calendar and planning

Use Nextcloud Calendar on Linux and Windows

Navigate the desktop month, week, and agenda views, filter calendars, inspect events, and make ETag-protected CalDAV changes on Linux or Windows.

8 min · 3 steps
Nextcloud Native desktop Home workspace with connected account status, quick actions, recent files, upcoming events, storage, and persistent navigation
Start here

Get started with Nextcloud Native on Linux or Windows

Choose the correct Linux or Windows alpha package, connect with Login Flow, learn desktop navigation, and review OS-specific integration limits.

9 min · 3 steps
Nextcloud Native Linux folder-sync workspace with multiple pairs, directions, queued operations, recent runs, health, and a selected pair inspector
Files and sync

Sync a Linux folder with Nextcloud Native

Map a Linux directory to Nextcloud, choose safe sync and deletion rules, understand two-minute background checks, and recover conflicts without data loss.

10 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

Use the Linux and Windows app catalog, pinned and recent desktop shortcuts, and per-app navigation memory while respecting native support boundaries.

5 min · 3 steps
Nextcloud Native Windows sync and storage settings showing virtual files, account storage, local cache, and the system-integration action
Files and sync

Use Nextcloud files in Windows File Explorer

Activate Nextcloud Native Cloud Files on Windows, understand placeholders and hydration, keep files local, free space, and recover guarded writeback conflicts.

9 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?

Folder pairs connect a normal device folder with a Nextcloud folder and expose direction, deletion, conflict, and scheduling policy. Keep independent backups while this workflow remains alpha.

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

Android backup distinguishes pending, uploading, backed-up, changed, failed, and cloud-only files. A complete camera-roll cleanup action is not exposed yet, so keep originals and use an independent backup.

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.