Share private notes with end-to-end encryption
Standard notes are deliberately simple: anyone with the code can read them. For anything private, Online Notepad encrypts the text in your browser before it is uploaded, so the server only ever stores unreadable ciphertext.
Two ways to encrypt
- Password. The link stays short. Your password is turned into a key with PBKDF2 (SHA-256, 600,000 iterations), and the text is encrypted with AES-256-GCM. Share the password separately.
- Private link. A random 128-bit key is added to the link after the #. Browsers never send this part to the server. The link is longer, so share it by copying or with the QR code.
How to share a private note
- Write the note. Paste or type your text on online-notepad.xyz.
- Choose protection. Open “More options” and set a password or tick “Private link”.
- Share in two parts. Send the link one way and the password another way, for example link by chat and password by phone.
Make it even safer
- Tick “Delete after first read” for one-time secrets. The note disappears the moment it is opened.
- Pick the shortest expiry that works for you. Expired notes are erased automatically.
- Keep the password or private link safe. Without it, nobody can decrypt the note, not even us.
Frequently asked questions
Can Online Notepad read my encrypted notes?
No. Encryption happens in your browser and the server only receives ciphertext. Passwords and the key after # are never sent to us.
What if I forget the password?
Then the note cannot be decrypted or recovered. That is the point of end-to-end encryption.
Are standard notes encrypted too?
They are transferred over HTTPS but stored readable, so anyone with the code can open them. Use a password or private link for anything private.
See Security for browser drafts, editing rights and vulnerability reporting.
More guides
- Send text to your smart TVPasswords, links and codes without typing on the remote.
- Send text from PC to phoneScan a QR code instead of emailing yourself.
- Online clipboardCopy on one device, paste on another.
- Self-destructing notesDeleted after the first read.
- Pastebin alternativeShort links, no sign-up.
- Share a Wi-Fi passwordWith guests, phones and TVs.