Notability Auto-backup

Turning on Auto-backup

  1. In Notability’s Library, tap .
  2. Tap “Auto-backup”.
  3. Tap a cloud service and log in if prompted.

Changing Auto-backup’s Destination Folder

Backups go to a folder named “Notability” by default, but you can choose a different folder.

  1. In Auto-backup’s settings, tap .
  2. Tap the first row under “Destination”.
  3. Navigate to the desired destination folder.
  4. Tap “Back Up To [folder’s name]”.

Changing Auto-backup’s File Format

You can back up your notes in one of several file formats.

  1. In Auto-backup’s settings, tap .
  2. Tap the first row under “Choose Format”.
  3. Tap your desired format:
    • PDF
      To include background lines and colors, enable the “Paper” toggle after you select PDF as your file format. Bookmarks and audio recordings will not be included.
    • RTF
      This is a good way to export typed text that you want to edit in another app.
    • Note
      This is Notability’s custom file format. It includes audio recordings and keeps everything in a note editable if you import the file back into the app. This is a good way to share notes with others who use Notability.
    • PDF + Recording
      This makes .zip files that contain a PDF and a folder of .m4a audio files. This is a good way to share recordings with people who don’t use Notability. Notability can’t open .zip files, so you’ll have to unzip them to import their contents back into Notability.
    • RTF + Recording
      This makes .rtfd files that contain an RTF and a folder of .m4a audio files. Notability can’t open .rtfd files, so you’ll have to unzip them to import their contents back into Notability.

Changing which Notes are Backed Up

By default, Auto-backup does not back up password-protected notes. You can enable backups for password-protected notes and disable backups for other notes.

  1. In Auto-backup’s settings, tap .
  2. Under “Back Up These Subjects”, tap a subject to check or uncheck it.
  3. If a subject is password-protected, type in its password and tap “OK”.

Restoring Backups

Notability can’t restore subjects and dividers from a backup automatically, so they must be remade manually. You can import an entire subject of backup files into Notability at once by following this guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I delete a note in Notability, is the backup copy deleted?

No. The backup copy stays in your backup service.

When are notes backed up?

  • When you enable Auto-backup or change its settings, all of your notes are backed up.
  • When you edit a note and return to the Library, that note is backed up.