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FUTO Notes

FUTO Notes FAQ

Short answers to the questions people ask most about FUTO Notes. Each one links to the page with the full detail.

The app

Are any FUTO Notes features behind a payment?

No. Version 1.8.0 has no paid tier, no license key, and no in-app purchase, so every feature works as soon as you install it. What you may do with the source code is a separate question, covered under is it open source.

Do I need an account to use FUTO Notes?

No. FUTO Notes works on its own, with no sign-up. Sync is optional, and it signs in to a server you run with a password you choose. See how sync works.

Does FUTO Notes work offline?

Yes. Your notes are files on your device, and search runs on the device too. Nothing the app does needs the internet unless you turn on sync. Network requests lists every request the app can make.

Which platforms does FUTO Notes run on?

What format are my notes saved in?

Plain markdown. Each note is one .md file named after its title, and each folder in the app is a real folder on disk. There is no database, so any text editor can open your notes. See file format and where notes are stored.

Can I use FUTO Notes with my Obsidian vault?

Yes. On desktop, point FUTO Notes at the vault folder and it opens the notes where they are, with no import step. Notes, folders, [[wikilinks]], tags, checklists, and tables carry over. Embeds, aliases, and plugins don’t. Use FUTO Notes with an Obsidian vault goes through each one.

Yes. See markdown, wikilinks, and keyboard shortcuts.

Which languages is FUTO Notes available in?

English and Simplified Chinese. You can add a language with one JSON file: see translations.

How does FUTO Notes update?

On macOS, Windows, and the Linux AppImage, the app updates itself when you click. Otherwise apt, dnf, or your app store updates it. See updates.

Sync

Is there a FUTO sync service?

Not today. To sync between devices, you run the sync server yourself. One command installs it with Docker: see self-host FUTO Notes sync.

Is FUTO Notes sync end-to-end encrypted?

Yes. Every note and image is encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM before upload, and the server stores only ciphertext. Your sync password also signs the app in, so whoever runs the server receives it, and in a self-hosted setup that’s you. How the encryption works and what the server can see explain the details and the limits.

What happens if I forget my sync password?

The copy on your server can’t be decrypted, by you or anyone else, and there is no reset. The notes on your devices are unaffected, so you can set up a new vault and let them upload again. See the sync password.

Can I change my sync password?

Yes, but not by editing the server’s .env file alone, which leaves your devices unable to unlock their notes. The safe steps are on the sync password page.

Why do I have a note ending in “(conflict …)”?

Two devices changed the same lines of a note before syncing, so FUTO Notes kept both versions instead of choosing one. Compare them, keep what you want, and delete the copy. See sync conflicts.

Why didn’t my PDF sync?

Sync carries markdown notes and images only. Other files stay on the device they are on. See what syncs.

Sync stopped working. Where do I start?

Sync troubleshooting lists every sync message and its fix. For a server that won’t start or answers with errors, see server errors.

Privacy and source

Does FUTO Notes collect telemetry?

No. There is no analytics or usage tracking. With the default settings, the only request the app makes by itself is the desktop update check, which you can turn off. Crash reports are sent only when you press Send, or when you turn on sending them automatically. See network requests and crash reports and feedback.

How do I report a bug in FUTO Notes?

In the app, open Settings → Send feedback. You can attach screenshots, and you don’t need an account. See crash reports and feedback for exactly what gets sent.

Is FUTO Notes open source?

Yes. The full source for the app and the sync server is public on gitlab.futo.org, and you can read, build, and run it yourself. The licenses are not OSI-approved: modifying and redistributing the code is limited to non-commercial purposes, and the server’s license limits using it to non-commercial purposes too. See license and build from source.

Next steps