Notes app with chat like interface. Zero ad. Open-source. Made by team Olauncher
4.39·2,122 reviews·100,000+ downloads
Note Safe - Private Notepad offers a privacy-first, chat-style note-taking experience with offline-first use and optional end-to-end encrypted cloud backup (beta). It is open-source under AGPL-v3.0 and keeps notes on-device by default. With 100,000+ total downloads and a 1349-day age, it appeals to users seeking transparent, secure note-taking.
Pros & Cons
Private on-device notes with password protection
End-to-end encrypted cloud backup (beta)
Open-source AGPL-v3.0 for transparency
Offline-first with rich attachments and multimedia notes
Limited cross-platform availability; Windows app exists, while macOS, Linux, and iOS versions are planned/coming soon.
About Note to Self - Private Notepad
Note to Self - Private Notepad is a productivity app developed by Phone Safe.
Download Statistics
Note to Self - Private Notepad has been downloaded 130 thousand times. In the last 30 days, the app was downloaded 1.6 thousand times.
User Ratings
Note to Self - Private Notepad is rated 4.39 out of 5 stars. The rating is based on 2.1 thousand ratings.
App Information
Note to Self - Private Notepad is FREE to download. The APK download size is 45.03 MB. The latest version available is 2.2.7. The last update was on August 5, 2026.
Technical Requirements
Note to Self - Private Notepad requires Android 6.0+ or higher. The app has a content rating of Everyone. The app has been available on Google Play September 2022.
Description
What people are saying:
🏆 One of the best apps of 2022. Sam Beckman https://youtu.be/le_NWCfj9ho?t=616
🏆 ...the chat format for note taking is very convenient... overall, Note to Self is a wonderful note taking app. Gadgets Gig https://youtu.be/L33YqxyTXG8?t=107
🏆 ...it often takes something very special to make them [notes apps] stand out. Note to Self has done just that. Sam Beckman https://youtu.be/UQrDXCO6M8M?t=453
FEATURES:
💬 Chat interface • Making it one of the simplest, fastest and capable note taking app ever.
🕵️♂️ Completely private • All your notes, password protected, stay on your device and don't get transferred to any server without your permission.
🔐 • End-to-end encrypted cloud backup and sync is now available in beta.
📖 • Free and open-source under AGPL-v3.0 license.
💻 • App available for Windows. MacOS and Linux apps are coming soon; iOS version coming later.
🚫 Offline first • Can work completely offline. No Internet connection necessary.
🏙️ Attachment • Add as many images, videos or files as you want. Set images for note groups for easy identification.
🎤 Voice notes • Create audio notes with a simple long press, like chat apps.
📍 Location notes • Save your current GPS location.
📂 Folders • Create notes folders for easy categorisation.
🔍 Search your notes • Search your notes like you search your chats.
🔒 Biometric password • Save all your notes safely behind your fingerprint or Face ID.
🔠 Backup & restore • Create offline backups for your notes and store them wherever you feel safest. Please note that we do not keep a copy of your data so please keep creating backups regularly.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
Recent changes: Added support for 20+ languages with better note search. Feature to add auto-open group on app open. Brings enhancements with stability.
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Comments on Note to Self - Private Notepad for Android
★★★★★Shane· Jul 5, 2026
It's a great app. Suggestion: it would be more interesting if you could make it more like a messenger app (not really like a messenger app), more like you can make stories, highlight? Like that. (sorry not that good at english)
★★★★★Osian Jones· Feb 22, 2026
Great simple notes app, very handy for those times you want to note a quick thought. Being laid out in a text message format keeps it quite organized too
★★★★★Pardus X· Jun 16, 2026
Currently, in the market for simpler and more minimal productivity apps that make my daily life easier to manage and balance. I currently use the O Launcher app to make my phone OS more minimal and less distracting, and I've been a big fan. I didn't realize how small and specific a change as "Making my notes' app feel like I'm sending a text instead of just texting notes to my partner" would help my daily routine. Highly recommend!
★★☆☆☆R.A. Royales· Feb 15, 2026
Please help me restore the purchased version. I purchased it back in 2024 and in 2025 my phone broke. I got a new phone and installed the app but i couldn'tg get to use the full version and there's no option to restore my purchase. Pls help
★☆☆☆☆Arizona Coleman· Jan 9, 2026
Worthless. You cannot lock anything since the switch for that function shuts itself off right when you remove your finger after turning it on. As it is, it functions as an over glorified note app. I didn't add anything past my test note before uninstalling it.
★☆☆☆☆J Pedrick· Dec 17, 2025
You have to actually close the app to secure you notes. No timer or auto close on sleep. Uninstalling.
Google Play Rankings for Note to Self - Private Notepad
This app is not ranked
Technologies used by Note to Self - Private Notepad
Note to Self - Private Notepad is requesting 23 permissions and is using 24 libraries.
Show details
Trust & Safety: Note Safe emphasizes privacy and transparency: notes are private by design, stored on-device by default with optional end-to-end encrypted cloud backup (beta). It requests a broad set of permissions (location, contacts, storage, microphone, biometric, notifications, etc.) to support features like location notes, attachments, voice notes, and secure access. The app is open-source under AGPL-v3.0 and advertises zero ads.
Each subscription will automatically renew 3 days before the expiration date for
the same time period. Subscriptions can be cancelled at any time before the renewal.
