What happens to my data if Standard Notes disappears?

Future-proofing our operation has been foremost on our short list of priorities. Everything we do, from following software principles that optimize longevity to choosing sustainable revenue models, is done in the name of lasting a life-time.

As part of this goal, we also want to plan for the unexpected. If Standard Notes ever goes down for whatever reason, you shouldn't go down with it. We've taken the following steps to make sure your data lasts as long as you do.

1. Automated backups. Standard Notes provides several options for automated backups of your encrypted data, including backups of your data sent to your email inbox daily. With our desktop application, encrypted backups are automatically created and saved on your local disk. You can access these backups via the "Backups" menu item.

2. Manual backups. You can at any time download a backup of your entire dataset. Backup files can be either encrypted or decrypted. Encrypted backup files can be decrypted offline with our offline decryption script. They can also be used to re-import back into the application at any time. Decrypted backups are downloaded as a zip file of all your notes, tags, and other data in plain text.

3. Offline decryption script. We've created a single page offline decryption script that can be downloaded and run in any browser. In the unlikely event that Standard Notes vanishes without warning, you'll still be able to find and use the offline decryption script.

4. Most importantly, open code applications. The code to all of our applications is public, which means that even if the official Standard Notes disappears, you can run copies of the app and server on your personal machine.

This combination of services and precautions assure that in the event of the unexpected, your data remains safe and sound. More than anything, our goal is making sure you grow old with your notes.