End-to-end encryption
End-to-end encryption keeps your synced notes readable only by you. With it on, Notate encrypts your note content on your device before it syncs, so the server only ever stores scrambled text.
Turn it on
Open Settings → Security and enable End-to-End Encryption. Notate gives you a recovery phrase during setup. Save it somewhere safe: it is the only way back into your encrypted notes if you forget your password, and no one at Notate can recover it for you.
What it changes
Because the server can no longer read your notes, AI features and semantic search are turned off while encryption is on. Keyword search still works on your devices.
Link previews change too, so the server never learns which links you paste:
- Desktop and mobile fetch the page on your device, and the preview shows the title and description without the site’s image.
- The web app can only fetch a page through Notate’s server, so it keeps a pasted link as a plain link while encryption is on.
What isn’t encrypted yet
Image files you add to notes are stored unencrypted in this version, though only your account can load them. Their filenames and your note text are encrypted. Encrypting image files is planned for a later release.
Turn it off
You can disable encryption later from the same screen, which lets AI features and semantic search work again.