What It Does

This feature automatically uploads your changed documents to Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive for safekeeping while you're working in GoodNotes. It's best used with iCloud sync to protect your notes so that you can always find them in the auto-backup folder in case something destructive occurs to your local library.

How It Works

Once initially set up, auto-backup will upload all your documents to the auto-backup folder. Afterward, only changed documents get backed up.

<aside> ⚠️ Auto-backup is a one-way process; it doesn't sync your changes across your devices as iCloud does. Changes you make in the cloud storage won't affect your GoodNotes library.

</aside>

• Create a folder
• Recover a deleted item | Upload the document, folder, or recovered item to the cloud storage. | | - Change the content or template of a page
• Add/Remove a page
• Reorder the pages of a document
• Rename a document/folder | Update the remote copy of the document/folder. | | Delete a document or folder | Nothing | | Favorite or unfavorite a page/document | Nothing | | Modify the custom outline of a document | Nothing | | Move a document/folder | Update the remote folder structure |

Enable auto-backup

1. Open GoodNotes menu.
   • How?
2. Choose Settings > Automatic Backup .
3. Enable Auto Backup.
4. Tap Cloud Storage and choose one.
5. Tap Sign In to <cloud storage> and sign in to the cloud storage account.
6. Change other auto-backup settings if needed:

   • Upload only over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: Enable it to save mobile data if the device is using it.

   • Destination Folder: Tap and type the name of the folder to which documents will be backed up. If the specified folder doesn't yet exist, it will be created. If you want to back up to a subfolder of a folder, type in the path and separate folder names with forward slashes (“/”), e.g. GoodNotes/backup. For best results, do not use "/" at the end of the path.

     <aside> ⚠️ For Dropbox users: For minimal access to your Dropbox account, the auto-backup folder is set to be in <Dropbox root>/Apps/GoodNotes 5 and there isn't a way to set a backup folder anywhere outside this structure, for example in the root.

     </aside>

   • File Format: Tap and choose any of the following:

     • PDF: Documents will be backed up in Flattened PDF format, which can be viewed in any PDF viewer on any platform.
     • GoodNotes: Documents will be backed up in .goodnotes (native) format. This is the fastest method if you don't care about viewing your notes on another non-Apple platform.
     • GoodNotes & PDF: Documents will be backed up in both PDF and .goodnotes formats.

   • Excluded Folder/File Names: Tap and type one or more comma-separated exclusion terms. Folders or documents having any one of these terms in their titles won't be backed up.

<aside> ℹ️ Once you've enabled the feature for the first time, keep the app visible on the screen until auto-backup finishes uploading your entire library.

</aside>

Pause / Resume Automatic Backup

1. View auto-backup status.
   • How?
2. Choose Pause / Resume.

Clear Automatic Backup queue