After a short hiatus, Simplenote is actively being developed again! We’ve been busy cleaning up the user interface, bringing old code up to date behind the scenes, and fixing some long-standing bugs. Check out the recent release notes below.
Android
- Added search sorting by date created, date modified, and alphabetically with search history and suggestions.
- Added a resizable note widget to view a note and open it in the app from the home screen.
- Added an option to the Theme setting to follow the system day/night mode.
- Updated dark theme with darker colors for less eye fatigue and better battery life.
- Fixed multiple bugs with cursors for notes with checklists, syncing for deleting tags and emptying trash, and networking causing interface slowness.
Full Release Notes for Android
Electron (Linux/Windows/Web)
- Added a sync indicator to show changes that haven’t yet been sent out to synchronize with the server and other devices.
- Updated styling all around the app: icons, dark mode support, and various fixes.
- Replaced the old web app at app.simplenote.com with the version deployed on the desktop.
- Added tag suggestions while searching and tweaked the search results.
- Fixed a nasty bug that caused note corruption when local and remote updates crossed paths.
Full Release Notes for Electron
iOS
- Added Siri shortcuts allowing you to open the app, open existing notes, and create new notes directly from Siri.
- Added new swipe actions available in the notes list: Pin and Share.
- Updated the user interface for login/signup, notes list, and note editor.
- Fixed a bug that affects tap detections over links.
macOS
- Fixed multiple bugs with checklist icons, sizes, and fonts.
- Fixed a bug causing the entire document to become linkified.
All
One particular bug was plaguing Simplenote for years: a specific set of circumstances in which seemingly harmless edits would crash the app or corrupt a note. This was more likely to affect notes written in certain languages with complex scripts and notes containing emojis. Representing human text is hard, but this should no longer cause you any trouble. Special thanks goes out to our users who write poetry in early dynastic cuneiform – you can now express yourselves again without issue.
Join the Android and iOS Beta Programs
Do you enjoy the Simplenote apps? (We sure hope so!) If you like exploring the latest features and wouldn’t mind sharing your experience with us, join our beta testing program!
We beta test each new update for two full weeks before releasing it. Although our team tests the apps extensively, your testing helps us find even more ways to improve, whether that’s fixing a bug or simplifying a screen.
Ready to join in? Here’s how.
Get the beta apps
On your Android device, head to Simplenote in the Google Play Store, scroll down to the “Join the beta” section, and tap “Join” to opt in to the beta program. You’ll get the latest beta as an update in the Play Store.
On your iOS device, join the TestFlight beta program — open that link on your iOS device and follow the instructions on that page to opt in. You’ll get the latest beta in the TestFlight app.
In both cases, the beta app will come with details about what’s new or changed, so you know where to focus your testing.
Share your feedback
Once you have a beta version of the Simplenote app installed on your device, you’re ready to go. Use the app as you normally do, or push the limits of the changes in each release. Then, let us know when something goes wrong. You can submit feedback through the Google Play Store (Android) or TestFlight (iOS) — or contact us if you’d like more help.
Thank you
To all our passionate and loyal users, thank you! We’ve got some exciting ideas planned for the future of Simplenote and we can’t wait to share them with you. We’ll be posting release notes and new features on this blog, so stay tuned for more info.
We greatly appreciate all our open-source contributors as well! If you’re interesting in contributing to Simplenote, check out the repositories below.
- Android: https://github.com/Automattic/simplenote-android
- Electron: https://github.com/Automattic/simplenote-electron
- iOS: https://github.com/Automattic/simplenote-ios
- macOS: https://github.com/Automattic/simplenote-macos
– The Simplenote Team
Simplenote 
Great you are working on this again.
I have been using a variety of alternatives— all have nuisance factors.
One feature request. Is it possible to have the option of password protecting an individual note?
Thanks again
Peter franks
Currently, only the Android and iOS apps allow for a passcode lock, which is for the app on that device specifically and not on a per-note basis. I’ve added your idea to our feature requests though. Thanks for the suggestion!
I would love a dark theme with less contrast (maybe gray background). Thanks for your hard work and keeping it free.
I’ve added your idea to our feature requests. Thanks!
Can I make a suggestion that you make the checklists more readable? Like iOS Notes or Bear?
Right now, the checklist item circle blends in with the second, third, and fourth lines of a checklist item. Subsequent lines should be indented.
It would also be nice if “completing” a checklist task activated the iOS tapic/feedback response like most other notes/checklist apps do.
Thanks! Big fan of the app.
I’ve added your ideas to our feature requests. Thanks!
I always waiting for encrypted-notes feature
Hope you consider it
Thank you
That has been requested in the past. It’s not on the roadmap, but may be in the future.
Thanks for your outstanding work!
Any interest in introducing end-to-end encryption into the application? At-risk users (including journalists and activists) without technical chops could really benefit from a simple notetaking with reasonably strong privacy and security.
Notes are always encrypted when they’re in transit across a network when your personal information is most vulnerable. End-to-end encryption has been requested in the past. It’s not on the roadmap, but may be in the future.
Martin, I have also requested end-to-end encryption for Simplenote in the past. I eventually found Standard Notes, which is an *amazing* app that offers end-to-end encryption. I do miss some of the simplicity that Simplenote offered, but have otherwise been extremely satisfied with Standard Notes for the past two years now. I don’t plan on switching note apps at this point, but I still keep tabs on Simplenote and hope they add end to end encryption, as I think all apps should be doing this as a bare minimum to protect privacy.
Reblogged this on The Sensible Leader and commented:
Still the best on-the-go notes app, clean and simple. Syncs instantly across devices, light/dark themes, always fast.
I love SimpleNote very much! Thanks for team’s working hard!
Why “Sort by date created ” is unavailable on MacOS?Hope your replay.
We have an open issue for that linked below. There will more updates to the macOS app coming soon. Stay tuned!
https://github.com/Automattic/simplenote-macos/issues/33