Standard Notes 3.5 is a rigorous architectural upgrade that brings greatly improved performance, new state-of-the-art encryption algorithms, and a solid logical foundation on which we’ll be able to build new features with greater speed and confidence.

Important: Because this beta version features an encryption upgrade, if you decide to run it you cannot go back to a stable version. Your data will only be readable by 3.5+ desktop clients, mobile clients, and web clients. Make sure you have a backup stored somewhere safe before proceeding.

Pros of trying this beta version: - Loading and processing speeds are 3-4x as fast with v3.5 as they were with previous versions due to new encryption algorithms that access native system resources. - Try out the most evolved and well-thought out version of our application code and infrastructure. - Likely more stability than previous client releases. - Help us test this beta to catch tricky bugs before we release a stable version to everybody. You're actively making Standard Notes better and we're very grateful for your support.

Cons: - The Great Unknowns. We’ve been testing this encryption upgrade many, many times, but beta software has bugs. Rest assured that we’ll be very responsive if you experience an issue with your data and will do our absolute best to help you out. - Dependence on beta builds until production release.

FAQ

"Can I go back to 003 after upgrading to 004?"

No. The only way to revert back to 003 is to reset your account, and import the 003 backup file you created. Since this means any changes created since the backup was downloaded will not be present, this approach is not recommended.

"Can I use v3.5 without upgrading my encryption version?"

Yes! You can still use the new app version without upgrading your encryption version to 004. This will allow you to continue using currently released app versions, but you won't get the benefits of our new encryption algorithms and speed-ups.

"Can I use the 3.5 beta on my computer in conjunction with the stable version on my phone, or vice-versa?"

No. Once you upgrade your encryption your data becomes unreadable by pre-3.5 versions on every platform.

"How should I report bugs?"

You can report bugs on GitHub or our public Slack, but make sure to specify that you are running the beta, whether or not you've upgraded to 004, and on which platforms.

For the safety of everyone's data, please do not share beta versions without the above message.

To all of you who decide to try this version out, thank you. Your support is instrumental in helping us deliver this very ambitious update!