What actually works offline
A true offline editor keeps both your documents and the editing tools on the device. Typing, formatting, and saving should never depend on a server.
Beauty's apps for iPhone, iPad, and Mac work that way. Open a note, edit it, and keep going with no connection at all. You only need the internet to download the app, buy the optional subscription, sync between devices, or join a live shared session.
Search is local too. Your queries and notes never leave the device, so searching works on a plane just like it does at your desk. The on-device search deep dive explains how.
The browser version has one catch: a website needs a connection to load the first time. If you know you will be offline, use the installed app and make sure the notes you need are already there.
On Mac, every note is a file
Your Beauty library on Mac is a folder of Markdown notes and their images. Open it in Finder, copy it, or read a note in any text editor. Your writing makes sense even when Beauty is not running.
You can also open any Markdown file in its own window and save straight back to it. Adding it to the library is optional, so a document can stay in the project folder where it already lives.
Plain files make backups simple. Add the library to Time Machine or whatever backup you already use. If a note has images, keep them with it: the Markdown refers to those files.
One thing to be clear about: the Mac library is plain Markdown, not encrypted by Beauty. "On my device" and "encrypted" are different promises. Your Mac's disk encryption and your backups still matter.
The browser works differently
In the browser, Beauty stores notes in encrypted local storage on that device. They will not show up in another browser or profile, and clearing the site's data can delete them.
Export anything important. If you want a folder you can see and back up, use the Mac app. The online Markdown editor guide covers when the browser is the right fit.
Sync is optional
Beauty Maximus is an optional subscription that syncs your library across your Apple devices through your own iCloud Drive. The editor and local files stay free, and neither needs a Beauty account.
Notes, folders, images, version history, and page settings sync together. If the same note changes on two devices, the newest version wins and the other is saved in version history, so nothing is silently lost.
Sync is not a backup. It copies every change to every device, including the ones you regret. Keep a separate copy of anything important.
Checklist before you go offline
- Open the app and the notes you need while you still have a connection.
- Make sure any images in those notes have loaded.
- Back up or export anything important before you travel.
- Write as usual. Reconnect when you want to sync or share.
Need to send someone a finished document from the road? Export it to PDF or Markdown, and it is ready the moment you reconnect.