1. Download and install
NotesXML is available on three platforms. Pick yours:
- Android. Install from Google Play, or download the APK from the download page. Requires Android 10+ on ARM64 hardware.
- Windows. Install from the Microsoft Store (recommended) or download the direct installer from the download page. Requires Windows 10 or later.
- Linux. Download the AppImage from the download page. Tested on Pop!_OS, Ubuntu, Fedora, and Arch.
2. First-launch wizard
The first time you launch NotesXML, a brief setup wizard runs:
- Choose a location for your notebooks (defaults to
~/Documents/NotesXML on desktop, app private storage on Android).
- Pick an initial theme (4 themes are free, all 21 themes unlock with Professional).
- Optionally download the Free tier AI model (Llama 3.2 1B, ~0.79 GB).
- Optionally download the Whisper voice transcription model (~80 MB).
You can skip any step and revisit it later in Settings.
3. Create your first notebook
Notebooks are containers for related notes — like physical notebooks, but searchable. From the main view:
- Tap (or click) the + New Notebook button in the sidebar.
- Give it a name (e.g. "Meeting Notes," "Project Apollo," "Recipes").
- Optionally set an icon and a description.
- Tap Create.
Notebooks live as .nxl files on your device — you can move them, back them up, sync them via Google Drive or Dropbox, or open them in any text editor.
4. Note types
NotesXML supports 22 different note types. Pick the right type for the content:
- Text. Rich text, the most common. Supports headings, lists, tables, code blocks, images, and inline equations.
- Checklist. Tappable checklist items with optional due dates.
- Audio with transcription. Record voice memos; Whisper transcribes them on-device.
- Drawing. Freehand sketch with multiple pens, colors, and shapes.
- PDF. Import a PDF and annotate it with 15 tools (highlighter, underline, strikethrough, shapes, stamps).
- Code. Syntax-highlighted code with language detection.
- Plus 16 more — see the product page for the full list.
5. AI model download
NotesXML's AI runs entirely on your device. To use AI features (summarize, polish, translate, AI Chat), you need at least one model downloaded:
- Open Settings → AI Engine.
- Tap Manage Models.
- Pick a model that fits your hardware. The list shows download size and peak RAM. Llama 3.2 1B Instruct is the Android free-tier starter (0.79 GB download, 1.3 GB peak RAM).
- Tap Download. Models download from Hugging Face; the first download may take a few minutes.
- Once downloaded, the model is loaded automatically the next time you invoke an AI feature.
The full 10-model catalog is available at Products → AI Models. Free tier ships with Llama 3.2 1B Instruct (text) and Ministral 3 3B (vision-capable); Professional tier unlocks all 10 models.
6. License activation
If you purchased a Professional license (direct from website) or a Beta key:
- Open Settings → License.
- Tap Activate.
- Paste your license key (formats:
PRO-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX, ACAD-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX, or BETA-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX).
- Tap Activate again.
The license is valid on up to 5 devices. If you've already activated 5 devices, use Manage Devices to deactivate one before adding a new one.
Google Play and Microsoft Store purchases activate automatically — no key entry required.
Beyond the Quick-Start
The full reference documentation is the in-app Help Guide (Help menu → User Guide). It covers all 26 note types, every AI feature, PDF annotation tools, sync setup, and platform-specific quirks.
Documentation Roadmap
Per Spec Section 6.1, we are progressively publishing comprehensive online docs. Status:
- Quick-Start — Available now (this page)
- NXL Format Specification — coming soon
- Installation Guide (per-platform) — coming soon
- Changelog — Available now (view it here)
- IWV Chat AI Changelog — Available now (view it here)
- Keyboard Shortcuts Reference — coming soon
- FAQ — coming soon
- API / Integration Guide — coming soon
- Troubleshooting Guide — coming soon
Support