Angst Vanquished Over Apple Notes and Note Taking

[Bmosbacker]

Though my workflow and app selection has been settled and I no longer hear the Siren Call to switch apps, I’ve nevertheless had low level angst about using Apple Notes, per this previous post: Can I trust Notes?

In addition to the periodic syncing issue, I’ve been concerned about how to get notes out of AN if needed when I have thousands of notes. I currently have 1,156. What will happen when I have 5K+?

Up until today, I’ve dealt with this issue by using the Exporter app to export my Notes each month to DEVONthink. This works but I’ve had the additional angst associated with depending on a third party app like Exporter. What happens if it is abandoned?

Today, I recalled that DT has the ability to natively import my AN along with all attachments while maintaining the file structure. Here is the import to DT that I just completed.

I have setup a monthly reminder to import Apple Notes to DEVONthink. Additionally, each December, I will download from iCloud all of my ANs as PDFs and import them to DT.

While there are still features in AN that are missing, e.g., a back navigation button, linking and an easy way to copy a note link, and more, Apple Notes is free and deeply integrated with the OS, and has a lot of excellent features.

As I see it, the advantages of using AN and importing them to DT each month and annually are:

1. I can still use Apple Notes which is fast, integrated, free, and simple.
2. I don’t have to depend on Exporter (or similar app)—which could at some point be abandoned.
3. Once imported to DT I can easily convert formats and or export the notes as needed.
4. I can use other DT features if needed.

Hence, Apple Notes are my working and personal notes. DT serves as a “backup” and archive of my notes.

I’m feeling increasingly settled and satisfied with my apps and workflow.

[Pupsino]

Nice! I should probably run that backup myself, thanks for sharing that it was possible!

I’m still using Apple Notes for my temporary notes, but I’m using that term very loosely. They are basically post-it notes to myself, but like actual post-it notes some are kept for years and are actually quite high value and should probably be put somewhere safe.

I’ve given up trying to rely on the sync, which hasn’t worked properly since Apple spilt coffee on CloudKit at Christmas, but as long as I keep my iPad as the “source of truth”, the changes filter out to other devices eventually.

One thing that keeps me in Notes is the ability to password protect some notes, which is so simple and easy. Since iCloud offers no function to password protect individual folders, Apple Notes accidentally became a secret dumping ground for things I wanted to be able to access quickly behind a password.

What I do need though is a weekly routine of tidying up those notes, moving things that need filing in DT, deleting stuff that’s no longer needed, etc. I try to delete as I go (since the notes are temporary-ish), but sometimes I will be searching for a note and I’ll find a random note that says something like “tell Joe about commas”, and I’ll be baffled. (And wondering if I ever did do that.) If I know I’m keeping a note a while, I give it a proper title, any tags, and write proper sentences so I can understand it, but most the time they’re only meant to be quick scribbles.

[WayneG]

@Bmosbacker

I have setup a monthly reminder to import Apple Notes to DEVONthink.

I suggest an additional backup any time you add a significant amount of work or anything of great importance.

[Pupsino]

It’s actually interesting, now I’m thinking about it. I wonder how many people use Apple Notes by accident, and how many made a conscious decision to do so.

I have better places to store temporary notes (NotePlan, DT, GoodNotes notebooks I actually keep specifically for quick notes), actual pen and paper (there’s still a block of post-its on my desk!). But when Notes arrived on my phone many years ago it weaselled its way into my life and now I just open it automatically if I need to jot something down. I’ve observed before that my sister (very non-techy!) also has Notes as a kind of dumping ground for random fragments of things she needs to remember, and suspect she too just needed somewhere to write something down one day, and it evolved out of that.

It’s probably the only app where I’ve not made a conscious choice to integrate it into my workflow. Or rather, where I’ve had to try and integrate much later when I realised I wasn’t going to stop using it even though it’s duplicating a service that other apps can provide.

[Bmosbacker]

@Pupsino

One thing that keeps me in Notes is the ability to password protect some notes

I frequently use the lock feature in my note-taking, but I’ve been struggling to choose between using Apple Notes and DEVONthink. For my professional and personal notes, I prefer to use Apple Notes, as shown in the screenshot. I have a lot of project and meeting notes, among others, stored in Apple Notes. However, I was hesitant to use AN because I have concerns about syncing issues. Despite these concerns, I liked the ease of creating notes in Apple Notes, including the ability to add attachments, lock notes, create smart lists, task lists, tables, tags, and more. The search function in Apple Notes is also excellent.

DEVONthink can do most of these things as well, but I find the editors in DEVONthink and its mobile app, DTTG, to be clunky. Although the syncing in DEVONthink seems reliable, it is slow and clunky in DTTG. I was also worried about being able to export my notes out of Apple Notes since it has a degree of “lock-in” that I do not like. However, I discovered that I can import my notes from Apple Notes into DEVONthink, which resolved my concerns and gave me the best of both worlds.

Although there are a few features that I wish Apple Notes had, such as a back navigation button, backlinking, and an easier way to copy a note link to share, overall, AN works well and is meeting my needs—now without the angst.

I will add that I’ve significantly simplified my workflow by eliminating applications, I’ve also eliminated nearly all subscriptions (1PW, EndNote being the few exceptions). As shown below, these are the apps I primarily use. The red line shows the apps that “Open at Login.”

[Bmosbacker]

Good suggestion.
20 characters

[jmanko16]

I just tried this, but notice that some of the attachments/photos in notes didn’t transfer. Also, locked notes just appear blank.

Have you noticed this issue?

[mailbuoy]

@Pupsino

Since iCloud offers no function to password protect individual folders,

You also could use Apple’s Advanced Data Protection.

Advanced Data Protection for iCloud is an optional setting that offers Apple’s highest level of cloud data security. When a user turns on Advanced Data Protection, their trusted devices retain sole access to the encryption keys for the majority of their iCloud data, thereby protecting it with end-to-end encryption . For users who turn on Advanced Data Protection, the total number of data categories protected using end-to-end encryption rises from 14 to 23 and includes iCloud Backup, Photos, Notes and more.

[Bmosbacker]

I have not noticed it but I have not checked all 1,100+ notes either. Based on your experience, I’ll do a spot check.

[Bmosbacker]

All of my attachments seem to be there. I haven’t cross-checked every one of them but a cursory reviews seems to confirm my attachments were imported to DT.

[jmanko16]

I didn’t get an attachment folder. Some of the photos in apple note appear to still be there, and others are just missing.

My notes were converted to formatted notes on import so I assume this is why no attachment folder?

[Bmosbacker]

@jmanko16

My notes were converted to formatted notes on import so I assume this is why no attachment folder?

I think there is something wrong on your end. I just double-checked. My notes are also formatted notes but all of my images and PDFs are imported. For example, I had the image below in Apple Notes and it was imported to DT.

In DT:

In Apple Notes:

[Jjm]

@Bmosbacker

I will add that I’ve significantly simplified my workflow by eliminating applications, I’ve also eliminated nearly all subscriptions (1PW, EndNote being the few exceptions). As shown below, these are the apps I primarily use. The red line shows the apps that “Open at Login.”

You said you got rid of 1PW, what do you use? I have 1PW I don’t pay for. Must be an old one I have, I have some stuff in that and some stuff in the Apple password manager, I need to pick one and use it.

[Bmosbacker]

No, here is what I said. “ I’ve also eliminated nearly all subscriptions (1PW, EndNote being the few exceptions).”

Until keychain has more capability, I consider 1Password indispensable, and it’s one of the very few apps I’m willing to pay a subscription for. Sorry for any confusion my wording may have caused.

[jmanko16]

Switched to Bitwarden, didn’t lose out at all from 1Password. Worth checking out, it’s free and can be self hosted if you wanted.

[Jvet]

Great post! It’s really impressing to see how you use apple only products and even those included free like apple notes, to manage your life. BTW, do you store your DT database in an external drive?

Cheers

[Bmosbacker]

@Jvet

do you store your DT database in an external drive?

I store the databases in iCloud but backup them up to two external drives each week—one located at work, the other at home.

[Jvet]

I’ll look into the devonthink’s take control book because I have my PDFs inside devonthink, however it is stored in an external and it has proven to be difficult to always carry my SSD if I want to open DT.

[Bmosbacker]

This is why I use iCloud. That way I always have access to my files in DT. And, because all my notes are in AN I have fast easy access to them as well.

[Jvet]

Thanks for the feedback, I will try this as I’m paying for extra icloud storage.