The content of your notes, checklists and tray is encrypted on your device before it’s saved. Only your devices, and those of the people you share with, can decrypt it. Encryption is on from the start and can’t be turned off.
How to use itWhat’s encryptedWhen the server can decryptSharingLocked notesFAQ
Your content is encrypted on your device before it’s sent.
Your encryption key is stored on your devices, and the server keeps it only in a form encrypted with your recovery key or another of your keys. So neither the server nor the operator can read your content.
There are exceptions, such as while you allow an AI agent to read your content. See When the server can decrypt your data below.
For step-by-step instructions, see Getting started.
⚠️ Important
If you lose your recovery key and your passkeys, and no device still has your encryption keys, no one, including the operator, can recover your encrypted data. Keep your recovery key somewhere safe, such as a password manager. Don’t show it to anyone.
For the full list, see the technical details.
In the following cases, your content reaches the server unencrypted, or the server is able to decrypt it.
For how each case is handled, see the technical details.
Shared notes and checklists are end-to-end encrypted too. Each note or checklist gets its own key, which is encrypted separately for each member. Only members’ devices can decrypt the content.
For the details of how keys are exchanged, see the technical details. For how to share and what each role can do, see Sharing notes and checklists.
Keep things you especially want to protect, such as passwords or account numbers, in locked notes. The key for locked notes is encrypted with a key made from your PIN and your protection key. The server can’t decrypt your protection key, so the operator can’t open them by guessing PINs. Even while you allow agents to read your content, locked notes can’t be decrypted.
For how to use them and what to keep in mind, see Locked notes. For how the keys are structured, see the technical details.
No. Keys are derived from your recovery key on your device, and all encryption and decryption also happen on your device. The server only receives encrypted data and data used to check that a key is correct.
No. Anyone looking directly at the server’s database would see only meaningless random characters. What’s listed under “Not encrypted” above, such as when you sent items, how many and their sizes, can’t be hidden. The only exceptions are those listed in When the server can decrypt your data above.
No. The approving device encrypts your encryption key with a temporary key shared only with the new device before sending it. The server only relays the data and can’t decrypt it.
The 6-digit code appears only on the new device, and you can’t approve without entering it on the approving device. If the code you enter is wrong, the request is canceled and you’ll need to start again on the new device. Someone who knows your sign-in details can’t get their device approved unless you enter the code shown on that device. Never enter a code someone else gives you.
The approval request shows the requesting device’s name, type, approximate location and time. The device name is chosen by the requesting device itself. If you don’t recognize it, select Deny. Approvals are also recorded in Notices.
Yes. On the first screen, select “Choose my own”. It must meet these four requirements:
Several words separated by spaces make a key that’s easy to remember and hard to guess.
No. Everything you save is encrypted. For exceptions, see When the server can decrypt your data above.
Yes. In Settings → Security, select “Check” next to “Recovery key” and enter the key you saved. The app tells you whether it’s correct. Checking doesn’t change your keys.
On a device that has your encryption key and protection key, select “Change” next to “Recovery key” in Settings → Security to create a new recovery key. Use this if you lost your recovery key or someone may have seen it. If you use locked notes, you’ll also be asked for your PIN.
The old recovery key stops working, but your other devices keep working. Keys and other data encrypted with the old recovery key stay in backups for about 90 days.
In Settings → Security, select “Renew” next to “Encryption key”. Use this if you lose a device, for example. After you renew it, data you save from now on is encrypted with a new key. Data you saved earlier stays readable on all your devices. Access to contents is turned off for all agents.
Your other devices get the new key the next time they open the app. On a device without the protection key, enter your recovery key or approve it from another device.
Add a passkey under “Passkeys” in Settings → Security, and on a new device you can sign in and unlock in one step with your fingerprint or face, using “Sign in with passkey” on the first screen. You don’t need your recovery key. It works on devices your passkeys sync to. After signing in, you can also unlock with “Unlock with passkey”. You won’t see these options in browsers or password managers that don’t support unlocking with a passkey.
To create an account, sign in with Google, GitHub or X. If you lose your passkey, you can still sign in with them.
It can’t read encrypted data. To prevent anything from being sent unencrypted, it also can’t send anything new or write notes. Once you approve it from another device or enter your recovery key, you can use it as usual.
On the “Unlock your data on this device” screen, turn on “Don’t save keys on this device (shared computer)”. You can also change it in Settings → Security under “This device”. When it’s on, the encryption key, search data, notes waiting to be sent and drafts aren’t saved on the device, and they’re deleted when you close the tab. Closing the browser signs you out. Each time you open the app, unlock with approval, a passkey or your recovery key.
Notifications on this device don’t show contents. Notes you write while offline are lost if you close the tab before they’re sent.
If your browser is set to reopen the pages you had open, or if you added the app to the Home Screen on iPhone or iPad, you may stay signed in after closing it. Even then, you’re signed out 12 hours after you last used the app. When you’re done, sign out.
Your device decrypts the incoming ciphertext before showing the notification. Devices that don’t have your keys show only “🔒 New item”, without the content.
For the encryption methods, how the keys are structured and what the server stores, see the technical details.