Two different problems
When people say they want to “transfer notes”, they usually mean one of two things.
- Moving a note once. You wrote something on your phone and need to use it on a computer. After that, you do not need the old copy.
- Keeping notes in sync. You want the same notes on every device, always up to date, so you can edit them anywhere.
These need different tools. An online clipboard is built for the first. For the second you want a notes app or a cloud document.
Comparing your options
| Option | Good for | Account needed | Keeps notes after transfer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online clipboard | One-time moves, shared and borrowed computers | No | No, expires |
| Notes app that syncs | Ongoing notes you edit on many devices | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud document | Longer writing, sharing with others | Yes | Yes |
| Email to yourself | Longer text with attachments | Yes | Yes, in your inbox |
| Messaging yourself | Quick things you want to find in search | Yes | Yes, in the chat |
The quick way: transfer with an online clipboard
- On the first device, copy your note, then open this site and paste it in the Send text box.
- Pick an expiry. For a transfer you are about to complete, 10 minutes is plenty. If you will not be near the other device until tomorrow, choose 1 day.
- If the note is private, add a password and turn on Delete after the first view.
- Press Save to clipboard. You get a 6-digit code, a link and a QR code.
- On the second device, open the site, choose Receive text and type the code, or scan the QR code.
- Press Copy, or Download .txt to get the note as a file.
Moving a lot of notes at once
One clip holds up to 100,000 characters, which is roughly 15,000 words. If you have many notes, you have two options.
- Combine them. Paste all the notes into one clip, separating each with a clear heading such as
=== Biology: cell division ===. After receiving them, split them into separate notes on the other device. - Send them in batches. Make one clip per subject, and name each in the first line so you know what is inside.
Keep the note when you are done
Because clips expire, treat the transfer as a hand-off, not as storage. Once the text is on the second device:
- Paste it into your notes app or document straight away.
- Check the formatting, especially lists and headings, because only plain text is transferred.
- Let the clip expire, or turn on delete after first view so it vanishes on its own.
Formatting: what survives and what does not
Plain text moves across exactly as written, including line breaks, bullet characters you typed and emoji in most cases. Rich formatting does not: bold, italics, colours, tables and images are lost when text is copied into a plain text box. If your notes depend on formatting, export them from the notes app as a file and move the file instead.
Tips for tidy notes
- Start with a title line. It makes it easy to recognise what is in a clip you opened a day later.
- Use simple symbols for structure. Dashes for lists and hashes for headings survive any transfer.
- Download a
.txtcopy if you want to keep the text as a file on the new device. - Do not store anything you cannot lose only in a temporary clip. Keep the original until you have checked the copy.
Privacy checklist
- The code is the only key for a clip without a password, so keep it to yourself.
- A password encrypts the text in your browser. If you forget it, nobody can recover the text.
- Delete after first view removes the clip as soon as it has been opened once.
- Avoid putting passwords, bank details or identity numbers in any note you transfer this way.