[APP][4.0+] IO Notes: A note-taking app for security and privacy minded people

djonnystevensabenz

Senior Member
Apr 16, 2013
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Jakarta
APK file attached at the bottom of this post.


IO Notes is a hipster kind of note-taking app. It's not a replacement for the popular note-taking app you're probably currently using.

IO Notes will always be a lean, minimalist, and extremely configurable note-taking app, and only for security and privacy minded people.

Notes created using IO Notes are secured using industry standard AES encryption, and stored inside a database file which is encrypted using the same standard.

Access to IO Notes is always password protected. Note that forgetting your password simply means losing access to your notes. There's no way to recover your password. Consider yourself warned!

Whether your notes contain sensitive information or not, it doesn't mean you should allow others to have their eyes on your notes easily.

Features:
- Encrypted notes
- Encrypted database
- Password protected access to app (optional is never an option for this)
- Free (as in beer)
- Ad-free (forever)
- Dark and Light theme
- Zen Mode for distraction-free note-taking session
- Alarm (sound, vibration, LED with color choice)
- Minimum password length configuration
- Backup and restore
- Font type configuration
- Font size configuration
- Color (assign color to note)
- Filter (base on colors and tags)
- Share (send and receive text data between installed app)
- Tags
- Export/Import

Planned features:
- Attachment (any file type)
- Cloud sync (In-App Purchase)
- Landscape layout
- Tablet layout
- Soothing audio in Zen Mode

Encrypted content (within encrypted database):
- Note's title
- Note's content

Plain text content (within encrypted database):
- IDs
- Date time information
- Alarm's message
- Color code
- Tag

Warning:
Alarm's message also duplicated on your device in plain text format, unencrypted. This is necessary to make sure alarms are set properly across device reboot. Exercise caution to not leak note's content in alarm's message.

Translation:
- German (Christian Orjeda)
- Spanish (Christian Orjeda, Paco Inurreta)
- Indonesian

Permission explanation:
RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED: To set alarms across device reboot.
READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE: To list available backup file.
WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE: To create backup file.
VIBRATE: To vibrate the device when an alarm sets off.

If you'd like to see a planned feature prioritized, or a feature not on the list, I encourage you to request it via Feedback menu from IO Notes app.

IO Notes only supports devices running Android v4.0+. It is tested on:
- LG Nexus 5 (Stock, Android v5.0)
- Samsung Galaxy Note II (N7100, Stock/OmniROM, Android v4.4.2)
- Samsung Galaxy S (I9000, CyanogenMod, Android v4.4.2)
- Asus Nexus 7 (2013 WiFi, AOSP, Android L Preview)

"O monstrous world! Take note, take note, o world, to be direct and honest is not safe!" - William Shakespeare

 

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djonnystevensabenz

Senior Member
Apr 16, 2013
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Warning: Start IO Notes after upgrade to have your alarms set. Android removes all alarms upon application upgrade.

v0.1.9 (2014/11/30)
+ [MISC] UX improvement, adding landscape orientation support

v0.1.8 (2014/10/04)
+ [ENHANCEMENT] Newly added tag will be selected after added
+ [MISC] UX improvement
+ [TRANSLATION] Updated Spanish translation (Christian Orjeda, Paco Inurreta)
+ [TRANSLATION] Added Indonesian translation

v0.1.7 (2014/08/23)
+ [MISC] UI/UX improvement
+ [MISC] Show warning messages after performing Backup and Export

v0.1.6 (2014/08/02)
+ [FEATURE] Export/Import
+ [ENHANCEMENT] Various optimization
+ [FIX] Fix incorrect note filtering when there were no tags added

v0.1.5 (2014/07/09)
+ [ENHANCEMENT] Filter performance optimization

v0.1.4 (2014/07/05)
+ [FEATURE] Tag
+ [FIX] No longer detected as vulnerable by Heartbleed detector app
+ [ENHANCEMENT] Excluded from Recent Apps
+ [ENHANCEMENT] Prevent screenshot while running
+ [MISC] UI/UX improvement
+ [MISC] Remove Feedback menu (rarely used, useless on devices without GMail)

v0.1.3 (2014/05/15)
+ [TRANSLATION] Spanish translation (thanks to Christian Orjeda)

v0.1.2 (2014/05/11)
+ [MISC] Stability improvement
+ [MISC] UI/UX improvement
+ [TRANSLATION] Updated German translation (thanks to Christian Orjeda)

v0.1.1 (2014/04/30)
+ [FIX] Fix issue when opening saved note without any content

v0.1.0 (2014/04/26)
+ [FEATURE] Share (receive text data from another app, send note's text data to another app)
+ [TRANSLATION] Updated German translation (thanks to Christian Orjeda)

v0.0.9 (2014/04/23)
+ [FIX] Fix color selection dialog UI issue on certain Android version (thanks to Christian Orjeda)

v0.0.8 (2014/04/22)
+ [FEATURE] Assign color to note
+ [FEATURE] Filter note based on assigned color
+ [MISC] Stability improvement
+ [MISC] Make Navigation Drawer slightly transparent
+ [TRANSLATION] Updated German translation (thanks to Christian Orjeda)

v.0.0.7 (2014/04/12)
+ [ENHANCEMENT] Security improvement
+ [MISC] Dialog UI improvement

v0.0.6 (2014/04/09)
+ [FIX] Restore failure due to time zone related information

v0.0.5 (2014/04/09)
+ [FEATURE] Select font type when displaying list of notes or its content
+ [FEATURE] Select font size when displaying list of notes or its content
+ [MISC] Dialog UI improvement
+ [MISC] Stability improvement
+ [TRANSLATION] Updated German translation (thanks to Christian Orjeda)

v0.0.4 (2014/04/02)
+ [FIX] Crash when alarm sets off on certain Android version :(

v0.0.3 (2014/04/01)
+ [FEATURE] Backup and restore
+ [ENHANCEMENT] Minimum password length configuration
+ [TRANSLATION] German translation (thanks to Christian Orjeda)

v0.0.2 (2014/03/27)
+ [FEATURE] Alarm for each note
+ [FIX] Two new notes created if leaving and returning back to app (screen lock) when writing new note
+ [FIX] New Zen Mode implementation
+ [ENHANCEMENT] Temporary Zen Mode in note writing screen
+ [ENHANCEMENT] Control Navigation Drawer via hardware menu key
+ [ENHANCEMENT] Better date time information handling
+ [MISC] Remove custom font usage

v0.0.1 (2014/03/08)
+ Initial release

 
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djonnystevensabenz

Senior Member
Apr 16, 2013
63
43
18
Jakarta
Great idea! Do you consider to release the source code? Are you planning to add features to encrypt pictures too?
Well, the idea is to be able to encrypt all kind of data given to it, be it pictures, videos, or any other files. I plan to work on it after all items under `Next features` are off the list. But then again, if many people requested specific feature via Feedback menu, I'll prioritize it.

In the near future, the source will not be released to public. But there's always a possibility for that in the future, depending on various circumstances.
 
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squabbi

Senior Member
Jul 20, 2012
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Just to give some feedback. It works great one the HTC One. (4.4.2). :)

I'm probably picky but maybe go with a sans serif font. :)

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
 

ehcool

Senior Member
Dec 28, 2010
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Been working on a similar app for a few weeks for a competition nice to see someone else had the same idea :D, Very nice looking app does what it says on the tin, Works on Nexus 5 (4.4.2)
 

prinz.z

Senior Member
Sep 20, 2008
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It's working great so far on the Fairphone! Looking forward to see all planned features implemented..

Sent from my FP1 using xda app-developers app
 

djonnystevensabenz

Senior Member
Apr 16, 2013
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43
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Jakarta
It's working great so far on the Fairphone! Looking forward to see all planned features implemented..

Sent from my FP1 using xda app-developers app
Thank you for reporting. Looking forward to have them all crossed off the list, too. :)

Been working on a similar app for a few weeks for a competition nice to see someone else had the same idea :D, Very nice looking app does what it says on the tin, Works on Nexus 5 (4.4.2)
Ah, nice to know you have the same idea, too. This idea sprung up over a year ago, but the execution just started since last January as weekend project. Would love to see yours out there, too. Anyhow, thank you for reporting. :)
 

zonicz

Member
Jun 28, 2012
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works perfectly on my note 3. I like the zen mode feature. I guess once the planned features added, this app can go to play store and ready to hit the trending lists, it's still too simple for now.
 

djonnystevensabenz

Senior Member
Apr 16, 2013
63
43
18
Jakarta
works here (motorola razr i, jb4.1). very nice and lean app, with reminder would be perfect.
Alarm (reminder) is a work in progress. Thanks for reporting, anyhow.

works perfectly on my note 3. I like the zen mode feature. I guess once the planned features added, this app can go to play store and ready to hit the trending lists, it's still too simple for now.
There's actually a bug for Zen Mode which I've realized after releasing it. I'll have it fixed along when I release the next version for alarm (reminder) feature. Anyhow, it's actually on Play Store already. It's not on the post because I couldn't put link to external content yet. It would be better if you could install it from Play Store. Thank you for the feedback. :)