Everything You Need to Know

Privnote is a free, web-based service that allows you to send notes that automatically self-destruct after being read. You type a message on Privnote.com, receive a unique link, share that link with the intended recipient, and when they open it, the message is displayed and then permanently deleted from Privnote's servers. The link becomes invalid immediately after the note is read. This makes Privnote ideal for sharing sensitive information — passwords, codes, personal details — that you do not want to persist in email archives or message histories.

Yes, Privnote is completely free to use. There are no premium tiers, no subscription plans, and no hidden costs. All features — including password protection, expiration timers, and destruction notifications — are available at no charge. The service has been free since its launch in 2008 and remains so today.

No. Privnote requires absolutely no registration. You do not need to create an account, provide an email address, or share any personal information to create and share notes. The only time you provide an email is if you choose to enable destruction notifications — and even then, it is entirely optional. This design ensures maximum anonymity for users who need it.

By default, a Privnote lasts indefinitely until it is read — at which point it is immediately destroyed. However, you can set a time-based expiration: 1 hour, 24 hours, 7 days, or 30 days from creation. If you set an expiration and the note is not read within that time, it is automatically deleted from Privnote's servers even if it was never opened. This prevents notes from lingering indefinitely if the recipient never reads them.

Privnote is a reasonable choice for sharing temporary passwords, initial credentials, and one-time codes. It is significantly more secure than sending passwords in plain text via email or chat. For maximum security when sharing passwords via Privnote, add a manual password to the note and communicate that password through a completely separate channel (e.g., if you share the link by email, call the recipient with the password). This two-factor approach ensures that even if the link is intercepted, the password cannot be read without the additional password.

In theory, Privnote's client-side encryption model means the server never receives the decryption key (which is embedded in the URL fragment and never sent to the server). This means Privnote's servers store an encrypted version of your note that they technically cannot read without the key. However, since Privnote is not open-source, this cannot be independently verified. If you add a manual password, the note is doubly encrypted and even harder for anyone to read without both the URL and the password.

This is a critical distinction. Privnote.com (without the 's') is the legitimate, official service. Privnotes.com (with an 's') is a documented phishing clone that impersonates Privnote but intercepts your messages instead of delivering them securely. The clone has been documented stealing cryptocurrency wallet addresses and other sensitive information. Always verify you are on privnote.com before typing any sensitive information. Never use a Privnote-like service you found through an untrusted link.

No. Once a Privnote is destroyed — either by being read or by expiring — it cannot be recovered by anyone, including Privnote's own team. The deletion is designed to be permanent and irreversible. There is no recycle bin, no backup, and no recovery mechanism. This is a core design principle of the service, not a limitation. If you need to re-share information after a note is destroyed, you must create a new note.

If you open your own note link, the note will be destroyed just as if the recipient had opened it. The message will be displayed to you, then permanently deleted. The recipient will then see a "note not found" or "note already destroyed" message when they try to open the link. To avoid this, after creating a note, copy the link without clicking it, then send it to the recipient. Never test your own Privnote links — if you need to verify the process, create a test note first.

No. Privnote is a text-only service. You cannot attach files, images, documents, audio, or any other binary data to a Privnote. The service is designed exclusively for text messages. If you need to share files securely with self-destructing behavior, consider alternatives such as Bitwarden Send (which supports encrypted file attachments with expiration) or One-Time Secret.

Privnote supports notes of substantial length — sufficient for the vast majority of practical use cases, including long passwords, detailed instructions, multi-paragraph messages, and code snippets. While there is a technical character limit, it is generous enough that most users never encounter it. If you have very long content to share, consider splitting it across multiple notes or using a different service designed for larger content.

Each Privnote link can only be opened once. If you share the same link with multiple recipients, only the first person to open it will see the note — the others will find it already destroyed. If you need to share the same information with multiple people, create a separate note for each recipient. This also ensures that each person's access is independent and that you can track who has read their note if you use destruction notifications.

Yes. Privnote is a web-based service that works in any modern web browser, including mobile browsers on iOS and Android. No app installation is required. Simply visit privnote.com in your mobile browser to create or read notes. The interface is functional on mobile, though it is primarily designed for desktop use.