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Auto-Backup Guide

  • Updated

Use Auto-Backup to back up your notes to one of several cloud storage services. 

This is a one-way backup—deleting a note in Notability does not delete the backup copy. Similarly, deleting a backup does not delete the original note in Notability. 

For a two-way sync across devices: iCloud Syncing. If multiple devices are synced through iCloud, you can only use Auto-Backup on one of them.

Enable Auto-Backup

  1. In Notability's Library, tap menus-settings-outline.svg.
  2. Tap Auto-Backup.
  3. Tap a cloud service to select it:
    • Box
    • Dropbox
    • Google Drive
    • OneDrive
    • WebDAV servers
  4. Tap Backup Off to disable Auto-Backup.

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 Destination.
  2. Navigate to the desired destination folder.
  3. Tap Back Up To [folder's name].

File Format Options

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

  1. In Auto-Backup's settings, tap File Format.
  2. Tap a 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 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.

Subjects to Back 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 Subjects to Back Up.
  2. Tap a subject to check or uncheck it.
  3. If a subject is locked, 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.

Can notes be backed up to iCloud?

Auto-Backup only integrates with Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and WebDAV servers. You cannot create a one-way Notability backup with iCloud. You can sync notes across multiple devices via iCloud Sync.

 

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