How to get your notes on every device

Notes get written on whatever is nearest. A shopping list on the phone, meeting notes on the work laptop, a half-finished idea in a browser tab at a friend’s house. If the notes app on each of those is a different one, or only runs on some of them, the notes end up in three places and none of them is complete.

This guide covers how people usually keep notes in sync, where mixing devices and platforms causes gaps, and how to keep your notes in Fabric so the same notes open and edit on every phone, computer and browser you use.

How people usually keep notes in sync

The notes app that came with the phone is the default for most people. Apple Notes syncs across iPhone, iPad and Mac through iCloud, and Google Keep does the same across Android and the web. Both are quick to open and fine for short notes. They’re tied to their platform, so an iPhone owner with a Windows work laptop, or an Android user with a Mac, ends up with notes they can only reach in a browser tab or not at all.

Cross-platform apps such as OneNote, Evernote and Notion solve the platform problem and add structure, at the cost of a heavier app and, in some cases, limits on the free tier. Notes in those apps sit apart from the files and links they refer to, so a note about a contract and the contract itself live in two different tools.

Others email notes to themselves or keep text files in a cloud drive. Both reach every device, though neither is pleasant to write in on a phone. How to reduce app sprawl looks at why the number of note apps tends to grow.

Step 1: Install Fabric on each device

Fabric runs on the web, as a desktop app for Mac, Windows and Linux, and as apps for iOS and Android; all are on the download page. Sign in with the same account on each, and they all open one library of notes.

A note written on your phone at the bus stop is there when you open the laptop, and edits made on the laptop are there on the phone afterwards. Because the web app runs in any browser, you can reach your notes from a borrowed or shared computer without installing anything.

Developers and anyone who spends the day in a terminal can add the Fabric CLI to that list. It works with the same account and library as the apps, so a machine you only reach over a terminal is still part of the set.

Step 2: Write and capture notes from wherever you are

The notes and docs editor is a full Markdown editor that works the same across devices. Write short notes or long documents, link between notes, and embed files or saved content from your library, so the note about a contract can sit next to the contract.

Pasting text into Fabric creates a note straight away, which is handy when you’ve copied something from a website or a message and want to keep it.

When typing isn’t practical, other routes lead to the same library. Forward an email to your Fabric email address to save it as a note, or record a voice note in any Fabric app and get a transcript and write-up when you stop (voice notes and transcription need a paid plan). The quick capture page lists the other ways in.

Step 3: Bring over notes from other apps

If your notes are in Evernote or Notion, Fabric has import functions for both, so you can bring an existing collection across instead of starting from scratch. For notes in other apps, copy and paste them in, or export them as Markdown or text files and upload those.

Fabric writes a short summary of each note it receives, extracts its topics and suggests tags. That gives an imported collection of several hundred notes some shape without you sorting each one, and you can add folders, spaces or tags on top if you like working that way.

Step 4: Find a note from any device

Click Search or press Cmd+F (Mac) / Ctrl+F (Windows), or search on the phone, and describe the note. Search matches by meaning as well as keywords, so “ideas for Dad’s birthday” finds the note even if you titled it “June” and wrote about a cooking class.

Search covers your notes alongside your files, links and recordings, so one query finds the note and the related document together. Put words in quotes for exact matches, and filter by tag or kind of item to see only notes.

Step 5: Share notes and work on them together

Share a note with someone as a viewer, commenter or editor. Editors can work on it at the same time as you, with live cursors, from whichever device they’re on. People outside your workspace can use the shared link without creating an account. Note-taking basics has ideas for structuring notes that more than one person uses.

When you want to pull something together from many notes, open a folder and ask the AI assistant. It works from that folder, cites the notes it used, and can save its answer as a new note.

Frequently asked questions

What notes app works on iPhone and Windows?

Fabric has an iOS app and a Windows desktop app, plus Android, Mac, Linux and web apps, all opening the same notes.

How do I sync notes between Android and Mac?

Install the Fabric app on the Android phone and the Fabric desktop app on the Mac, and sign in to the same account on both.

Can I get my notes in a browser without installing anything?

Yes. The Fabric web app runs in any browser and opens the same notes as the desktop and mobile apps.

Can I import notes from Evernote or Notion?

Yes. Fabric has import functions for both Evernote and Notion.

Does Fabric support Markdown?

Yes. The notes editor is a full Markdown editor, and you can upload Markdown files too.

Can I save an email as a note?

Yes. Forward it to your Fabric email address. It only accepts mail from your verified account address.

Can two people edit the same note at once?

Yes. Share the note with editor permission and you can both edit it in real time, with live cursors showing where each person is working. This works across devices, so one of you can be on a phone.

Are notes free in Fabric?

Yes. Notes are included on the free plan, along with file uploads and limited AI use. See pricing for the paid plans.