What changed in Root

A clearer workspace, faster tag entry, and more room for your notes.

• Add tags faster with the New tag field shown first.
• Find your Library source separately from Settings in the sidebar.
• Browse Home tags and compact note previews with more room for your work.

Your notes still start locally. Root Connect remains optional and uses your own Google Drive.

A clearer Draft and an easier way to browse and start a local workspace.

• Browse expandable tag groups and compact previews in Tags, Pinned, and Recent.
• Use clearer formatting and capture actions in Draft, with improved spacing and Inbox counts.
• New workspaces start with three editable example notes for your profile, assistant instructions, and current context. Existing notes and default Snippets are preserved.
• Start locally without an iPhone, Google sign-in, or paid Root Connect. Optional Root Connect setup finishes paused; start a sync deliberately when ready.

Root Connect is now faster and more reliable when keeping your iPhone and Chrome workspace up to date, especially after small changes or when everything is already current.

• Syncs faster and more smoothly between your iPhone and Google Drive.
• Avoids re-downloading notes when your workspace is already current.
• Preserves existing conflict protections, deletion safeguards, and user-controlled sync flow.

Root Connect is more reliable when syncing your workspace through Google Drive, and opening Root works more smoothly beside your browsing.

• Makes workspace synchronization through Google Drive more reliable.
• Research Draft opens beside your browsing while your workspace is kept ready in the background.
• No new permissions required. Root remains local-first, subscription-free, and private by default.

Smart Scan lets you scan useful QR codes or capture text from a photo, then open or save the information that matters.

• Smart Scan automatically distinguishes useful QR content from photographed text. Open supported web links directly, or save contacts, events, locations, messages, and text to Root.
• Voice Notes and Meetings are more reliable when pausing, resuming, stopping, and finishing a capture.
• Captures can be saved to Inbox for later review or saved as automatically tagged notes.

Version 0.1.24 expands the Chrome Web Store extension to Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Dia while preserving Chrome's existing sign-in and sync path.

• Adds a dedicated Google sign-in path for Edge, Brave, Dia, and other Chromium browsers.
• Keeps Chrome on its existing sign-in and sync route.
• Preserves the same narrow permission set and requests Google Drive access only when you choose Root Connect.
• Passed full workspace testing in Chrome, Edge, and Brave, plus live Root Connect and visible Research Draft and workspace checks in Dia.
• The published Chrome update was installed and owner-checked: sync completed, and a captured source plus text appended to Inbox.

Root for iPhone 1.0.6 has been released through the App Store. It lowers the minimum system version to iOS 18 so many more compatible iPhones can install Root, while keeping the same private-by-default workspace and optional Root Connect path.

• Supports iOS 18 and later instead of requiring iOS 26.4.
• Preserves the current app icon, local workspace, widgets, Share Extension, and Open Tasks experience.
• Keeps Root Connect optional, with the same purchase, restore, entitlement, and Google Drive sync behavior.
• Passed the full automated release checks and an exact TestFlight 1.0.6 (42) owner smoke covering launch, local capture, Open Tasks, and a fresh one-item Root Connect sync.
• Passed Apple review and was manually released on September 1, 2026. App Store availability can take time to propagate by region and device.

Root for iPhone 1.0.5 makes Open Tasks calmer and more predictable while keeping the workspace private by default and Root Connect optional.

• Starts every Open Tasks source collapsed and keeps Inbox first.
• Remembers the sources you expand or collapse locally across navigation and relaunch.
• Lets search reveal matching tasks without overwriting your normal expanded and collapsed choices.
• Preserves direct source-note access, Context Handoff, Done, VoiceOver labels, and comfortable touch targets.
• Keeps these display choices on your iPhone rather than syncing them through Root Connect.

Android 0.5.28 is available through Google Play to selected Closed Alpha testers. It brings the repaired Open Tasks experience into the Play-served test lane.

• Starts every Open Tasks source collapsed, keeps Inbox first, and remembers expansion choices locally.
• Keeps row taps focused on expanding and collapsing a source.
• Adds a separate accessible arrow for opening the source note without changing its expanded state.
• Places Done beside Context Handoff and keeps both Done and Back returning to Home.
• Keeps expansion preferences out of Root Connect and note content.
• Remains a Closed Alpha release for selected testers, not a public Google Play launch.

Android 0.5.27 is now available through Google Play to selected Closed Alpha testers. It brings the Home note actions and cleaner shared-note reading experience into the Play-served test lane.

• Adds note actions from Home, including Select, Copy, Pin, Archive, Make Snippet, Duplicate, and Delete.
• Adds multi-item selection for Context Handoff, Archive, and Delete.
• Keeps Copy and Duplicate visually distinct and improves selection-state clarity.
• Prevents shared text without a written title from appearing twice as a large derived heading and body.
• Refreshes the Android launcher icon and preserves the existing local-first workspace and optional Root Connect path.
• Remains a Closed Alpha release for selected testers, not a public Google Play launch.

Root for iPhone 1.0.4 makes longer Context Handoffs, Home search, widgets, and capture from other apps more dependable while preserving the private-by-default local workspace and optional Root Connect path.

• Makes Context Handoff faster and more reliable with long notes, including smoother previewing and scrolling.
• Makes Home search easier to reveal with a shorter, more forgiving pull-down gesture.
• Separates the focused Quick Capture widget from the broader Capture Tools widget and improves their tinted appearance.
• Improves Share Sheet capture for selected text in Safari and content shared from other apps.
• Preserves Voice Note and Meeting capture; public-release checks confirmed both, plus a normal new note, working and synchronizing from iPhone to Chrome through Root Connect.

Version 0.1.23 improves the handoff between research, Inbox, and connected mobile devices while keeping the Root workspace local-first and Root Connect optional.

• Adds Context Handoff options to save Markdown, share text, and save a PDF from selected notes.
• Keeps Research Draft sources separate and reusable, with clearer Clear, Open Root, and Append to Inbox actions.
• Shows connected Inbox captures with clearer iPhone and Android source labels.
• Improves the Chrome-to-iPhone Root Connect path for Inbox changes, including deletions that remain deleted after an update.
• Preserves the same narrow permission shape and requests Google Drive access only when you choose Root Connect.

Root for iPhone 1.0.3 adds more useful ways to hand notes off and makes larger and connected work easier to read.

• Adds Context Handoff options to save Markdown, share text or PDF, and print.
• Makes large notes open faster.
• Shows Inbox sources more consistently across connected devices.
• Keeps completed tasks quieter while leaving them directly checkable.
• Preserves the private-by-default local workspace and optional Root Connect through your Google Drive.

Version 0.1.20 makes the Chrome workspace easier to read and keeps compact Inbox captures and sidebar controls cleaner, while preserving Research Draft and optional Root Connect.

• Improves editor and Clean View text contrast in both dark and light appearance.
• Keeps completed tasks quieter while making checked and keyboard-focused controls clearer.
• Prevents collapsed quoted Inbox captures from clipping through a partially visible line; More still reveals the complete capture and source.
• Stacks the sidebar footer actions cleanly when the desktop window is short.
• Preserves the Research Draft workflow, workspace reuse, and optional Root Connect through your Google Drive.
• Keeps Google Drive access optional and includes no Mac bridge or native-messaging permission.

Version 0.1.18 adds Research Draft, a persistent writing space beside the pages you browse, while keeping the complete Root workspace one click away.

• Keeps one local research draft autosaved in Chrome so it survives reloads and stays available as you move between pages.
• Adds Quote, Finding, Question, and Date tools plus Sources for deliberate page, link, and selected-text capture.
• Saves the draft as a new note, keeps it open for later changes, or appends it to Inbox and clears the draft.
• Improves Find navigation and reuses an existing Root workspace tab instead of opening duplicates.
• Uses Chrome's side panel and right-click menu for deliberate research capture; active-page title and URL access is requested only when you choose Attach page.
• Brings the darker workspace styling to Chrome and preserves optional Root Connect through your Google Drive.

Root for iPhone 1.0.2 makes working notes easier to read and edit while keeping the same private-by-default local workspace and optional Root Connect path.

• Renders Markdown headings correctly in Clean View, with clearer visual hierarchy for H1 and H2 text.
• Adds a clearer Edit and Done path and simplifies the note action menu.
• Improves note and collection header accents, editing spacing, dark-mode polish, and checkbox presentation.
• Keeps native Apple Shortcuts actions available for local capture and note workflows.
• Improves fresh-install Root Connect recovery so an established Google Drive workspace does not regain untouched starter notes.

Version 0.1.17 brings the newest Root editor improvements to the public Chrome extension and makes manual Root Connect updates more dependable when Google Drive is temporarily unavailable.

• Prevents overlapping manual Root Connect transfers when an update is already in progress.
• Retries temporary Google Drive failures only for safe reads and updates to existing files.
• Keeps new-file creation fail-closed instead of blindly retrying, reducing the risk of duplicate notes.
• Improves sync-in-progress feedback and disables the update control while a transfer owns the lane.
• Adds the current editor controls and Markdown behavior, including Heading, Bold, Italic, indentation, bounded undo and redo, and cleaner copy choices.
• Keeps the same Root Connect permission shape and optional Google Drive file scope.

Root for iPhone is now available on the App Store. It carries the same core Root workspace in a smaller, capture-first app, with mobile capture tools for thoughts, conversations, photos, links, and tasks.

• Captures Voice Notes, longer Meeting transcripts, Photo Text, shared links and text, Quick Capture, tasks, and normal working notes.
• Keeps capture local by default and makes optional Root Connect available as a one-time purchase.
• Uses optional Root Connect to sync devices with your Google Drive without a Root-hosted notes service.
• Includes Inbox recovery, widgets, purchase restoration, and Root-generated sync diagnostics for support.

Version 0.1.14 kept the complete Root Workspace local-first and made Inbox actions and Version Conflict notes easier to read without changing the Root Connect data path.

• Increases small Inbox action targets and groups Copy and Delete more clearly.
• Calms completed Inbox rows, hides Pin where it is not useful, and keeps large captures readable through More/Less expansion.
• Makes Version Conflict notes easier to distinguish while preserving the original and conflict-copy safety behavior.
• Uses activeTab for deliberate current-page capture and identity for optional Google authorization.
• Requests the narrow Drive file scope only when Root Connect is used to sync devices with your Google Drive.
• Does not include the deferred Mac Quick Capture bridge or a new native-messaging permission.

Version 0.1.9 kept Root Connect in the main Root Workspace extension, with less intrusive connected updates and better support for meeting transcripts created on iPhone.

• Adds the Chrome-side Meetings surface for connected libraries and synced meeting transcripts.
• Keeps Meeting Transcripts editable and searchable in Chrome while preserving the original transcript text.
• Restores visible yellow search highlighting for body-only and transcript matches by showing a matching excerpt.
• Uses a less intrusive Root Connect update cadence so the workspace does not feel like it is constantly updating while idle.
• Keeps the public package scoped to activeTab and identity, with Google Drive access requested only when Root Connect is used.

Version 0.1.8 was a focused public Root Connect hardening update before the Meeting Transcripts release.

• Fixes a connected Inbox case where deleted completed Inbox items could return after sync.
• Adds a transfer-race guard so background backup work waits when another Root Connect transfer is already active.
• Preserves new remote Inbox captures while respecting local deletion of older baseline Inbox blocks.
• Keeps the same public Root Connect permission shape: activeTab, identity, optional Google API host access, and Drive file scope.

Root Connect is now in the public Chrome beta path for people testing the connected workspace. It uses your own Google Drive as the Root library when you choose to connect; there is no Root account and no Root-hosted workspace.

• Adds the public Chrome Root Connect setup path while keeping the normal local workspace usable without connecting.
• Requests Google Drive access only when you choose to set up Root Connect.
• Uses a narrower Google Drive file scope for the Root library instead of a Root server.
• Improves active update timing while keeping guarded sync behavior and the manual Update habit.
• Owner smoke passed with private iPhone TestFlight 1.0 (11): new notes both ways, voice to Inbox, and clearing a checkbox in Inbox.

Version 0.1.5 is now available in the Chrome Web Store. It is a local-only Chrome release focused on Inbox rhythm, Quick Capture confidence, Open Tasks polish, and safer local import/export, with no new permission scope added.

• Published as a Chrome Web Store update while keeping the package scoped to activeTab only.
• Made Inbox read newest-first with cleaner spacing and safer click-to-edit behavior.
• Improved Quick Capture feedback so local captures feel clearer.
• Kept Inbox checklist lines visible in Open Tasks while keeping system rows quieter.
• Polished Clean View, local import/export, and editing reliability.

A local-only Chrome polish release for working text, Open Tasks, Clean View, Quick Capture, and Context Handoff, with no new permission scope added.

• Kept the package scoped to activeTab only.
• Improved Open Tasks with sorting, blank-task filtering, priority flags, and source-line highlighting.
• Added cleaner Context Handoff wording and prompt insertion from saved Snippets.
• Polished Quick Capture destination guidance, pinned markers, starter snippets, and Clean View search highlights.
• Kept the public package local-only, with no account requirement and no added permission requirements.

This update makes Root feel more dependable and safer to use day to day, especially around backup confidence and the first-use loop.

• Added a quieter Last backup control in the top bar.
• Added Workspace health for item counts, open tasks, snippets, trash, and approximate local storage visibility.
• Grouped export and import into one simpler backup and restore menu.
• Simplified the starter workspace so the first-use loop is easier to understand.
• Polished the workspace layout, divider, footer controls, and bottom action bars.

We also tightened the public support story so first-time users can understand what Root does, what stays local, and how to back it up.

• Added a Security & Permissions page.
• Reworked the FAQ and Support pages for faster scanning and clearer backup guidance.
• Added clearer Chrome setup instructions, including new-tab choice and extension install guidance.
• Added install guidance around Chrome’s new-tab choice and Enhanced Safe Browsing caution prompts.

The first public Chrome Web Store beta established the core Root loop: capture, shape, reuse, and hand off only what matters.

• New-tab workspace for working text.
• Quick Capture popup for Inbox and pinned items.
• Open Tasks, Snippets, tags, pinning, Archive, and Trash.
• Context Handoff with preview, metadata control, scoped packets, and prompt insertion from Snippets.
• Import and export support for visible local files.