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Is Standard Notes Safe?

Standard Notes privacy label · by Standard Notes Ltd. · checked November 2026

  • Collects no data
  • Recently updated
App Privacy label Developer-reported · checked November 1, 2026
Data Not Collected

The developer states that no data is collected from this app.

Short answer

On the label, yes. Standard Notes' developer reports that it collects no data, which puts it among the 40% of encrypted notes apps we checked with a "Data Not Collected" label. That is a self-declared statement, not an audit, and it does not cover data processed only on your device.

At a glance

Standard Notes privacy in one look

Data exposure on the label
Data not collected
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4

Built only from the developer's App Store label. It describes disclosure, not tested behaviour.

Verdict from the label
Data not collected

Standard Notes' developer states that the app does not collect any data from this app.

Try it

Did Standard Notes ask for something?

Pick the permission prompt you saw. We compare it with what Standard Notes' developer declared.

It asked me for access to…
Tap a prompt to compare it with the label.
Not on the label

Location is not on Standard Notes' label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

Not on the label

User Content is not on Standard Notes' label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

Not on the label

Contacts is not on Standard Notes' label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

Not declared on the label

Standard Notes declares no tracking, so a tracking prompt would contradict its label. Decline it, and consider reporting the mismatch to Apple.

Not on the label

Health & Fitness is not on Standard Notes' label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

A permission is what the app can reach on your iPhone; the label is what the developer says leaves it. They answer different questions.

Reading the label

What Standard Notes' label means for you

“Data Not Collected” is the cleanest result a label can show. It means the developer states that no data leaves your iPhone in a way the developer or its partners can access for longer than needed to handle a request. Data processed only on your device does not count as collected, so Standard Notes can still read files or photos you open in it.

The statement is the developer's own. Apple reviews apps but does not audit every label, and analytics or crash-reporting libraries added later can make a label out of date. If Standard Notes asks you to create an account, upload files or allow tracking, that would not match a no-collection label — and is worth noticing.

Notes apps quietly collect some of your most personal writing. 'Encrypted' can mean encrypted in transit, at rest on the server, or end-to-end — only the last keeps the developer out. Find which kind of encryption the developer documents, and whether a lost password means lost notes.

Among the 146 encrypted notes apps in our snapshot with a label, 25% declare tracking, 40% collect data linked to you and 40% say they collect nothing. Standard Notes lists 0 data types, fewer than the average of 1.8 for this group.

Productivity apps tend to collect the work you do in them — documents, notes and files — so User Content is common. The question is whether it syncs to the developer's servers and how it is protected there.

On your iPhone

Settings to check for Standard Notes

  1. 1

    Lock the app

    On iOS 18 and later, touch and hold the icon and choose Require Face ID. Anyone who picks up your unlocked phone then needs your face, fingerprint or passcode to open it.

  2. 2

    Notifications

    Settings › Notifications › Standard Notes › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.

Cross-app tracking

Does Standard Notes track you?

No tracking declared

There is no “Data Used to Track You” section on Standard Notes' label.

Does Standard Notes track you? Full answer and how to stop it →

iOS 18 and later

Lock Standard Notes behind Face ID

  1. Find Standard Notes on your Home Screen or in App Library.
  2. Touch and hold the icon until the quick-actions menu opens.
  3. Tap Require Face ID (or Require Touch ID / Require Passcode, depending on your iPhone).
  4. Tap Require Face ID again to confirm. Standard Notes now asks for authentication every time it opens.

The lock is an iPhone feature, so it works whether or not Standard Notes has a passcode of its own. It does not change what the app sends to its developer.

Lock or hide Standard Notes: step-by-step guide →

From the App Store record

About Standard Notes

DeveloperStandard Notes Ltd.
App Store categoryProductivity (also Utilities)
Latest version3.202.7, released September 2026
First releasedOctober 2017
RequiresiOS 15.1 or later
Size92 MB
Age rating4+
Languages1 (EN)
Bundle IDcom.standardnotes.standardnotes

The current version shipped in September 2026, so the app is actively maintained and its label is likely current. Labels are updated by developers when practices change.

Read with care

What the label cannot tell you

  • A label is self-reported. Apple publishes the developer's answers and can reject apps that misrepresent them, but it does not independently verify what Standard Notes sends.
  • It does not say where data is stored, how long it is kept, whether it is encrypted, or which companies receive it. The privacy policy covers those points.
  • Optional data counts: if a feature lets you add something (a profile photo, a phone number), the type is listed even if you never use the feature.
  • Data handled only on your iPhone is not 'collected', so a no-collection label is compatible with an app that reads your files locally.
  • Third-party sign-in, payment processors and SDKs are supposed to be included, but a label can lag behind a new version.

The question to ask Standard Notes' developer: Who holds the encryption key for my notes?

How it compares

Standard Notes vs similar encrypted notes apps

Data types listed on each App Store privacy label
Tracks youLinked to youNot linkedCollects nothing

Fewer types is not automatically safer: a cloud backup app has to collect your files to work. Compare like with like.

Checking another app?

Look up any of our apps in seconds, or put two labels side by side.

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All encrypted notes apps → Who tracks you? A–Z → Privacy label decoder →

Do it now

Your Standard Notes privacy checklist

Tick what you have done
Tick each step as you do it on your iPhone.

Done. You have applied every control the label points to.

Quick quiz

True or false?

  1. Q1Standard Notes' privacy label says it uses data to track you.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    False: there is no Data Used to Track You section on Standard Notes' label.

  2. Q2Apple tests every app to confirm its privacy label is accurate.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    Labels are self-reported by developers. Apple can reject or remove apps that misrepresent practices, but it does not audit each label.

  3. Q3An app with a “Data Not Collected” label cannot read any of your photos.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    It can read photos you give it access to. Processing on your device is not collection; only data sent off the phone counts.

  4. Q4Data “Not Linked to You” is never sent off your iPhone.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    It is collected and sent; the developer says it is de-identified rather than tied to your account or device.

  5. Q5Tapping “Ask App Not to Track” can stop an app from working.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    Apple's rules require apps to work the same whether or not you allow tracking.

Questions people ask

Standard Notes privacy FAQ

Is Standard Notes safe to use?
Based on its App Store privacy label, standard Notes' developer states that the app does not collect any data from this app. Whether that is acceptable depends on what you will store in it. The label is developer-reported, not an independent security test.
Does Standard Notes track you?
No. Standard Notes' label has no Data Used to Track You section.
What data does Standard Notes collect?
None, according to the developer's label.
Who makes Standard Notes?
Standard Notes Ltd., according to the App Store. It was first released in October 2017 and the current version is 3.202.7.
Can I lock Standard Notes with Face ID?
On iOS 18 or later, touch and hold Standard Notes' icon and choose Require Face ID (or Touch ID / Passcode). This is an iPhone feature and works for most downloaded apps, whether or not the app has its own lock.
How does Standard Notes compare with other encrypted notes apps?
Across 146 encrypted notes apps with labels in our snapshot, 25% declare tracking and 40% say they collect no data. Standard Notes lists 0 data types against an average of 1.8.
Who holds the encryption key for my notes?
The privacy label cannot answer that. Look for it in Standard Notes' privacy policy or support pages, linked from the App Store listing. Find which kind of encryption the developer documents, and whether a lost password means lost notes.
How do I delete my data from Standard Notes?
Apps that let you create an account must also let you start account deletion from inside the app (an App Store rule since June 2022). Deleting the app from your iPhone alone does not delete data already sent to the developer.
Facts on this page come from Standard Notes on the App Store, as reported by the developer. Checked 2026-11-01. How we collect data · Report a correction