Notes and Markdown
Add instructions, links, reference text, or a progress log to any task's notes. Markdown gives longer notes headings, lists, emphasis, and links while keeping the saved note as text.
Markdown formatting and preview are available with 2Do Pro and during the full-feature trial. Plain-text notes remain available without Pro.
Opening Notes
Open a task and tap its notes row. An empty note opens ready for typing. If an existing note opens in a reading view or Markdown preview, tap the note to edit it.
Use the back button to return to the task. Changes are kept when you leave the notes editor. For a new task, the note remains part of the task you are creating; save that task to add it to your list.
Formatting Shortcuts
The row above the keyboard scrolls horizontally. Swipe it to reach the shortcuts that do not fit on the screen.
It includes:
- Left and right cursor controls.
- Bold, italic, strikethrough, and inline code.
- Two heading shortcuts.
- A horizontal divider.
- Markdown punctuation shortcuts for
!,#,*,>, and~. - The current date and time.
Select text before using bold, italic, strikethrough, or code to put markers around the selection. Without a selection, these shortcuts insert a pair of markers and place the cursor between them. The cursor controls can also be held to move repeatedly.
The notes editor's top bar has Undo and Redo while you are editing. These let you undo typed text and shortcut changes during the current editing session.
Writing Markdown
Write Markdown in the editable text, then use Markdown Preview to see its formatted result. The saved note keeps the Markdown markers.
| Write this | Preview result |
|---|---|
**Important** | Bold text |
*Emphasis* | Italic text |
~~Old wording~~ | Strikethrough text |
`sample code` | Inline code |
# Workshop plan | A heading |
## Preparation | A smaller heading |
- Book the room | A bulleted list item |
1. Review the brief | A numbered list item |
> Background information | A block quote |
[Workshop brief](https://example.com/brief) | A labeled web link |
--- on its own line | A horizontal divider |
Use a space after a heading or list marker. Put blank lines between paragraphs and around a divider to make the structure clear.
For tickable steps, use a checklist or project. A list written inside a note remains part of the note's text.
Markdown Preview
Tap Markdown Preview in the top bar to show a rendered, read-only version of the note. The title changes to Markdown Preview, and the same control becomes Edit. Tap Edit, or tap the note, to return to the source text.
When a note contains Markdown, it can open in preview. Preview never replaces the saved source text, so you can continue to edit the markers and sync the note with other 2Do devices.
Links
Web addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers can become tappable in a note's reading view. Use a Markdown link when you want a short label instead of a long URL in the rendered preview.
While typing, tap Markdown Preview to open a formatted link. Return to editing when you want to change its text or destination.
For a phone number, email address, address, or URL you want to use as the task's main action, see Actions.
Images in Markdown
Use  to include an image from a web address in Markdown Preview. This is part of the note text and is separate from the task's picture attachment. The editable note shows the image syntax; preview shows the image when it can load.
Inserting the Date and Time
Scroll the shortcut row to the date-and-time button and tap it to insert the current date and time at the cursor. It uses the app's date and clock formatting. If text is selected, the stamp replaces that selection.
For example, add a stamp before each progress update in a note so you can see when you called a supplier or received a reply.
Sharing and Clearing
Open the notes editor's overflow menu:
- Share sends the note's text to Android's share sheet. The shared text includes the Markdown markers.
- Clear empties the note after confirmation.
- Markdown tutorial opens help with Markdown syntax.
Settings
Open Settings > Appearance > Markdown:
- Markdown editing controls Markdown tools and rendering in the notes editor.
- Markdown in note previews controls formatting in the note previews shown in the task list.
Turning these off does not remove the Markdown markers from your saved notes. You can keep notes as plain text and turn the tools on again later.