Webapp for people stuck on a PC at work (Apple at home)

Submission

Gadwood

Mar 21, 2021

Board: Features
Status: In Progress

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Webapp for people stuck on a PC at work (Apple at home)

At work I only have the choice to be on a PC. A web version would help to stay with Noteplan all the time. Or windows app ✅ Public beta available, sign up here for the waiting list: https://tally.so/r/31dePp

Gadwood

Mar 21, 2021

20

Naman GoelApr 6, 2021

This is technically possible if you don't use iCloud Drive to sync your backing data. CloudKit JS doesn't have access to iCloud Drive as far as I know. That said, if you use CloudKit (instead of iCloud Drive) or Dropbox to sync your files, it should be possible to make things work.

Yasmin SmithMay 3, 2021

Completely this!

Amanda ScottAug 11, 2021

At work I have a PC too and it drives me crazy that I can't have my NotePlan on there as well. I love this app, but if I can't use it for my work - it looses a lot of it's usefulness. Please consider making this as least a web version?

Daniel BerrySep 29, 2021

Also voting for this but from a different need: all of the existing sync options are unavailable to me (employer laptop is locked down, cannot enable iCloud Drive or install Dropbox)

DavidJul 22, 2022

This!! I'm voting for this not because I'm stuck with a PC for work, as I have a Mac for work but with restrictions (no iCloud / CloudKit sync). I've been only a couple of months in this new job and I realized that I've rarely been using my personal Mac since then. I spent most of the time after work doing work related notes or following courses that can only be accessed on the work Mac. Because of that, I've been rarely using NotePlan now. It'd be nice to be able to access Noteplan from the web and plan for both work and personal life from any computer.

TimNov 2, 2022

Hi. Is there a timeframe for web app?

Rebecca CJun 8, 2023

I can't tell you how much I want this!! I have limited use for Noteplan in my personal life (take few notes and a task app is easier on the fly) but would LOVE to be able to use it for work. I've tried to cobble together something similar in other apps but Noteplan is so much better. (I am still subscribed at the moment but unsure I can justify it given my level of use)

GadwoodAug 15, 2023

Is it possible to get a fast solution that a plugin for obsidian is get done so the 2 program works together understanding the Noteplan symbols, link, files and folder architecture etc. That way I could use Noteplan on all my iOS and MacOs device and work on my work PC.

DavidOct 22, 2023

I’m so glad to see that this is in progress!!

DaveJan 26, 2024

Hi Eduard Metzger I am thinking of migrating my notes and files to Noteplan to increase my productivity. Noteplan has 2 key advantages: - PRIVACY of local notes and files that are not synced to a Noteplan server, but only through Apple's sync system, protected by Apple ID privacy policy (fine so far because Apple will no risk making a privacy mistake). - There is NO LOCKING due to the plain text data format of notes in the local storage (and it makes backups easy too) Key question: Is the web app going to alter your privacy advantage by modifying the current notes sync system? How are you going to preserve privacy by syncing the data to your web servers ?

Eduard MetzgerJan 27, 2024

Dave: The web version still uses CloudKit, but you have no local files, since it's running in the browser, just a local cache from where NotePlan will load the notes and then fetch from CloudKit if needed. However, if you are using it with the native version (on some device), that will have the notes stored as local files. No matter if you created them in the web version or in the native. Additionally, but optionally we are building a third-party database for syncing, but that's primarily for non-Apple users and for teamspaces (since sharing is important for teams and CloudKit has some limitations). We are using "Supabase" for syncing and storing non-Apple data (if you choose to login through email instead of Apple ID). The data is encrypted at rest on the database (as per Supabase documentation) and secured through "RLS" policies, which make sure a user can only access his data, not other people's data.

DaveJan 27, 2024

Eduard Metzger: Thanks Eduard. I rephrase to ensure I understood properly for the webapp privacy because I still have some doubts: 1- For browsers on Mac devices, only Apple Cloudkit servers will be used to access user's data directly from the browser after manual Apple ID login. No permanent local data, no 3rd party web servers, only local cached data. We stay 100% in Apple private architecture. 2- For browsers on non mac devices, you adopt a webapp architecture. So you are setting up a Supabase database on a server of your choice to replace Cloudkit Apple servers. This becomes a web server architecture independent from Apple architecture (can use email login). Data is synced with and stored in your server database and cached locally in the browser. Is my understanding correct ? So the webapp can target users outside of the apple Ecosystem, but my concern is about losing current privacy feature: 3- The privacy policies of third-party servers and Apple cloudkit's privacy policy are not the same, not by a long shot. (I have unfortunately experienced it) 4- You bridge data between Apple's architecture and your 3rd party server, so you lose the privacy protection of Apple's architecture. Will we be able to prevent the sync from Apple to the 3rd party server? Am I wrong somewhere? Cheers

Eduard MetzgerJan 27, 2024

Dave: It’s not quite correct. The browser or operating system doesn’t matter, you just need an Apple ID to keep using CloudKit. If you login with your Apple ID, it’s CloudKit.

DaveJan 31, 2024

Eduard Metzger: True, now CloudKit JS allows different browsers on diferent OSs to connect with Apple ID and fetch data. Then, are there any cases when the Noteplan data for an Apple user is copied from Cloudkit into the Supabase database ? (like collaboration of an Apple user with a non apple user?) (By the way, +1 vote here for adding E2E encryption for total peace of mind.)

Eduard MetzgerJan 31, 2024

Dave: Data is not copied. They'll stay separated. Teamspaces are on Supabase and private data is optionally on CloudKit or Supabase (depending which login you are using). Collaboration stays strictly in Supabase.

Eduard MetzgerJan 31, 2024

Public beta for everyone is available now, just visit https://app.noteplan.co

Christopher WagnerAug 14, 2024

Glad that you chose the direction of a web app for compatibility as in most Windows environments where people want this kind of thing their IT departments would not let them install an app.

MichaelNov 19, 2024

Any update on showing tasks in the sidebar for the webapp?

Hani ESJan 20, 2025

This is needed also for everyone with Android devices!

Anonymous Warm BobcatSep 10, 2025

I have been using noteplan for almost 2 years but recently got an android. I've had to switch away from using noteplan completely as it's too disjointed not having an android app. Really disappointed.