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FUTO Notes

What network requests FUTO Notes makes, and how to turn them off

FUTO Notes works fully offline and does not need an account. With the default settings, the only request the app makes on its own is the desktop update check. Everything else happens because you set up sync, pressed Send on a crash report or feedback, or opened a note that embeds an image from the web.

There is no analytics, advertising, or third-party tracking code in the app. It does not fetch link previews or favicons, and its fonts are bundled, so nothing is downloaded to draw the interface.

This list covers FUTO Notes 1.8.0 on desktop (Linux, macOS, Windows), iOS, and Android. For how FUTO handles the data that does reach it, see the privacy policy.

Every request at a glance

RequestGoes toWhenPlatformsHow to turn it off
Update checkgitlab.futo.orgAt launch, then once an hourmacOS, Windows, Linux AppImageSettings → Updates → Automatically check for updates
Update downloadgitlab.futo.orgOnly after you choose Update & restartmacOS, Windows, Linux AppImageDon’t install the update
SyncThe server URL you enteredOnly after you connect syncAllDisconnect sync
Crash reportsnotes-crashlog.futo.orgOn the launch after a crash, once you press SendAllSettings → Issue reporting → Share crash reports
Feedbacknotes-crashlog.futo.orgOnly when you press Send in the feedback formAllDon’t send feedback
Remote imagesWhatever host the image URL namesWhen you open a note that contains oneAllNo setting. Remove the image from the note

Update checks (desktop only)

On macOS, Windows, and the Linux AppImage, the app checks for a new version when it starts and every hour after that. The check downloads a small JSON file from a fixed URL on FUTO’s GitLab:

https://gitlab.futo.org/futo-notes/futo-notes/-/releases/permalink/latest/downloads/latest.json

The URL does not include your app version or anything about your device. As with any request, the server sees your IP address.

When a new version is available, the app tells you, and nothing is downloaded until you choose Update & restart. The update is checked against a signing key built into the app before it is installed.

To stop all update requests, open Settings → Updates and turn off Automatically check for updates. That also hides the manual Check for updates button, so with it off the app never contacts GitLab for updates.

Some installs never check at all:

  • Linux deb and rpm packages update through apt or dnf from the FUTO package repository, which is your package manager’s request, not the app’s. See Install FUTO Notes on Linux.
  • iOS and Android have no in-app update check. The App Store, Google Play, F-Droid, or Obtainium handle updates. See updates.

Sync

Sync is off until you connect it. When you enter a server URL and your sync password in Settings, the app talks only to that server. FUTO does not run a sync service, so no sync traffic goes to FUTO.

While sync is connected, the app keeps an event stream open to your server so changes arrive quickly, sends changes as you make them, and also runs a regular sync pass as a safety net, as described in how sync works. Every note is encrypted on your device before upload. Your sync password is sent to your server when a device signs in, so put TLS in front of the server if it is reachable from outside your network. See how the encryption works and what the server can see.

To stop sync traffic, press Disconnect in the sync settings. Your notes stay on the device. To run your own server, see Self-host FUTO Notes sync.

Crash reports

When the app crashes, it saves a report inside your notes folder first. Nothing is sent at that point. On the next launch it asks whether to send the report, and it sends only if you press Send, or if you turned on Send crashes automatically. Reports go to notes-crashlog.futo.org with no account.

Share crash reports is on by default, which means you get that prompt. Send crashes automatically is off by default. Turn off Share crash reports and the app never prompts and never sends. Pressing Don’t Send in the prompt also turns it off.

What each report contains, per platform, is on Crash reports and feedback. One detail matters here: on desktop, a report can include the name and folder of the note that was open when the error happened.

Feedback

Settings → Send feedback posts your message, up to three screenshots, and basic device details to notes-crashlog.futo.org. It is sent only when you press Send, and it works whether or not crash reports are on. See Crash reports and feedback for exactly what is attached.

Images from the web in your notes

A note can point at an image on the internet with markdown like ![](https://example.com/photo.png). The editor loads that image the same way a web browser would, as soon as you open the note. The site hosting the image sees your IP address, the time, and which image was requested.

This applies on every platform, including images in notes that arrived by sync from another device. There is no setting to block remote images. To avoid the request, delete the image line, or save the image and insert it into the note as a file.

Images you paste or insert are copied into your notes folder and load from disk, with no network request. See where your notes are stored.

Clicking a link in a note opens it in your default browser. The app itself does not fetch the page, so nothing happens on the network until you click. The GitLab links in Settings work the same way.

Running FUTO Notes with no network access

Everything except the requests above works offline. You can block the app at your firewall and keep writing, searching, and organizing notes. Sync and update checks resume when the network comes back. A crash report that fails to send stays saved on the device, and the feedback form keeps your message so you can try again.

Next steps