I have been using Simplenote as a "junk drawer" for small tidbits of information that I need to keep or for items that I need to jot down and store. And while it has worked reasonably well, I was considering something like Notejoy to replace it to allow me to store more that just text or links. As this is supposed to be a convenience app that I can access anywhere, I was looking for something that I could access from a computer, iPad or Android phone. I am not wed to Notejoy, but it seemed like a reasonable alternative. But, I am not too sure about its mobile apps, especially the iOS version, so I thought I would see if anybody had experience using the apps. I am also open to alternatives to Notejoy, but I know that I do not want an outline type of program (i.e. Dynalist or Workflowy). And, for one of the rare times that you will see me write these words, task management features are not needed. This is just an app to hold small bits of information like notes, links, or possibly quick snapshots. I do not expect to be doing much organizing of this data as I will probably rely on searches (and keywords or tags). Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

--Ken

Google Keep perhaps? I use ColorNote on Android for short notes but that's plain text only and isn't cross-platform. Google Keep can handle images, annotation, audio notes. Export is copy-paste to Google Docs, I believe. Simple tags for organising notes. No fancy features.

Apple Notes is free, and you can access it on Android by logging into iCloud.

Cyganet wrote:

Google Keep perhaps? I use ColorNote on Android for short notes but
that's plain text only and isn't cross-platform. Google Keep can handle
images, annotation, audio notes. Export is copy-paste to Google Docs, I
believe. Simple tags for organising notes. No fancy features.

I had not considered Keep. I hated Tasks when it was released and sort of ignored Keep afterwards. The challenge for me is that I have several Google accounts and using this service would require me to stay signed in to the account I wanted to use. You can have multiple accounts open at once, but things sometimes get a bit muddled as to which account is tied with which window if you start opening more windows that just Gmail. But I will still give it a look as it is cross platform.

Thanks,

--Ken

satis wrote:

Apple Notes is free, and you can access it on Android by logging into
iCloud.

It seems to have a loyal following and looks well designed. For Android and PC use, am I strictly limited to web use through iCloud? And does iCloud offer a decent experience?

--Ken

Easy to find out if it is for you. Just try it.

Didn't get to finish, sorry. Yes, if you're not on an Apple device it's only accessible via the web app. But it's free for anyone who has or sets up a free iCloud account, and easy to play with.

I love Notejoy. It is my go to notes manager -- similar to how you plan to use it. I don't use the mobile apps much, but I haven't had any problems with either the iPad or iPhone.

And Notejoy is being continually updated, which is always reassuring to me.

Okay, I think that I have a short list to consider:

Google Keep
Apple Notes
Notejoy
Zoho Notebook

While Keep seems to follow the KISS approach, my hesitation is that it is tied to a single Gmail account, and that is a bit challenging for my set-up. Apple's Notes will depend on how the iCloud on the web and my Andorid phone works. The latter two will require a bit of time to play with them and see how they feel. I do not need complex, but I do want something that is as frictionless as possible. I'll try to post my experiences when I eventually find the time to try them out.

Thanks for the suggestions/advice,

--Ken

Ken wrote:

While Keep seems to follow the KISS approach, my hesitation is that it is tied to a single Gmail account, and that is a bit challenging for my set-up

Managing multiple Google accounts on the same browser can be a challenge, I agree.

You could use a separate browser (Opera, Vivaldi, Edge Canary, whatever) for Keep, it would be locked to that account.
You can also try installing as a web app (in Edge: ... > Apps > Install this site as an app). It may lock to that account too, worth trying

Pierre Paul Landry
IQ Designer

Pierre Paul Landry wrote:

Ken wrote:
>While Keep seems to follow the KISS approach, my hesitation is that it
is tied to a single Gmail account, and that is a bit challenging for my
set-up

Managing multiple Google accounts on the same browser can be a
challenge, I agree.

You could use a separate browser (Opera, Vivaldi, Edge Canary, whatever)
for Keep, it would be locked to that account.
You can also try installing as a web app (in Edge: ... > Apps > Install
this site as an app). It may lock to that account too, worth trying

Pierre Paul Landry
IQ Designer

Good suggestions and thanks for confirming that it is not just me having challenges with multiple accounts open. The problem is that I am running out of browsers while working form home! My work VPN runs through IE, I use a Google Voice number in Edge and I run the web-based version of Office in Chrome. What I need to think about is where I typically put stuff in this type of app. Normally it has been at my desktop, but with a good app, I can see using it with my phone or tablet as well.

--Ken

Ken wrote:

Okay, I think that I have a short list to consider:

Google Keep
Apple Notes
Notejoy
Zoho Notebook

While Keep seems to follow the KISS approach, my hesitation is that it
is tied to a single Gmail account, and that is a bit challenging for my
set-up. Apple's Notes will depend on how the iCloud on the web and my
Andorid phone works. The latter two will require a bit of time to play
with them and see how they feel. I do not need complex, but I do want
something that is as frictionless as possible. I'll try to post my
experiences when I eventually find the time to try them out.

Thanks for the suggestions/advice,

--Ken

Brief update. I am not sure what caused the lightbulb to go off, but after having looked at these programs over the years and not really seen their potential for me, I suddenly realized how useful a program like this could actually be. I guess that between Simplenote, Diigo and a couple of other errant programs, I thought I could easily keep track of small bits of information that I needed. But, what was once small has now turned larger, and my brain is only capable of holding on to so much data, despite more and more of it flowing through my daily life. So, I think that my choices are now narrowed down to Zoho and Notejoy. I have an account for the former, which is free and tied into a host of other applications, but its organization is just a bit shy of what I would like (Notebooks which need to be opened and pages in the notebook (which can be stacked)). I prefer the more traditional layout of Notejoy, with a column for notebooks and pages, but I need to try both for a bit. has anybody used any Zoho products? They have been around for quite some time, but I do not actually know anybody who uses their apps.

--Ken

I haven't used Notejoy on my iOS devices, yet.
On their Facebook page, the developer is asking for suggestions:

"We are currently working on a mobile clipper that will enable you to easily share to Notejoy directly from iOS or Android apps. To make sure we cover your use cases, what apps do you want to be able to share to Notejoy from?"

They seem to be pretty active (though they still haen't come up with a solution with regard to the link glitch on German keyboards - the [[ shortcut does not work on QWERTZ keyboard layouts).

On Windows and MacOS Notejoy is a joy, though.

Do take a look at UpNote, Ken -- it sounds as if it would fit your use case rather well.

Do take a look at UpNote, Ken -- it sounds as if it would fit your use case rather well.

Well, I’ve had to give up testing NoteJoy on my iPhone – it keeps crashing every time I attempt to create a link. Disappointing. Uninstall/reinstall, no doubt.

MadaboutDana wrote:

Well, I’ve had to give up testing NoteJoy on my iPhone – it
keeps crashing every time I attempt to create a link. Disappointing.
Uninstall/reinstall, no doubt.

Strange. What kind of link did you try to create?

On my iPhone 8, creating links to webpages works; the links do work, too. Linking to other notes does not work, yet (that's on their todo list).

MadaboutDana wrote:

Do take a look at UpNote, Ken -- it sounds as if it would fit your use
case rather well.

I'll check it out. Is it really free? There is no price on their website?

--Ken

Ken wrote:

MadaboutDana wrote:
Do take a look at UpNote, Ken -- it sounds as if it would fit your use
>case rather well.

I'll check it out. Is it really free? There is no price on their
website?

--Ken

Ignore my last post. I found the thread on the app and its pricing.

--Ken

Very quick update. While I decided to start using Zoho Notebooks since I had an account set up with them from many years ago, I just realized that Click-Up offers a reasonably powerful notebook feature with its Docs. I am not sure that I want to switch over, but I thought I would mention it in case anybody is interested. The free account limits you to 100MB, but their paid plan is currently $60USD annually and it offers unlimited storage.

--Ken