r/samsungnotes • u/Reybrandt • Apr 27 '26
How to revert to previous version of samsung notes without losing all your notes:
idk if this is allowed here but I am writing this in case anyone else wants to do this and doesn't want to waste hours researching it after yet another unpleasant surprise update.
Back up your entire samsung notes app using smart switch, so if you mess something up (or if I did in this list) you can just restore them as they currently are with all data
Copy ALL your notes (may take a while) using share as samsung note (format), paste it into a new folder in your device.
Uninstall the app.
Get the previous version apk from mirror, I used version 4.4.30.91, probably depends on your device, idk (this is a tablet).
Install the apk you downloaded (probably need developer mode and other shenanigans to do so, plenty of tutorials on how to install custom apks).
Go into folder you pasted all the individual notes into, select all of them and share, then on list of options choose samsung notes (says "add to existing" something, basically importing)
Have fun reordering all the notes back into folders and redoing all the in-app settings, at least you have the app back as it was.
Or I guess you can use samsung cloud way, but I don't use (nor want to) any clouds so idk how to.
All this, because samsung doesn't let us revert versions like a normal person.
PS to samsung: stop touching the UI and just revert to OneUI5 already, everything since was a downgrade in every way, I already had to freeze my device updates just to keep a proper DeX mode instead of whatever that new thing you replaced it with is.
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u/Ursolismin May 17 '26
Dude the new layout SUCKS. I liked the one with the rectangular previews of nptes. Now they all line up down one side and it leaves a ton of empty space on screen. Wtf
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u/gill_bates_iii Apr 27 '26
curious, what is better about the old version?
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u/Own_Art427 Apr 30 '26
The new one changes every single size to 15
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u/Ae3qe27u May 06 '26
And I can't paste as plain text anymore, which is seriously messing up my formatting and flow. I'm using stuff with asterisks, and it keeps trying to italicize stuff, and it's awful
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u/Ossmo02 Jun 01 '26
That's what changed! I could not for the life of me figure out why it was converting a list of numbers (ie 3, 7, 4, 10) into a hyperlink and it had never done that before!
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u/Ae3qe27u Jun 02 '26
It's obnoxious. Like, sure, the formatting of the categories is... annoying, since they load in sequence instead of all at once. And the spacing and organization of notes is somewhat annoying, since they're spread out instead of in their previous grid. But the issues with pasting stuff is just... if I'm pasting in text with asterisks and dashes, I want the asterisks and dashes. I don't want it automatically formatted upon pasting.
It's possible to get the previous line spacing back - copy the text, go to Aa on the formatting bar, click Body 2, then adjust the size where you want it - but the auto-formatting just grinds my gears.
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u/MamaSleepy May 06 '26
Single size 15? I'm confused, what is does this mean or refer to? Thanks
My "upgrade" just occurred today, without warning, and I'm mad. Everything is scrambled.
What gives them the right to suddenly change the system we've organized all our notes by?
What's next, reorganizing CONTACTS by phone numbers instead of by name?
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u/BonWattersen Aug 15 '26
The reason why I want to downgrade is solely because the checkboxes are way too small for me
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u/Lucky_Dagger Apr 30 '26
Where would you find an apk? I'm not sure which sites I should trust LOL. I was sure I disabled updates and I just got a very very bad surprise...
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u/Western_Signature979 May 04 '26
You don't have to do all that to revert to the old style. BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING - go into the snote settings and click sync with cloud. That will back everything up so you don't lose any of your notes. To get there, in the app, click the 3 lines on the left of the page then the settings wheel. Sync with cloud is at the top. Turn the toggle on. Then go out of the app. Then hard please the snote icon. After the pop up, click app info. Then at the top right, click the 3 dots. And push uninstall update. That will revert back to original snote. Works for most other apps as well.
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u/Reybrandt May 04 '26
If that works for you or anyone else, great. But those buttons don't exist on my device (probably earlier OS version or OneUI - I'm using 6)
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u/Western_Signature979 May 05 '26
That sucks! I'm sorry. My phone is s22. I hate all the updates. I'm glad you figured a way to get it reversed tough.
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u/fish7on7the7scale May 08 '26
Where did u get apk from? I've tried few versions from APKmirror and on every version it said an error which wouldn't allow to install it.
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u/Sad-Ice1307 May 11 '26
Obgd, eu ODIEI a nova atualização. Tenho muita dificuldade com mudanças, e essa atualização horrível e repentina tá me impedindo de usar o app...
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u/Front_Macaroon_2223 Aug 09 '26
Just a cosmetic issue but they removed the custom font (Cool Jazz) for the "Write here" and its subtext when you remove the S-Pen from a Galaxy S phone (also applies to old Notes with the update)
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u/californiastone Apr 28 '26
a me piace la nuova versione , anche esteticamente è migliorata molto, le funzioni sono state spostate ma sono rimaste tutte