Standard Notes Keyboard Shortcuts
Standard Notes shares Simplenote's minimalist plain-text starting point but layers two things on top that Simplenote doesn't prioritize as heavily: end-to-end encryption by default on every note, and an extensible editor system that lets you swap in different specialized editors (Markdown, code syntax highlighting, rich text) per note rather than being locked into one fixed editing experience. Because encryption is applied automatically rather than being an opt-in setting, most everyday shortcuts feel identical to using any plain note app, with the security guarantee operating invisibly in the background rather than requiring extra deliberate steps the way Proton Mail's external-recipient password protection does. Editor-switching is where Standard Notes' shortcuts get genuinely distinctive, since picking which editor applies to a given note is treated as a first-class action here, something a single-fixed-editor app like Simplenote or Bear has no equivalent concept for at all. Server-side extensions and the option to self-host the entire sync server are a genuine point of difference from most encrypted note apps, letting privacy-conscious users or organizations run their own backend infrastructure rather than trusting a third party's servers even in encrypted form, though this requires meaningfully more technical setup than the default hosted service most users rely on. Because encryption happens client-side before anything reaches Standard Notes' servers at all, even a server compromise wouldn't expose readable note content, a stronger guarantee than encryption-at-rest-only systems where the provider itself technically retains decryption capability. Locking a note and theme customization both reflect smaller but genuinely useful quality-of-life layers built on top of the core encrypted-note model — locking guards against an accidental edit to a reference note you return to often, while theming, delivered through the same extension system that powers alternate editors, lets the interface itself be customized without that customization ever touching the actual encrypted note content underneath.
Note Creation
| Action | Windows | Mac | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Create new note | Ctrl+N | Cmd+N | Creates a new blank note using whatever the default editor is configured to be, immediately encrypted end-to-end as part of Standard Notes' default security model. |
| Delete current note | Ctrl+Backspace (varies) | Cmd+Backspace | Moves the current note to Trash, recoverable until permanently deleted, rather than immediate destruction. |
| Pin note to top of list | Note options menu > Pin | — | Pins a note to the top of the note list regardless of modification date, useful for frequently referenced content. |
| Toggle notes list sidebar | Ctrl+/ (varies) | Cmd+/ | Shows or hides the note list panel, freeing more screen space for the active note's content when hidden. |
| Export current note | Note options menu > Export | — | Exports the current note's content to a plain file, useful for backup or moving content to another application outside Standard Notes' encrypted ecosystem. |
| Lock note (prevent accidental editing) | Note options menu > Lock | — | Prevents accidental edits to a note's content by requiring an explicit unlock action first, useful for reference notes you refer back to often but don't want to accidentally modify while scrolling or clicking around. |
| Duplicate current note | Note options menu > Duplicate | — | Creates a full copy of the current note's content and tags as a new separate note, useful as a starting point for a similar note without retyping shared content from scratch. |
Editor Switching
| Action | Windows | Mac | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Change editor for current note | Note options menu > Change Editor | — | Switches which specialized editor (plain text, Markdown, code, rich text) is used for the current note, a first-class action unique to Standard Notes' extensible editor system without an equivalent in single-fixed-editor note apps. |
| Toggle Markdown preview (in Markdown editor) | Editor toolbar toggle (no dedicated key) | — | Switches between raw Markdown syntax and rendered preview when using the Markdown editor extension, relevant only when that specific editor is active for the current note. |
Search Organization
| Action | Windows | Mac | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search notes | Ctrl+F | Cmd+F | Focuses search to filter the note list by content, functioning entirely client-side since notes are encrypted and can't be searched server-side the way an unencrypted note app's cloud search might work. |
| Add tag to current note | Tag field below note title | — | Applies a tag to the current note for organization, functioning alongside (rather than instead of) an optional folder-like structure Standard Notes also supports through its tagging system's hierarchy features. |
| Archive current note | Note options menu > Archive | — | Moves a note out of the active list into an archived state without deleting it, useful for decluttering the main list while retaining content that's no longer actively needed but shouldn't be discarded. |
| Toggle dark/light theme | Ctrl+Shift+D (varies) | Cmd+Shift+D | Switches the app's overall color theme, part of Standard Notes' broader theming system which itself is delivered as an installable extension rather than a hardcoded built-in setting. |
| Create nested tag hierarchy | Type tag with forward slash, e.g. Work/Projects | — | Creates a hierarchical tag structure by including a forward slash in the tag name, so tags behave much like nested folders visually, without losing the underlying flexibility of one note belonging to several unrelated tags at once. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does encryption in Standard Notes affect search performance compared to an unencrypted note app?
Because notes are end-to-end encrypted, search must happen client-side against decrypted content already available locally on your device, rather than a server being able to search encrypted content directly — for typical personal note collections this isn't noticeably slower, though it's an architectural difference from an unencrypted cloud note app that could theoretically search server-side.
What's the point of switchable editors instead of just one consistent editing experience?
Different notes serve different purposes — a code snippet benefits from syntax highlighting, a long document benefits from rich text or Markdown rendering, a quick capture might be fine as plain text — and Standard Notes' extensible editor system lets each individual note use whichever editor fits its content best, rather than forcing every note through the same one-size-fits-all editing experience.
Is Standard Notes free, or is encryption a paid feature?
Core end-to-end encrypted note-taking is available on Standard Notes' free tier; some advanced editors, extensions, and features (like certain productivity plugins or extended version history) are reserved for paid tiers, but the fundamental privacy guarantee of encryption isn't gated behind payment, consistent with the product's privacy-first positioning.
Can I self-host Standard Notes' server instead of using their hosted service?
Yes — the server component is open source and can be run on your own infrastructure instead of Standard Notes' hosted service. It's the right call for anyone who wants full control over where their notes physically live, but be ready for real ongoing maintenance work that the default hosted plan handles for you automatically.
If the server were ever compromised, could an attacker read my notes?
No — because encryption happens client-side before any data reaches Standard Notes' servers, even a full server compromise wouldn't expose readable note content, since the server never possesses your decryption keys at all, a stronger security model than systems that only encrypt data at rest while the provider retains technical decryption capability.
What's the difference between archiving a note and deleting it?
Archiving removes a note from the active list view while keeping it fully intact and recoverable, essentially a decluttering action, whereas deleting moves it toward actual removal (via Trash and eventual permanent deletion), which is a meaningfully more destructive action intended for content you genuinely no longer need.
Can I use Standard Notes on multiple devices with the same encrypted account?
Yes, the same end-to-end encrypted account syncs across all supported platforms (web, desktop, mobile), decrypting content locally on each device using keys derived from your own credentials, so the encryption model doesn't limit you to single-device use the way some more restrictive secure-note concepts might.
Can tags in Standard Notes work like nested folders?
Yes, typing a forward slash within a tag name (like Work/Projects) creates a hierarchical nested tag structure that displays similarly to folders in the sidebar, while still preserving the underlying flexibility that a single note can carry several different tags simultaneously rather than being confined to just one folder location the way a strict folder system would require.