PSA: Old "Note document" file format no longer supported in Logos v42

Summary: "Note documents," an older notes format, has been hidden but available in the desktop app since 2018, when the newer Notes tool was launched. This older format will be removed in Logos version 42, on May 20, 2025, and will be automatically switched over to Notes tool.

Fewer than 100 people use old notes each month. If you aren't one of them, you can stop reading here. 🙂

Here’s how you can tell if you are using note documents:

Background

Logos has had several versions of note formats, going all the way back to "note files" in the Logos Library System 2.0 in the mid-1990s. We upgraded notes in Logos 3, and two more times in the Logos 4 era. We take our users' personally created data very seriously, and we have always made sure your notes are backward compatible with each new version.

When we launched Logos 8 back in 2018, we reimagined notes again as the Notes tool, which has a more flexible tagging and cataloging system than creating notes inside a particular “document.” For users who weren’t ready to make the switch, we offered a hidden command to switch back to the old system.

What's happening next

The option to use the old Note documents format will be removed in version 42. All users of note documents will be automatically switched to the Notes tool, where their notes have already been migrated. 

Why are we doing this? 

Note documents are rarely used. Only about 0.05% of users open them every month. 

They are also no longer actively developed or maintained. As the rest of the software continues to develop, that means that sometimes incompatibilities are introduced with note documents, causing a buggy experience. 

Removing this legacy code will help simplify our codebase, making it less bug-prone for all our users. It also means we can spend more focus on improving Logos in the ways that matter to everyone, not only a select few. 

Will I lose any functionality? 

You won’t lose any notes or highlights. All of your notes have already been migrated to the Notes tool, and they are safely waiting for you. 

There were some minor features in note documents that are not available in the Notes tool: 

• Indented notes. There was an option in note documents to indent individual notes within the document, to give your document an appearance of a hierarchical outline structure. Indentation is not supported in the Notes tool at this time.
• Hyperlinks to local files. The file:// protocol to create links to files on your computer is not supported in the Notes tool at this time.

Benefits of the Notes tool

More devices

If you use both the desktop app, and the Logos mobile or web apps, you may have noticed that notes (and highlights) you created in note documents on desktop would show up on your other devices, but not vice versa. Switching to the Notes tool on desktop will enable two-way synchronization on all your devices, so your notes are always up to date.

More organized

The Notes tool collects your notes into “Notebooks,” instead of listing your notes in a document view. In addition, the Notes tool also automatically organizes them by intuitive facets like the book they came from, the Bible reference they are attached to, tags you’ve added, and more. The Notes tool also pulls in notes that you've made in Guide sections, Workflows, and even text fields in books, so you have all your notes in central, searchable place. 

More stable

The Notes tool gets ongoing development and bug fixes, so you don’t have to worry about your notes getting left behind by technical changes. 

FAQ

Will I lose any notes?

No. All of your notes have been automatically migrated to the newer Notes tool.

Where can I find the new Notes tool, and how do I get started using it?

After you’ve upgraded to Logos version 42, you’ll be able to find the new Notes tool in the Tools menu of the Logos desktop app and the Logos web app. You can also take new notes and highlights by selecting text in books, or with the Highlighting tool (desktop only). In the mobile app you’ll find the new Notes tool in the main app menu, and in the selection menu in books.

How is the new Notes tool different from the old one?

The main difference in the new Notes tool is that all your notes are in a single database. You can view them all as a list, or filter down to only highlights, or a single book of the Bible, or all notes taken in a certain resource. You can also organize and share your notes in Notebooks.

Where are my note documents?

Your note documents from the old system have all migrated to the new note system as “notebooks” with the same name. Think of them as folders for your notes. You can find them in the left sidebar under the Notebooks tab.

What should I use notebooks for?

Notebooks in the new note system are analogous to note documents, with the same titles. In the old system, every note or highlight was in a note document. In the new system, notes and highlights can be in a notebook, but they don't have to be. This on-demand webinar outlines some reasons to use notebooks.

Can I access all of my notes and highlights on my PC, Mac, Chromebook, iPad/iPhone, or Android device?

Yes. The Notes tool was built to work seamlessly across all your devices.

I still have questions. Where do I get help?

Start with the in-depth training available on support.logos.com. If you have a specific question, especially about the transition from notes documents to the Notes tool, please leave a comment below. 

Thank you!
The Logos team