QOwnNotes for Android - Markdown notes on your phone
We are excited to announce QOwnNotes for Android — a native, offline-capable Markdown notes app that brings your QOwnNotes experience directly to your Android device.
After years of community requests, we finally have an official Android companion that syncs seamlessly with your Nextcloud server through the Nextcloud Notes API and the QOwnNotesAPI app.
What is QOwnNotes for Android?
QOwnNotes for Android is an offline-first Markdown notes application built specifically for Android. It talks directly to Nextcloud Notes and QOwnNotesAPI on your server, giving you full access to note synchronization, server-side note versions, and the trash bin — all from your phone.
Key Features
Offline-First Architecture
Your notes live in a local Room database, so you can read, write, and edit without an internet connection. Changes are cached immediately and synchronized automatically when the server becomes reachable.
Nextcloud Notes API 1.2+
Full support for the latest Notes API with incremental pulls, ETags, and conflict-safe updates. Your notes stay consistent across all your devices.
Single Sign-On (SSO)
Import your account directly from the Nextcloud Files Android app — no need to re-enter credentials. Your login stays secure within Nextcloud's SSO integration and is never copied into the QOwnNotes database.
Note Version History & Trash
Install the optional QOwnNotesAPI Nextcloud app on your server and gain access to:
- Note version history — browse and restore previous versions of your notes
- Remote trash bin — recover accidentally deleted notes directly from your phone
Favorites with Offline Toggle
Mark notes as favorites and toggle them offline. Favorites appear first in your note list for quick access.
Powerful Markdown Rendering
QOwnNotes for Android renders:
- CommonMark and GitHub Flavored Markdown
- Checkbox lists with three states (open, done, partial)
- Wiki links and legacy
note://links - Tables
- Fenced code blocks
- Remote images
Full-Featured Markdown Editor
The built-in editor includes:
- Formatting actions for quick styling
- Undo/redo with cursor preservation
- Local draft persistence — never lose your work
- Tabbing support
Share-to-Create
Share text from any Android app (browser, messenger, email) directly into QOwnNotes to create a new note instantly.
Light and Dark Themes
Seamless theme support on Android 9+ to match your system preferences.
How QOwnNotes Android Compares
| Feature | QOwnNotes Android | Nextcloud Notes mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Offline editing with conflict detection | Yes | Limited |
| Note version history via QOwnNotesAPI | Yes | No |
| Remote trash browsing and restore | Yes | No |
| Favorites with offline toggle | Yes | No |
| Three-state checkbox lists | Yes | No |
Wiki-link and legacy note:// link support | Yes | No |
Getting Started
Installation
Download the latest APK from the GitHub releases page. Development builds are also available and can be installed side-by-side with the stable version.
Nextcloud Account Setup
- Install the Nextcloud Files Android app and sign in to your server
- Open QOwnNotes for Android and choose Add Nextcloud account
- The app requires the Nextcloud Notes server app with Notes API 1.2 or newer
- For version history and trash, install the QOwnNotesAPI Nextcloud app on your server
That's it — your notes sync automatically and you can start editing right away.
Why QOwnNotes Android?
For years, QOwnNotes users on Android had to rely on workarounds — third-party Markdown editors like Markor, manual file syncing, or the limited Nextcloud Notes app. QOwnNotes for Android changes that.
You get a dedicated, purpose-built companion app that understands your notes the same way the desktop app does. Offline editing, conflict detection, version history, trash recovery — features that matter when your notes are important.
Your notes remain plain Markdown files. No proprietary formats. No lock-in. Just your thoughts, synced through your own Nextcloud server.
Links
QOwnNotes for Android is open source and available under the GPL-2.0 license. Contributions, bug reports, and translations are welcome on GitHub.