Welcome to the very first official Bundled Notes blog post! This is the first of many exciting updates that will be shared here - so let me jump straight to today's announcements.
Importing to Bundled... finally!
I'm not going to mince my words: importing from other apps to Bundled is wildly overdue. If I was smart, I would have built it for the initial launch - but I was 22 years old at that time, and they say the brain does not form fully until 25. This is my excuse.
But - better late than never - importing is finally ready to share. And though Google Keep will be the only supported import source at launch, I've built something scalable and intentionally designed to easily support new sources and formats.
Here's a video of how it works:
When you start an import, you can choose how to divide notes into bundles - it will automatically convert tags and colors to the Bundled Notes equivalent, and even save link previews as attachments.
The only notable limitation at launch will be lack of file and image conversion to attachments. This is an intentional, but temporary limitation. Because this is the most complex backend feature I've built for Bundled, I want to release the core functionality first, to better understand costs and gather feedback before I scale it.
Importing will be available in the next fortnight for free and Pro users via the web app. I am working on the final details, including updates to the privacy policy, UI tweaks, and Github Flavored Markdown support, before I release it.
In the months following, I'll be adding support for more services and for file/image attachment handling - so please give it a try and suggest the app you want me to support for Import next!
Exporting
I will be building a new export system soon, too. Unlike the current Android "beta" export (which has been the same since launch), the export functionality will work on all platforms, and be supported as an import format too (so you can move to a new or different Bundled account, or temporarily leave the app).
Transitioning to Github Flavored Markdown
In the same vein as import and export, where the goal is to give users better control of their data in and out of Bundled, I've been wanting to migrate from the current, proprietary Markdown flavor, to Github Flavored Markdown - the now default standard. Over time, this change will make Bundled more usable as a companion to other apps and markdown documents, and improve import and export compatibility with other services.
It will, however, be a multi-step process:
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The first step - planned to launch alongside import - will make GFM the default for new users, while allowing existing users to opt-in to GFM manually. Importantly, this will be a limited version of GFM, with the same set of formatting options available today, just using the GFM syntax.
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The next step will involve an optional in-app tool to migrate existing users seamlessly to the new format - converting existing entries in bundles, and then enabling GFM. This is planned for Q3.
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The last step will involve broadening the existing markdown formatting options - including tables, inline images, and more.
The timeline for this plan may shift, so make sure to join the Reddit or Discord to keep on top of updates!
The rest!
- Global tags are still underway and planned for the next minor update on Android (4.2).
- I've created a "Buy Me A Coffee" account! I haven't decided exactly how I will use it, and I hardly think donating to a note-taking app is very important. But I am trying to grow Bundled, and just a few extra dollars contributed by a few people could make a difference in how much time I'm able to dedicate to it. Please don't feel any obligation to donate - subscribing to Pro, leaving a good review on the App Store - or even just reading this article - is plenty of support already.
- The web app will be getting a small update with bug fixes and UI improvements alongside the import release!
That's all for today! But, do stay tuned, because the next I have planned is the biggest news since the app's launch.
Thanks for reading,
Xavier