Support

Get in touch

Email support@branchnote.io. It helps if you include your device model, your iOS version, and what you were doing when the problem happened.

Common questions

What exactly is a "branch"?

A branch is a named container for notes — think of it as a topic or a notebook. You might have branches for Work, Recipes, and Reading. Every note belongs to exactly one branch. Branches are a single flat list; they don't nest inside one another. How finely you divide them up is entirely up to you — a single catch-all branch works just as well as a dozen specific ones.

What is Home?

Home is the feed of everything you have written — every note, from every branch, in a single list. Each note is tagged with the branch it belongs to, and tapping that tag takes you straight there.

It shows all your notes rather than a recent handful, and follows the same sort order as any branch. Home is where you read and find things; notes themselves are created inside a branch.

Can I change the order my notes appear in?

Yes. Tap the sliders icon in any feed's header to open Feed settings, then use Sort by to order notes by Date created or Date updated, Newest first or Oldest first. Each note shows the timestamp you're sorting by. Your choice applies to Home and every branch, and is remembered between launches.

Search results are the one exception: they're always ranked by how well they match what you typed, rather than by your feed sort.

Do I need an account?

No. There is no sign-up, no email address to verify, and no password. branchnote has no server to hold an account on. Open the app and start writing.

Cross-device sync is planned for a future release. If it ships, signing in will be optional — using branchnote on a single device won't start requiring an account.

Where are my notes stored?

In a database in the app's own storage on your device, and nowhere else. Nothing is uploaded and we never receive a copy.

Are my notes backed up?

You make a backup whenever you want one: Settings → Backup and Restore → Create backup. branchnote copies your notes into a single file and hands it to the share sheet, so you can save it to Files, iCloud Drive, Dropbox, your computer, or anywhere else. That file is an ordinary database — anyone who opens it can read your notes — so keep it somewhere you trust.

Separately, if you have your phone set to back up to iCloud or Google Drive, branchnote's database is included in that backup along with everything else on the device. That is your phone doing it rather than the app, it only happens if you have device backup switched on, and it is not a substitute for making a backup file you can actually get at.

How do I restore a backup?

Go to Settings → Backup and Restore → Choose backup file and pick your backup. Restoring replaces everything currently in branchnote with the contents of the backup — it doesn't merge the two — so branchnote asks you to confirm first.

Backups made by older versions of the app can be restored into newer ones. A backup made by a newer version than the app you're running will be refused, with a message asking you to update first.

How do I move to a new phone?

Create a backup on the old device, save the file somewhere you can reach from the new one, install branchnote there, and restore it. Restoring your phone from its own iCloud or Google Drive backup will also bring your notes across.

Can I sync between my phone and another device?

Not yet — branchnote is local to one device, and backup and restore is a manual transfer rather than continuous sync. Automatic cross-device sync is planned for a future release.

I forgot my passcode. Can you unlock it?

No. The passcode is stored only as a salted hash in your device's secure storage, and we have no access to your device or your data. If you can't get past the lock screen, the only way back in is to delete and reinstall the app, which erases what's on the device. If you have a backup file, you can restore from it afterwards; if you don't, those notes are gone.

What formatting can I use?

Markdown: bold, italics, three levels of heading, bullet lists, numbered lists, checkboxes, and links. Lists can be nested up to four levels deep. Typed URLs are turned into links automatically.

Formatting renders as you type, and the toolbar above the keyboard applies any of it without your having to remember the syntax. Checkboxes can be ticked by tapping them, and links opened, right in the note.

Can I move a note to another branch?

Yes. Tap the actions icon on any note — in a feed or in search results — and choose Move note. You can move it into an existing branch, or into a new branch you name on the spot.

The note itself is untouched — same text, nothing retyped. Moving counts as an edit, so the note's updated time changes; when it was created does not.

Which devices are supported?

iOS 16.4 or later, on iPhone.

How do I delete my data?

Delete individual notes or a whole branch from within the app — deleting a branch removes its notes too. To remove everything, delete the app, which removes its database from your device. We hold no copy of your data, so there is nothing to request deletion of from us.

Backup files are separate, and so is your phone's own iCloud or Google Drive backup — neither is touched by deleting the app. Remove those yourself if you want the data gone for good.