Questions and Answers

What is the best way to use Evernote?

Evernote helps you remember everything. The best way to use it is to have Evernote everywhere. We have versions of Evernote for Windows, Mac, Web, and mobile phones, so go ahead and install it on all those devices. Use it on your computer to keep to-do lists or jot down ideas. Use it on the web and save entire webpages into your account. Use it from your mobile phone to snap photos of everything from whiteboards to business cards to wine labels. Best part is, everything you add to Evernote is automatically synchronized with all the other devices that you use. So, make a shopping list on your computer and then access it from your cell phone, no more crumpled papers. The possibilities are endless.

How much does Evernote cost?

Evernote has two subscription levels, Free and Premium. Free accounts receive a monthly upload allowance of 40MB and have access to all Evernote clients and tools, as well as image recognition. Premium accounts get a monthly upload allowance of 500MB, priority image recognition, stronger security via SSL encryption, and premium support. Premium accounts are $5/month or $45/year. More information on Evernote Premium is available here.

What does "monthly upload allowance" mean?

The monthly upload allowance is the measure of how much new data you add to the Evernote web service in a given month. Free accounts receive 40MB per month, while Premium accounts receive 500MB per month. Unused allowance does not transfer over to the following month, you start with a fresh 40MB or 500MB (depending on your subscription) every month. All users with Evernote accounts created prior to June 13th, 2008 will have a monthly cycle that begins on the 13th of every month. All users that create accounts after June 13th, 2008 will have their monthly cycle based on the date of account creation.

How is the monthly upload allowance measured?

Every time something new is added to the Evernote web service, it counts towards your monthly upload allowance. So, if you have 10MB remaining for a given month and you add a note containing a 1MB image, that will leave you with 9MB for the month. One important thing to keep in mind, you cannot add to your monthly allowance by deleting a note. So, deleting that 1MB note will not bring you back up to 10MB. Notes kept in local notebooks are not sent to the web service and therefore do not count towards your monthly upload allowance.

Can I increase my monthly upload allowance?

Yes. Free users can upgrade to Evernote Premium to raise their monthly upload allowance from 40MB to 500MB. More information on Evernote Premium is available here.

Does my unused monthly upload allowance roll over into the next month?

No. You get a new 40MB or 500MB (depending on your subscription) at the start of each month.

What types of data can I put into Evernote?

The Evernote Service currently supports text, html, jpeg, gif, png, wav, mp3, 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.

What is synchronization and how does it work?

Synchronization is the process of comparing and updating the notes and notebooks found in the Evernote clients that you use with those found on the Evernote Service. Synchronization requires an internet connection. On both Mac and Windows, you can either choose to synchronize manually or on a schedule.

Why is Evernote for Mac, OS X 10.5 (Leopard) only?

We are using a set of programming tools and libraries from Apple that they recommend for new applications like ours. These allowed us to build things like the "thumbnail" note view in weeks instead of months. Unfortunately, Apple has not back-ported these new programming interfaces to Tiger (OS X 10.4), so our application only runs on Leopard.

While we would like to support Tiger, it would take months of development effort to reproduce our current functionality on that platform. Since Leopard has been out for some time, we're not currently planning to do this work to back-port to older versions of OS X.

I have been using Evernote 2.2, should I switch to the Evernote Beta?

Yes, but maybe not in one-fell-swoop. The new Evernote is currently Beta software, which means it will be constantly upgraded and made more feature-rich. Also, Evernote Beta 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 the new Evernote, although sometimes the names have changed. We encourage you to run the Evernote Beta 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 Beta for Windows, 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.

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 in Evernote Beta for Windows. There is also a Note Import Wizard menu for importing selected image, text, and HTML files. To get imported databases onto a Mac, first import the database into Evernote Beta for Windows, synchronize with the service, and then synchronize the Mac client with the service.

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 Mac 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 send snapshots into your Evernote notebooks via e-mail or MMS. You can view and search your notes from a mobile browser by going to Evernote for Mobile Web at www.evernote.com/m. 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.

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 Mac 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 Mac version in a future release.

Please check the Evernote Blog for the latest tips, features, and releases.