Using CannaNote Offline

How offline mode works, what to expect, and how to keep your data safe.

Using CannaNote Offline

CannaNote is built offline-first. Your journal entries live on your device, not our servers.

How It Works

Your Data Lives on Your Device

When you log a session, it's stored directly in your browser's local database. This means:

  • No internet required to log sessions or view history
  • Instant access - no server round-trips
  • Complete privacy - consumption data stays on your device
  • Works anywhere - log sessions with no cell service

Pages Save When You Visit

Documentation, guides, and educational content use a "cache on visit" approach:

  1. First visit - page downloads and saves automatically
  2. Future visits - loads instantly from your device
  3. Updates - refreshes when you're online

This keeps the app fast while giving you offline access to what matters.

What Works Offline

Always Available

  • ✅ Your journal dashboard
  • ✅ Logging new sessions
  • ✅ Viewing session history
  • ✅ Searching your entries
  • ✅ Pages you've visited before

Requires Internet

  • ❌ First-time account creation
  • ❌ Signing in on a new device
  • ❌ Cloud sync (if enabled)
  • ❌ Pages you haven't visited yet

Preparing for Offline

Save Pages for Later

  1. Connect to the internet
  2. Visit the pages you want available offline
  3. Done - they're cached automatically

No download button needed. Your browser remembers where you've been.

Install as an App

For the best offline experience, install CannaNote on your device:

Mobile: Visit cannanote.app → "Add to Home Screen"

Desktop: Visit cannanote.app → Click install icon in address bar

Installing ensures core features stay cached and ready.

Keeping Your Data Safe

Cache vs. Site Data

This distinction matters when troubleshooting:

Storage Type Contains "Clear Cache" Removes? "Clear Site Data" Removes?
Cache Pages, CSS, images Yes Yes
Site Data Your journal entries No Yes

The Warning

When browsers offer "Clear browsing data," be careful:

  • "Clear cache" = Safe. Just re-downloads pages.
  • "Clear site data" or "Clear all data" = Deletes your journal.

Before clearing site data, export your sessions first. Better safe than sorry.

Browser Guides

Each browser handles offline storage a bit differently. Find yours:

  • Chrome - Full PWA support, reliable offline
  • Safari - Full support, install via Share menu
  • Firefox - Full support, strong privacy defaults
  • Brave - Full support, built-in privacy features
  • DuckDuckGo - Full support, watch the Fire Button
  • Zen - Full support, Firefox-based

Coming Soon

Ladybird - We're watching this independent browser project closely. Once it reaches stable release, we'll add a guide.

Common Issues

"Page not available offline"
→ Visit that page while online. It'll cache automatically.

"Showing outdated content"
→ Connect to internet and refresh. Cache updates automatically.

"Can't install as app"
→ Try Chrome, Brave, or Safari. Some browsers don't support PWA installation.

"Lost data after clearing browser"
→ If you had cloud sync, sign back in. If not, the data may be unrecoverable.

For detailed troubleshooting, see your browser's guide.

Need Help?