> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.openwhispr.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Sync notes across devices > Turn on cloud backup, what syncs and what doesn't, and why shared notes behave differently. 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. ## 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](/help/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. ## 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. ## 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. ## 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](/help/privacy/what-we-store-and-for-how-long) and [delete your account](/help/account/delete-your-account). ## Related * [What OpenWhispr stores, and for how long](/help/privacy/what-we-store-and-for-how-long) * [Share a note](/help/notes/share-a-note) * [Plans and limits](/help/plans-and-limits) * [Export your notes](/help/notes/export-your-notes)