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Martin Milan edited this page Jan 29, 2025 · 1 revision

Take notes on mobile phones

This #recipe offers solutions to taking Foam notes on the go.

For the time being we have decided to not build a mobile app, but rely on third parties (see build-vs-assemble).

The most promising options are:

GitJournal

Pros

  • Open source
  • Already a usable solution.
  • Provides functionality to edit, create, and browser markdown files.
  • Support journal mode, todo lists, and free writing
  • Syncs to GitHub repo
  • Supports Wikilinks
  • Supports Backlinks
  • Developer is happy to prioritize Foam compatibility

Cons

  • Doesn't generate link reference lists (but this is ok, since workspace-janitor as a GitHub action can solve this)
  • Not as sleek as Apple/Google notes, some keyboard state glitching on Android, etc.
  • Lack of control over roadmap. Established product with a paid plan, so may not be open to Foam-supportive changes and additions that don't benefit most users.

Verdict: Good. By far best effort/outcome ratio would be to help improve GitJournal rather than building a bespoke mobile app.

GitHub Codespaces

Pros

  • Works out of the box just like the desktop app

Cons

  • not generally available quite yet
  • Pricing

For a quick demo, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI5m4Uy8_4I.

Verdict: Good. Pricing should be reasonable for taking notes on the fly. Harder to assess for people who would constantly use Foam from mobile phone.

Bespoke mobile app for Foam

Given we already have a solution, why would we spend time and effort building a bespoke mobile app?

  • Taking notes on the go is a key part of a good note taking process, and the process should feel effortless
  • Having a custom app could help us support key user workflows in a more Foam-specific manner

If such an app was worth building, it would have to have the following features:

  • Instant loading and syncing for quick notes
  • Sleek, simple, beautifully designed user experience.
  • Ability to search and navigate forward links and back links (only in paid GitJournal version)
  • Killer feature that makes it the best note taking tool for Foam (?)

Given the effort vs reward ratio, it's a low priority for core team, but if someone wants to work on this, we can provide support! Talk to us on the #mobile-apps channel on Foam Discord.

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