The ability to backup and access notes remotely is one of the features that differentiates the reMarkable 2 from other notebook solutions. Use your reMarkable Connect subscription, along with the various apps, to provide seamless access to your notebooks, PDFs, and e-books (along with your handwritten + typed notes). Learn more about reMarkable remote file access below.
Why Listen to this perspective on the reMarkable ecosystem
I’ve been using the reMarkable 2 paper tablet for over 3 years. During that time, I’ve been seeking ways to maximize its impact on my effectiveness. I use my reMarkable 2 in my personal life, my professional job, and in how I run EffectivExec. I am constantly looking for new ways to use the reMarkable to keep my life organized.
What Types of Documents Work on Remarkable
There are three types of documents that work on in the remarkable ecosystem:
- Notebook – Notebooks are the core of the reMarkable ecosystem. There are various templates (essentially background lines) available to use in your notebooks. reMarkable notebooks are stored as .rm files
- PDF – PDFs are a very common document type (PDF stands for Portable Document Format). PDFs are fully compatible with the reMarkable 2 – both in terms of ability to navigate (links, pages, etc) as well as layered markup.
- eBooks – The .epub format is compatible with the reMarkable platform. This makes the reMarkable 2 a good e-reading platform (although not a perfect one). Highlighting, markup, and pages are all fully functional on the reMarkable.
How Are reMarkable Documents Organized in Your Device
On the reMarkable, documents are organized into a series of folders, which allow you to arrange logical thoughts or groupings according to your use case. Similar to a standard computer, the folders can contain any mix of the compatible file types. To maximize the organization of reMarkable documents, I recommend building a tiered system of folders for personal / professional pursuits, specific projects, or file types (e.g., monthly notebooks).
Additionally, reMarkable files can use Tags to make finding notebooks or PDFs easier. This doesn’t impact how the files are actually stored, but using tags effectively can make it MUCH easier to find the right notebook.
How to access reMarkable notes remotely?
To access your reMarkable documents remotely (meaning not on your device), you’ll need an internet connection and a reMarkable Connect subscription. If you don’t have a Connect subscription yet, you’ll need to visit my.remarkable.com to setup an account and then link it to your device. Note: there is a subscription fee for this service, but it’s one of the key features that differentiates the reMarkable from paper notebooks.
Once your reMarkable Connect subscription is established, you need to connect your reMarkable 2 to WiFi to actually sync the files to the cloud. If you’re unsure of how to do this (or want to use your iPhones hotspot), check out this article on using WiFi with your reMarkable.
Where can you access reMarkable notes remotely?
There are four ways to access your reMarkable content remotely – through the reMarkable website, the reMarkable desktop app, the reMarkable smartphone app, and integrated apps (like Google Drive).
- reMarkable Website – to access your reMarkable notes through the web, navigate to my.remarkable.com and log in. This is unfortunately the most limited option in terms of interacting or even viewing your notes. Accessing your notes through the website is great for organizing notes or adding new documents, but does not allow you to view individual notebooks or add typed text.
- reMarkable Desktop App – reMarkable has desktop apps for both Windows as well as Mac. These apps allow you to search for documents, copy / paste typed text, and to perform screen shares. I commonly use my desktop app to either screen shot documents I’ve created or to share PDFs of PPT presentations for later markup.
- reMarkable Mobile App (including tablets) – reMarkable has published mobile apps for the iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. reMarkable is continuing to invest in these platforms, with new features added almost monthly. As of this writing, the mobile apps allow you to search for notes, interact with notes on a typed basis, and to share documents. The apps are also great for getting content onto your reMarkable, directly from apps like Gmail.
- Integrated Apps for reMarkable– reMarkable connect allows integrations with Google Drive, Drop Box, and Microsoft Office One Drive. While helpful for getting certain documents onto your reMarkable, it provides very limited backwards compatibility
How to Make Sure Remarkable Documents Are Synced
To sync your reMarkable notebooks and other files, you’ll need to connect your reMarkable tablet to WiFi. This can be done through either the Main Settings Icon (learn all of the icon meanings here) or the WiFi setting screen. For detailed instructions on connecting to WiFi or for using your iPhone as a hotspot, check out this article.
reMarkable Connect FAQs
No, unfortunately the current version of the Connect website does not support editing Notes or Notebooks. You can however rename, move, and delete notes, notebooks, and PDFs
Yes, reMarkable’s current pricing model is that Connect is a pay per month service. There are some basic backups that can be accomplished without Connect, as well as non-OEM software that can circumvent the paid subscription.
The reMarkable tablet only requires WiFi during syncs to the backend to keep content refreshed on Connect. Once you’ve backed up your Notebooks on Connect, you can disconnect from Wifi to save battery. Any changes on the tablet or through Connect will be reflected next time you connect again.
