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OpenWhispr is local-first: your notes live on the machine you made them on, and that copy stays the source of truth. Syncing adds a cloud copy so your other devices can see the same notes. It’s off by default. Nothing leaves your machine until you turn it on.

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Turning it on

Open Settings, then Privacy & Data under System, and switch on Cloud backup. Three things all have to be true for notes to sync:
  1. You’re signed in to an OpenWhispr account
  2. Cloud backup is on
  3. You’re on a paid plan
Sync is a paid feature — on the Free plan the toggle won’t produce syncing even when you’re signed in. See plans and limits. When you first switch it on, existing notes are uploaded in the background and the app reports progress — “Backing up notes… 12 / 40”, then “All notes backed up”. The section also shows Last synced so you can tell at a glance whether it’s current.

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Two exceptions that sync anyway

Shared notes and team-space content keep syncing even with cloud backup off, as long as you’re signed in on a paid plan. The app states this next to the toggle: “Notes in team spaces and notes you’ve shared always sync, regardless of this setting.” The logic is that each of those is its own act of consent. You can’t share a note with someone and also require it never leave your device, and a team space is shared by definition. If you want something to stay local, keep it in your personal space and don’t share it.

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What happens with the same note on two machines

Edits are reconciled by which came last. Open a note on your laptop, edit it on your desktop, and the newer version wins. The practical advice is ordinary: let a device finish syncing before editing the same note somewhere else. Last synced tells you where things stand.

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Turning it off

Switch Cloud backup off. Local notes stay exactly where they are — the setting controls the cloud copy, not your own. To remove what’s already been uploaded, or to remove everything, see what we store, and for how long and delete your account.