Question 1

Where does everything I save actually live?

Accepted Answer

On your Mac, in a folder called Resurf Library. Notes are saved as plain text files, and your images, PDFs, and recordings keep their original formats. Everything saves to your Mac first, so Resurf works fully offline.

Question 2

Can I see those files myself?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In Resurf, choose File → Open Vault in Finder and the folder opens like any other. You can browse it and copy things out freely; make changes inside Resurf so the library stays organized.

Question 3

If Resurf ever went away, would my library go with it?

Accepted Answer

No. Your library is made of ordinary files that do not need Resurf to open: notes open in any text editor, images in Preview, PDFs anywhere. You can also export everything at once from Settings → Data, which gives you your captures as a spreadsheet plus your notes and original files.

Question 4

How does my library get to my iPhone and iPad?

Accepted Answer

Each device keeps its own complete copy, and your iCloud account carries changes between them. Save something on the Mac and it goes to the private part of your iCloud; your iPhone picks it up in the background, so it is usually already there when you open Resurf. There is no Resurf server in the middle, no account to create, and nothing to set up.

Question 5

Do I need to create an account?

Accepted Answer

No. There is nothing to sign up for. Sync uses the Apple Account your devices are already signed into. If two devices share the same Apple Account, they share the same library.

Question 6

Can I skip iCloud entirely?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Resurf is fully local, and iCloud sync is optional. In Settings, set sync to This device only to keep your library on that device. Switch back to iCloud later and your devices catch up.

Question 7

Does it work on a plane?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The full app works offline: capture, write, organize, search. Changes made offline wait and send themselves when you are back online, and anything saved on your other devices arrives then too.

Question 8

Why is there no Resurf folder in iCloud Drive?

Accepted Answer

That is normal. Resurf uses the private space iCloud gives apps, the same way Notes and Photos do, rather than a visible folder in iCloud Drive. Your Mac still holds the real files; iCloud carries copies between devices.

Question 9

What if I edit the same note on two devices?

Accepted Answer

Small things merge on their own: a tag added on one device and a space chosen on another both stick. If the same note text is edited in two places before they have synced, Resurf keeps the most recent version. The comfortable habit: finish a note on one device before picking it up on another.

Question 10

Does syncing use up my iCloud storage?

Accepted Answer

Yes, your library counts toward your iCloud storage, just like Photos does. Notes are tiny; videos and big PDFs add up. If iCloud fills up, sync pauses, and the Sync section of Settings shows why. Make room and it carries on.

Question 11

If I delete something on my Mac, is it gone from my iPhone too?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A delete is a change like any other, so it travels to every device. Deleted captures sit in Resurf's Trash on the Mac for 30 days first, and restoring from Trash travels the same way. If you only want to clear one machine, use Erase this Mac in Settings; it removes that Mac's copy without touching iCloud or your other devices.

Question 12

Isn't sync already a backup?

Accepted Answer

No, and this is the most useful thing on this page. Sync makes every device match, which means mistakes match too: delete the wrong thing and every copy follows. A backup is a dated copy that stays frozen in time, so you can go back to it.

Question 13

How do I back up my library?

Accepted Answer

On the Mac, Settings → Data has a Back up button that saves your entire library as a single dated zip. Turn on Automatic backups to have that happen daily or weekly, keep a few recent copies, and point them at another folder or an external drive. Since your library is ordinary files, Time Machine backs it up too.

Question 14

My Mac died. Is my library gone?

Accepted Answer

If sync was on, no. Sign into the same Apple Account on a new Mac, open Resurf, and your library downloads from your iCloud with nothing to set up. Big files take the longest; titles show up before every original has finished arriving. If sync was off, restore your most recent backup zip or pull the Resurf Library folder from Time Machine.

Question 15

Who can see what I save?

Accepted Answer

You. Your library lives on your devices and in the private part of your iCloud. There is no Resurf server holding a copy and no account tying it to you. Apple protects iCloud data with encryption in transit and on its servers. Resurf sends anonymous usage counts, never your content, and you can turn that off in Settings. AI features are off by default and only use an OpenAI key you add yourself; nothing goes to any AI service until you switch them on.

Question 16

What's free and what's paid?

Accepted Answer

The Mac app is free for your first 50 captures and 4 spaces, enough to know whether it is for you. One payment unlocks unlimited use; there is no subscription. The iPhone and iPad app is free.

Question 17

What happens to my stuff if I hit the free limit and don't buy?

Accepted Answer

Nothing is deleted, ever. At the limit the Mac app asks for a license before you can keep browsing, but everything stays safe on disk, sync keeps running, and you can export everything or open your library in Finder right from that screen. Your files never depend on paying.

Questions, answered

Your library

Sync

Backups

Privacy

Buying Resurf