Plain-language answers to every question about Privnote.
Privnote is a free web service that lets you send text notes that automatically self-destruct after being read. You type a message on privnote.com, receive a unique one-time URL, share that URL with the recipient, and when they open it, the message is displayed and permanently deleted from Privnote's servers. The URL becomes invalid. No copy remains anywhere in Privnote's infrastructure.
Yes, completely free. No premium tiers, no subscription fees, no hidden costs. All features including password protection, expiration timers, and read notifications are available at no charge. The service has been free since its launch in 2008.
No. Privnote requires no registration, no email address, and no personal information. You can create and share notes in complete anonymity. The only time you provide an email is if you choose to enable destruction notifications, which is entirely optional.
The note will be destroyed immediately. The message will be displayed to you, then permanently deleted. The recipient will see a "note not found" message. You will need to create a new note and resend it. To avoid this, always copy the link without clicking it, then send it to the recipient.
No. Once a note is destroyed — either by being read or by expiring — it cannot be recovered by anyone, including Privnote's own team. The deletion is permanent and irreversible by design. There is no recycle bin, no backup, and no recovery mechanism.
Privnote is a reasonable choice for sharing temporary passwords and initial credentials. It is significantly more secure than sending passwords in plain text via email. For maximum security, add a manual password to the note and communicate that password through a completely separate channel. This two-factor approach ensures that even if the link is intercepted, the password cannot be read without the additional password.
This is critical. Privnote.com (without the 's') is the legitimate, official service. Privnotes.com (with an 's') is a documented phishing clone that impersonates Privnote but intercepts your messages instead of delivering them securely. The clone has been documented stealing cryptocurrency wallet addresses and other sensitive information. Always verify you are on privnote.com.
No. Privnote is text-only. You cannot attach files, images, documents, or any binary data. For secure file sharing with self-destructing behavior, consider Bitwarden Send or One-Time Secret, which support file attachments alongside text.
Enable the "Destruction Notification" option when creating your note by entering your email address. Privnote will send you an email the moment the note is opened and destroyed. Alternatively, if you try to open the link yourself later and see a "note not found" message, it means the note has already been read and destroyed.
Yes. Privnote is a web-based service that works in any modern browser on any device. No app installation required. Simply visit privnote.com in your mobile browser to create or read notes.