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Notes (Privacy Friendly) icon

Notes (Privacy Friendly)

(SECUSO) Notes App with minimal permissions and without advertising

Developer
SECUSO - Security Usability Society
License
GPL-3.0-or-later
Package
org.secuso.privacyfriendlynotes
Category
Note, Writing
Latest version
2.2.2 · Jun 18, 2026
Minimum Android
Android 5.0

Download 2.2.2

Screenshots

Notes (Privacy Friendly) screenshot 1 Notes (Privacy Friendly) screenshot 2 Notes (Privacy Friendly) screenshot 3

Description

Privacy Friendly Notes allows you to take and manage notes on Android devices. It belongs to the Privacy Friendly Apps group developed by the research group SECUSO at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. More information can be found an secuso.org/pfa

The following four types of notes are available:
1. Simple text notes
2. Checklist notes
3. Audio notes
4. Sketchnotes

Furthermore, the notes can be grouped into categories, reminders can be assigned to notes and the notes can be exported to the device storage.

How does Privacy Friendly Notes from other similar apps?

1. Minimal Permissions
The permission "RECORD_AUDIO" (Category "Mikrofon") is required to record audio notes. In case this permission is not granted by the user (in Android versions higher than 6) it will not be possible to record audio notes.

"WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" (Category "Speicher") is used to export notes to the device storage. In case this permission is not granted by the user (in Android versions higher than 6) it will not be possible to export notes.

Beside the permissions above the permission “RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED” (Category “Normal/non-critical”) is required to reschedule notifications after a reboot. This permission cannot be modified by the user.

For comparison: The Top Ten of similar apps from the Google Play Store require an average of 11,7 permissions (in December 2016). These are for instance the location permission or the permissions to access, modify or delete storage.

2. No advertisement
Moreover, Privacy Friendly Notes distinguishes from many other applications in the way that it completely relinquishes advertisements. Advertisement might track a user's actions. It could also shorten battery life or use mobile data.

You can reach us via
Bluesky - @secusoresearch.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/secusoresearch.bsky.social
Mastodon - @SECUSO_Research@bawü.social https://xn--baw-joa.social/@SECUSO_Research/
Job opening - https://secuso.aifb.kit.edu/english/Job_Offers.php

All versions

VersionReleasedMinimum AndroidSize
2.2.2 Jun 18, 2026 Android 5.0 8.1 MB
2.2.1 Jun 1, 2026 Android 5.0 8.1 MB
2.1.1 Nov 7, 2025 Android 5.0 8.1 MB
2.1.0 Nov 3, 2025 Android 5.0 8.1 MB
2.0.5 Aug 10, 2025 Android 5.0 8 MB
2.0.4 Apr 25, 2025 Android 5.0 8 MB
2.0.3 Dec 9, 2024 Android 5.0 6.2 MB
2.0.2 Oct 30, 2024 Android 5.0 6.2 MB
2.0.1 Sep 25, 2024 Android 5.0 6.2 MB
2.0.0 Sep 12, 2024 Android 5.0 6 MB
1.4.5 Jan 15, 2024 Android 5.0 5.7 MB
1.4.4 Nov 5, 2023 Android 5.0 5.7 MB
1.4.2 May 12, 2023 Android 5.0 5 MB
1.4.1 Dec 3, 2022 Android 5.0 5 MB
1.4.0 Nov 24, 2022 Android 5.0 5 MB
1.3.0 Aug 29, 2022 Android 5.0 4.9 MB
1.2.5 Aug 11, 2022 Android 5.0 4.9 MB
1.2.4 Aug 11, 2022 Android 5.0 4.9 MB
1.2.3 Aug 9, 2022 Android 5.0 4.9 MB
1.2.2 Aug 7, 2022 Android 5.0 4.9 MB
1.1.1 Aug 4, 2022 Android 5.0 4.9 MB
1.1.0 Jul 28, 2022 Android 5.0 4.9 MB
1.0.2 Feb 3, 2021 Android 5.0 3.6 MB
1.0.1 Dec 15, 2016 Android 4.2 2 MB
1.0 Nov 26, 2016 Android 4.2 2 MB

From the developer (GitHub)

APK files published by the developer on GitHub. They are signed by the developer and may not install over the other builds on this page (different signature). Links open github.com.

v2.2.2 · Jun 15, 2026
pfa-notes-release-v2.2.2.apk 8.1 MB
v2.2.1 · May 29, 2026
pfa-notes-release-v2.2.1.apk 8.1 MB
v2.1.1 · Nov 5, 2025
pfa-notes-release-v2.1.1.apk 8.1 MB

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