How to delete your NotePlan account

About deleting your NotePlan account

NotePlan is a powerful productivity suite that combines note-taking, task management, and calendar integration into a single, cohesive workflow. Unlike many cloud-first productivity tools, NotePlan is built on a 'local-first' philosophy, storing your notes, daily journals, and task lists as plain text files directly on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad. This design choice provides users with complete ownership over their content, which is stored in your personal iCloud Drive or local folder structure.

While the local nature of the app offers high privacy, users may choose to delete their NotePlan account for several reasons. You might want to switch to a different ecosystem, minimize your digital footprint, or clear metadata associated with the NotePlan cloud sync service. Reasons for deletion include:

• Transitioning to a non-subscription productivity tool.
• Reducing the number of active cloud accounts connected to your Apple ID.
• Ensuring that any synced metadata, such as shared calendar settings or plugin configurations, is purged from their servers.
• Consolidating your data management to pure local storage without any cloud-sync components.

What happens to your data

Because NotePlan is designed with a local-first architecture, deleting your account primarily targets the metadata used for syncing rather than your core notes. Your actual content, such as your markdown files and daily logs, resides in your own storage (e.g., iCloud Drive/Notes folder).

• Local Data: Your .md files are not stored on NotePlan's servers. Deleting your account will not automatically delete these local files; you must manually delete them from your local device or iCloud drive.
• Cloud Metadata: Sending a request to hello@noteplan.co initiates the removal of your account-level metadata, including subscription history, login credentials, and sync-related tracking data.
• Subscription Status: Your active subscription will be effectively canceled, ensuring that your payment profile is decoupled from their backend services.
• Shared Calendars: Any links established between NotePlan and third-party calendar providers via their sync service will be severed.

Privacy considerations

NotePlan is highly regarded for its privacy-centric approach, primarily because your data is not trapped in a proprietary cloud database. However, even with local storage, there are privacy implications to consider when using the service:

• Avoid syncing your iCloud folder if you are concerned about Apple's access to your plain-text files.
• Review the 'Plugin' section regularly, as third-party plugins might access or transmit your notes if they are poorly configured or malicious.
• Ensure your device is encrypted, as NotePlan stores all your data in plain text locally on your file system.
• Periodically audit your cloud storage provider to ensure that your NotePlan data folder is not shared with unauthorized third parties.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does deleting my NotePlan account delete my notes?

No. Your notes are stored as plain text files on your local device or your iCloud Drive. You must delete these files manually to remove them.

Can I recover my data after requesting account deletion?

Once NotePlan processes your request to delete your cloud metadata, that specific account information is gone, but your local files remain unaffected unless you have manually deleted them.

How long does it take for NotePlan to process the deletion?

Requests sent to hello@noteplan.co are handled by the support team manually; expect a response within a few business days confirming the action.

Do I need to cancel my Apple App Store subscription separately?

Yes. Even if you request account deletion, you should manually manage your subscription through your iPhone or Mac Settings to ensure no recurring billing occurs.

Will deleting my account remove my data from my iPad and Mac simultaneously?

No, as the files are synced via your personal cloud storage, not NotePlan's private servers. You must delete the files from every device where they are stored.