Questions and Answers

What is the best way to use Evernote?

Evernote supports a variety of access methods that can meet just about anyone’s needs. Some users will be happy to access the Service using only a Web browser. Others may also view their notes while on-the-go, and capture notes and photos from their mobile devices. Still others will use the Service along with rich Evernote client applications for Mac, Windows, and Windows Mobile. We recommend that you register and begin using the Service from a Web browser, then you can learn about and download Evernote client applications for free and see if they are right for you.

How much does Evernote cost?

Evernote is free. At some point we will launch a “premium” subscription level that will offer higher quotas and maybe other benefits, but Evernote users will always have a free option to choose from. This applies to all features including the web client, Windows, Mac, mobile, public notebooks, email, etc. We haven’t decided on the exact feature split between free and premium yet, but our goal is to make Evernote an indispensable and ubiquitous tool for million of people free of charge - and to offer a paid version that’s even better.

What types of data can I put into Evernote?

The Evernote Service currently supports text, html, jpeg, gif, png, wav, and ink (Evernote format). The Evernote client applications may support additional data types and convert them before synchronizing with the Evernote Service. Please refer to the respective client application user guides for more information. Support for additional data types is planned for future releases.

Why isn’t Evernote recognizing some of the text in an image?

The Evernote image recognition technology is pretty amazing, but it’s not perfect. You can use it for things like snapshots of price tags, wine labels, whiteboards, notes scribbled on napkins, web page graphics, and lots of other things. And while we developed the technology to handle some of the most challenging cases, sometimes for a variety of reasons the recognition may not work. Recognition problems may be caused by things like bad lighting, strange angles, blurriness, odd letter spacing or orientation, noisy backgrounds, and insufficient contrast. To improve your results, consider increasing the distance between you and your target, steadying your camera, or using a flash (if you have one). Remember, Evernote is a place to store your memories, so the better the image, the better the memory.

What is a notebook, and what are notes?

A notebook is an organizer for your information as a series of notes, like a PC folder except that your notes can be viewed, manipulated, and searched using Evernote applications. Notes are simply “containers” in a notebook for your text, images, snapshots, Web clips, etc.

What are the differences between the Windows and Macintosh versions of Evernote?

The main difference is that the Mac version relies on the Evernote Service to process notes for searching text and handwriting in images, and it features more advanced note visualization that may be added to the Windows version in a future release.

How can I use Evernote on a mobile device?

Virtually every mobile phone sold today can be used with Evernote, including all the popular models from Apple, HTC, LG, Motorola, Nokia, RIM/Blackberry, SonyEricsson, Samsung, and more. You can simply send snapshots into your Evernote notebooks via e-mail or MMS. You can view and search your notes using Evernote for Mobile Web from a mobile browser by visiting preview.evernote.com/m, and using IMAP on iPhone or Windows Mobile 5 devices as illustrated here. And you can enjoy automatic text, ink, and photo capturing from Windows Mobile devices by installing the Evernote for Windows Mobile smart client. Future releases may support this downloadable smart client approach on other platforms as well.

What is synchronization and how does it work?

Synchronization is the process of periodically comparing your Evernote notebooks on the Evernote Service with those in Evernote for Windows or Evernote for Mac installed on your computer. It transfers data over the Internet and ensures that all of your notes are the same so you can access them from anywhere, any time, on just about any device. If you are an iPod user, it’s the same as when you connect your iPod to your computer and iTunes automatically begins to sync your stuff, except that Evernote uses the Internet rather than a cable. During the Evernote 3 beta test, login authentication is performed with secure https, but notes are transferred using http, with https support planned for the open product release.

Is synchronization supported in Evernote for Windows Mobile?

No, Evernote for Windows Mobile supports one-way capture of notes and images from a mobile device into the Evernote Service and does not support storing notebooks locally. Evernote for Windows and Mac have full copies of your data and synchronizing them with the Evernote Service ensures that all of your notebooks contain the same notes.

Can I use the Evernote for Windows or Macintosh client without connecting to the Evernote Service?

Yes. After installing and registering your application, Evernote for Windows users can select the Account>Work Offline menu item and the synchronization function will be turned off. Evernote for Mac users can select the Evernote>Preferences menu item, click the Sync button, and set the Sync with Evernote option to Manually. This will allow you to create and edit notes while offline, such as on an airplane, then have them synchronized with the Service when you connect to the Web and manually synchronize, or turn the automatic mode back on.

How secure is my data stored in the Evernote Web Service?

Evernote is committed to protecting the security of your information and takes reasonable precautions to protect it. Your Evernote password is protected by encryption and only you have access to it. Your personal information and data stored in our systems is protected by various physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards, and is housed in a secure facility with restricted physical and network access limited to select trained staff. For more information, please read our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Can I export notes?

Yes, you can export one or more notes from a notebook as an HTML formatted document from within Evernote for Windows using the Note > Export... menu. You can also export via e-mail using the Note > Send by Email... menu. This feature may be added to the Macintosh version in a future release.

Can I import notes?

Yes, you can import notes into Evernote for Windows in Evernote 2.x database (.enb), Evernote 2.x XML (.enx), and (in a future release) Evernote XML (.enx3) formats using the Note > Import... menu. There is also a Note Import Wizard menu that for importing selected image, text, and HTML files. This feature may be added to the Macintosh version in a future release. To get databases onto a Mac, we recommend importing the database in Evernote 3.0 for Windows, synchronizing with the service, and then synchronizing the Mac client with the service.

I have been using Evernote 2.0, should I switch to version 3.0 Beta?

Yes, but maybe not in one-fell-swoop. Firstly, Evernote 3.0 is currently Beta software, which means it will be constantly upgraded and made more feature-rich. Also, Evernote 3.0 for Windows is different, and in many ways better than any previous version of Evernote, especially now that you can synchronize notes across virtually all of your devices. Much of the functionality you have come to expect from Evernote is present, or will be present, in 3.0, although sometimes the names have changed. We encourage you to run Evernote 3.0 in parallel with the version of Evernote you use, as you get to know the new software. Certain features are not yet available or are different in Evernote 3.0 for Windows Beta, including:

• Categories are now called Tags with no icon assignment.
• History notes are not supported (they will be ignored in imported EN2.2 databases).
• The Category intersection panel and Tools-Options-Category tab are not supported.
• Text/image and ink are the only supported note types. Templates and RTF notes are no longer supported (even unofficially). Note that you may use inline todos instead of todo templates.
• Flags are not currently supported.
• Advanced Search has been replaced with Saved Search and Attributes.
• Automated local database backup options are not currently supported.
• Mail auto-import is not currently supported.
• Linking multiple notes is not currently supported.
• Google Desktop Search of Evernote databases is not currently supported.

Please check the Evernote Blog to stay on top of features and releases.