Thoughtful answers to the questions we hear most often.
Privnote is a free website at privnote.com where you can create text notes that automatically delete themselves after being read once. You type a message, receive a unique link, share that link with the intended recipient, and when they open it, the message is shown and then permanently deleted. The link stops working. No copy of the message remains on Privnote's servers.
No. Privnote is completely free. All features — including password protection, expiration timers, and read notifications — are available at no cost. There are no premium plans, no subscriptions, and no hidden fees. The service has been free since it launched in 2008.
No. Privnote requires no registration, no email address, and no personal information. You can use it completely anonymously. The only optional personal information is an email address for destruction notifications, which is entirely your choice.
The note will be destroyed immediately. You will see the message, but it will be permanently deleted from Privnote's servers. The recipient will see a "note not found" message when they try to open the link. You will need to create a new note and send a new link. To avoid this, always copy the link without clicking it.
No. Once a note is destroyed — either by being read or by expiring — it cannot be recovered. The deletion is permanent and irreversible. There is no backup, no recycle bin, and no recovery mechanism. Not even Privnote's own team can retrieve a destroyed note. This permanence is by design.
This is an important distinction. Privnote.com (without the 's') is the legitimate, official service. Privnotes.com (with an 's') is a documented phishing site that looks identical to Privnote but intercepts your messages. It has been reported modifying note content — for example, replacing cryptocurrency wallet addresses — before delivery. Always use privnote.com.
No. Privnote is text-only. You cannot attach files, images, or any other binary content. If you need to share files with self-destructing behaviour, consider Bitwarden Send or One-Time Secret, which support file attachments.
Yes. Privnote works in any modern web browser, including mobile browsers on iOS and Android. No app installation is needed. Simply open your phone's browser, visit privnote.com, and use it exactly as you would on a desktop.