Need to know how to recover notes — can Jotwell bring back a deleted note?

Yes. Deleted notes go to the trash for 30 days: tap Undo right away or restore from Settings > Trash. For text you erased inside a note, open Version history and restore one of the last 20 versions.

What happens if the app crashes while I'm writing?

Jotwell saves the moment you stop typing, so what you wrote up to that point is already on your phone, even if the app closes or the phone restarts.

I lost 550 words after an edit. Can I undo it?

Each note keeps its last 20 versions automatically. Pick the version from before the change and restore it; the restore is saved as a new version, so you can change your mind again.

How do I take my notes to a new phone?

Pick a backup folder in Settings (or tap Back up now). Copy that zip file to the new phone and use Restore from backup — your notes come back and notes already on the new phone are kept. Android Auto Backup is supported as well.

Are my notes gone forever if I delete the app?

Notes live on your phone, so uninstalling removes the notes inside the app. The weekly zip backup in your chosen folder stays outside the app, so you can reinstall and restore from it.

Can it return to wherever I left off in a long note?

Yes. Long notes reopen at the place you last read, and notes open in reading mode so the keyboard doesn't jump up.

Can I pin notes to the top and reorder them?

Yes. Pin important notes to the top and put your notes in your own order.

Do I need an account? Are my notes uploaded?

No account and no sign-up. Jotwell has no server of its own; notes stay on your phone and in the backup folder you pick. There is no cloud sync.

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How to recover deleted or lost notes on Android

Short answer: a lost note can only come back from three places — (1) the app's own trash or version history, (2) an account sync or backup file that app created, or (3) Android's device backup. If none of them holds a copy, there is generally no ordinary way to bring a deleted note back from phone storage. So check them quickly and in order.

1. First: stop overwriting

Once you notice a note is missing, don't write new notes in that app, clear its data or reinstall it. Clearing data or reinstalling also wipes any trash or history still inside the app.

2. Check the app's trash and version history

Many notepad apps keep deleted notes in a trash or "recently deleted" area for a while. Look in the menu or settings for Trash, Deleted notes or Recently deleted.

If the note is still there but part of it is gone — "every so often this app will drop whole sections of my note into oblivion" — see whether the app has version or edit history. If it doesn't, there is nothing to restore at this step.

3. Check account sync or backup files

If the app synced to an account or exported backup files, check that account's web view, or your Files app (Downloads or Documents), and load the backup with the app's restore option.

4. Check Android's device backup

In Settings > Google > Backup (the name varies by phone), see whether app data backup was on. If the app supports Android Auto Backup, its data may be restored when you reinstall it — though anything written after the last backup won't be there.

5. Next time: how notes come back in Jotwell

Jotwell adds a way back at each point where notes get lost. It all works on your phone and in a folder you choose — no account.

Saved the moment you stop typing — tapping back or the app closing doesn't lose text
Deleted a note? Tap Undo, or restore it from Settings > Trash within 30 days
Erased the wrong text? Restore one of the last 20 versions in Version history
Pick a backup folder in Settings for a weekly zip (notes.json plus every note as .txt)
New phone or reinstall? Use Restore from backup — existing notes are kept

Don't lose the next one

Get Jotwell on Google Play