Desktop PIN Security

[GARY3733 3]

With windows or mac ,is there any way to use password when open everynote?

[Clippermiami 1]

Implement PIN access security in the desktop version as is done in the Android version

[Leandro de Sousa 0]

Yes it will be nice that option on Windows devices too.

[DTLow 5,680]

21 hours ago, Alexander Maxcel said:

There is a lot of sensitive datas that i have written on my evernote and beside encryption feature for a single note i think if there is a passlock for the client to lock the entire app it will be much more convenient since you don't have to encrypt every single notes and words.

I merged your post with an ongoing discussion    
To indicate support for this request, use the vote button at the top left corner of the discussion

As noted above, this is a feature on the mobile platforms, but missing on the desktop    
Also noted is your there are security features you can use; account password and device password, screen lock, ...

[DTLow 5,680]

11 hours ago, GARY3733 said:

With windows or mac ,is there any way to use password when open everynote?

You have the option to sign in/out of Evernote on the Mac, instead of just closing the app.
Signing in requires entry of a password

Warning - to sign in, requires an internet connection

[BSR 208]

17 hours ago, GARY3733 said:

With windows or mac ,is there any way to use password when open everynote?

@GARY3733, welcome to the Forums!

Passcode lock in Evernote is only available for mobile devices. A best practice would be to sign out of the Evernote application when you are finished using it as @DTLow already pointed out.

You can direct this to the following threads as a feature request:

I hope that helps!

[gazumped 9,546]

Upvotes (at the top left of this page) tend to help add some traction to requests...

[Trost 0]

Evernote existed for years and this is still not a thing?

[gazumped 9,546]

19 hours ago, Trost said:

Evernote existed for years and this is still not a thing?

Nope - sign in / sign out / lock screens have all been around for longer...  This seems like a nice to have,  but not mission crit.  There's lots of other stuff to go at.

[jefito 5,586]

20 hours ago, Trost said:

Evernote existed for years and this is still not a thing?

You bet it's a thing. And that thing is called a "feature request".

Standard workarounds: sign out of your Evernote account to lock other users out of your local Evernote instance, or use your Windows OS's Lock facility (Win+L) to lock other users out of your Evernote account. Is there some reason that those aren't adequate for your use case?

[Hafheim 0]

This would be a positive feature to include.

 

I would appreciate seeing it.

 

[joe338 0]

I need this feature too

[gazumped 9,546]

3 hours ago, joe338 said:

I need this feature too

It's a reasonable (and popular) request,  but again - do you use standard laptop/ desktop security to lock your device when you're away? Do you sign out of Evernote when it's not in use?  Why is an additional level of security necessary? 

[Spicyjello 1]

Still no ability to lock Evernote on the desktop I see. So disappointing. Such a basic function. Seems silly I can lock my phone but my desktop is wide open. I can encrypt text in a note, not at all covient and poorly executed.

I now have Dark Mode and Themes tho. Oh Yea!

 I would really like to know if this feature is even on the radar for future development. This has been a feature request as far back as 2013 if not further and still nothing.

 

[gazumped 9,546]

On 12/23/2018 at 8:15 AM, Spicyjello said:

 I would really like to know if this feature is even on the radar for future development.

Evernote don't (usually) comment on what may or may not be in development.  Arguments against this idea - 

• Other software isn't usually password-locked (Outlook / Word / Excel / most (all?) browsers / editing software... / database software...)
• It's bad practice to allow anyone else access to your unlocked profile on any computer
• protections already exist - log out of Evernote / lock the device

As users,  we're perfectly entitled to request the option;  as providers,  Evernote is equally entitled to have different priorities.

[DTLow 5,680]

On 12/23/2018 at 12:15 AM, Spicyjello said:

my desktop is wide open.

You should look look into the security options available for your desktop device.
Evernote doesn't support a PIN feature, but our desktops are not wide open.

[Spicyjello 1]

1 hour ago, DTLow said:

You should look look into the security options available for your desktop device.
Evernote doesn't support a PIN feature, but our desktops are not wide open.

This is mostly true and I understand your point. The challanges comes when I am at work and using Evernote there, I can't lock that computer. Although I have the previlage to load the software I choose while at work, I do not want snooping co-workers. Same goes for my phone. If the logic applies that we can just lock the devices, why did Evernote bother to allow an addidtional security step on phone with a PIN? Same situation.

[thisguyforhire 0]

Please. I need to be able to lock down my evernote notes, or I'll have to use something else. *paying customer  

[Aviral 0]

Paying customer here. This feature is critical. I'd suggest evernote to channel time spent in CEO & Product head videos into this. There was a video recently where the Product head went into great lengths on how evernote experience is consistent across Desktop, App, Web etc. The first step for consistency is ensuring that a passcode exists across all device formats.

[Aviral 0]

On 5/9/2019 at 8:54 PM, thisguyforhire said:

Please. I need to be able to lock down my evernote notes, or I'll have to use something else. *paying customer  

Do let me know if you find an evernote equivalent software, that allows a passcode across App and desktop!

[PinkElephant 5,149]

Everything is possible, but I doubt that this issue is high on the agenda.

You can always lock your computer, by screensaver or logging out of the user. Other users can use the same computer with their own account. With desktops most software for that reason does not have individual locking capabilities. Further the desktop creates a local database on the computers drive. A passphrase just to open the software would not do the job, it would have to encrypt this database as well.

Mobiles are designed as one-user devices (no accounts), and have better locking abilities by Touch- or Face ID.

If you need a „locked“ desktop access, use the web client instead.

[DTLow 5,680]

On 1/5/2020 at 1:32 AM, PinkElephant said:

A passphrase just to open the software would not do the job, it would have to encrypt this database as well.

Database encryption is a different request in "lock down my evernote notes"

This request is for PIN security at the app level    
- a valid request although it only has 62 user votes
It's a step in security    
- personally I do not want to enter a pin every time I switch apps     
  I rely on timeout lockdown at the OS level       

>>it is easy under windows to access the database circumventing a PIN lock

Easy???
Access is possible, but not "easy"   
Regardless, this is not relevant to the request for an app PIN

[PinkElephant 5,149]

Yes, it is requested as well - but without encryption it is easy under windows to access the database circumventing a PIN lock.

[Simon Aspinall 1]

It amazing to me that evernote stores notes in unencrypted form and offers no application password lock mechanism on the mac desktop version.  This prevents me from using evernote for its prime purpose - storing confidential notes.  Are the android versions this insecure as well?

[DTLow 5,680]

5 hours ago, Simon Aspinall said:

offers no application password lock mechanism on the mac desktop version

Evernote offers an account password lock mechanism on all platforms

>>This prevents me from using evernote for its prime purpose - storing confidential notes.

I encrypt my sensitive data.   
Evernote offers a text encryption feature, and I use the native encryption of attachments

>>Are the android versions this insecure as well?

Calm down; the sky isn't falling   
Windows data is embedded in an SQLite database.   
I don't think we have access to the Android data.

 

[PinkElephant 5,149]

Security on a Mac: Depends on the Mac you are using. The newer Macs have TouchID, and use the T2-chip to encrypt the whole SSD. So the EN database is secure with the rest of the machine unless it is unlocked. When unlocked, the security depends on the users level of authority (admin or normal user). A normal user can’t get on the data of another user, unless authorized. This is pretty standard for desktop computers, plus the encryption if file vault is active.

On iOS devices, there is only preview data, plus any notebooks defined as offline. These are stored inside of the memory allocated to the app - no external access possible. iOS uses as a standard an advanced encryption of the flash drive, plus runs apps in a sandbox, preventing one app to access the data of another. This is why you have to „share“ to send data from one app elsewhere.

The data security depends on the measures applied to the device (Touch-/FaceID, PinLock). You can activate a passcode in the EN settings, that will enhance the level of protection further. And as I say, the data is encrypted anyhow.

P.S. It is NOT the prime use of EN to store confidential data. EN is server based, and does stuff on the server like OCR and AI, that does not work on a user encrypted database. Sure, the data on the server is encrypted, but by keys owned by EN, not by the user. If you want to save confidential data, you can encrypt the content of a note, or have to go elsewhere.

[DiazArtist 1]

I guess people don't understand that a computer is not just a computer, but also an entertainment center.

Here's an example scenario.

Lets say I use evernote kind of like a diary and write the most vile things in order to get if off my chest. Very small amount of entries. The rest are notes and ideas for projects. So I'm dating a new person who is nosey (pretty much everyone on Earth) and I go take a shower while my new girlfriend is watching netflix on my desktop. Guess what? Evenote is closed, but she opens it and starts to read my latest entry about something messed up. Thanks evernote. Now I will have to spend the rest of the night explaining what I wrote and why it's none of her business.

Now here comes a handful of hypocrites telling me what I should do because that is what the internet offers. Advice from strangers and getting nowhere.

Just add a passcode to the desktop Evernote and shut the front door. Or have an option to make Evernote log out automatically and bring up a window to log in again. How hard is that?

[DTLow 5,680]

29 minutes ago, DiazArtist said:

Just add a passcode to the desktop Evernote and shut the front door. Or have an option to make Evernote log out automatically and bring up a window to log in again.

A valid request; I have a passcode/touchid on mu iPad (IOS)   

There's a request posted at the discussion beginning   
To indicate support, use the vote button at the top left corner of the discussion   
The request is currently at 67 user votes

[CalS 5,013]

49 minutes ago, DiazArtist said:

Or have an option to make Evernote log out automatically and bring up a window to log in again. How hard is that?

Windows, not quite automatic but could be so if you use a text expander like AutoHotKey for PhraseExpress.  Or add a guest user account to Windows.  Typically there's more than EN to be discovered on a PC.

 

[Alexander Maxcel 0]

There is a lot of sensitive datas that i have written on my evernote and beside encryption feature for a single note i think if there is a passlock for the client to lock the entire app it will be much more convenient since you don't have to encrypt every single notes and words.

[gazumped 9,546]

I already have to log back into my laptop if I step away from my desk for any length of time (Windows 10 Lock Screen password). It would be annoying to have to log back into Evernote if I didn't use it for a while,  whether or not I step away...

[PinkElephant 5,149]

Just in case it is one click, or a fast set of keys, and the machine is locked. If disk encryption is enabled, this automatically activates the complete scrambling of the disks content, rendering even an USB-loaded OS useless.

Top notch is my Mac with the Apple Watch: It "feels" that the watch is close, so unlocking happens by simply waiting a second until the watch has confirmed.

[agsteele 1,640]

This exists - it is called logging out the account. File | Sign Out - too much hassle for me but if you need the extra confidence then that's the option.