Hey there, amazing community!
I’ve been using the Mudita Kompakt for the last three weeks, and it’s been a truly joyful experience. This isn’t just because of how amazing the phone itself is, but also because of this community’s wealth of ideas on balancing productivity with a non-distracting device. Thanks to the Mudita developers (who thankfully never locked the system) and this forum, I’m now able to use the Kompakt as my primary device.
Coming from the Apple ecosystem, finding good alternatives has been quite a challenge. While I’m willing to share more thoughts on replacing other tools I used daily on my iPhone, I’d like to focus specifically on note-taking.
I’ve seen people recommending Joplin and Simplenote. For simplicity and interface clarity, I definitely recommend Simplenote (it syncs easily and is entirely free on every device). However, if you prefer keeping your notes encrypted, Joplin is far superior, despite its slightly “nerdy” interface.
That said, my use case for notes is specific: The Mudita Kompakt is not a writing device—full stop! It isn’t meant for heavy text processing or journaling; let’s be serious. However, it is excellent for accessing quick notes like shopping lists or memos. For this, functional synchronization is absolutely key — I quickly draft a shopping list on my iPad, add a few points on my Mac while working, and access the list on my Mudita Kompakt at the supermarket.
For this workflow, I didn’t want to switch to a completely new note-taking app. You can say many things about Apple Notes, but for 99% of use cases, it’s great (AND FREE). Also safe — with Advanced Data Protection (ADP) turned on, everything is safe even from Apple’s eyes. My goal was simply to find a quick way to access less private, handy notes.
The Solution: Syncing IMAP with Apple Notes
In your iOS/iPadOS/macOS settings, under Internet Accounts (e.g., Gmail or any other IMAP account), simply turn on Notes synchronization. This creates an IMAP folder called “Notes” and a relevant section in the Notes app. Each new note essentially becomes a draft email, which you can then access from any email client.
On the Mudita Kompakt, install the app “IMAP Notes 3” from F-Droid. It treats those drafts as individual notes and enables two-way synchronization between Mudita and Apple Notes.
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To add a quick note that syncs to Mudita: Create it in the IMAP section of your Mac/iPhone/iPad Notes app.
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To share a note the other way around: Add it directly in the IMAP Notes 3 app.
The Downsides:
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You won’t see your iCloud notes on Mudita unless you copy them into the IMAP section.
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IMAP Notes 3 isn’t particularly beautiful, but it works perfectly on e-ink. You can set a white background with black text, and the synchronization is rock solid.
The Benefits:
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No app switching: You can continue using good old Apple Notes.
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Security: It’s as safe as your mailbox. If you trust your email server with messages, you can trust it with handy notes, especially since the protocol is protected with SSL.
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No cost: You use your existing mailbox as cloud storage, likely at no extra expense.
I hope this post helps, please share your thoughts.
All the best,
Miko