Questions & answers
- What is Do Not Read?
- An iPhone app for passing folded, handwritten-style notes to friends in iMessage, like the notes people passed in class in the '80s and '90s. You write on notebook paper, fold it, and pass it. Your friend unfolds it, ticks a box and passes it back.
- Is it free?
- Yes. Sending, receiving, unfolding and replying are free forever, with lined paper, four pens, three folds, check boxes, doodles, starter stickers and the games. Optional packs (papers, gel pens, folds, sticker sets) are one-time purchases. The Hall Pass unlocks every pack, including future ones. There are no subscriptions and no ads.
- What games can I play?
- Tic-tac-toe, hangman, MASH and would you rather, all free. Each move is a note you pass back, so a game is a string of notes in your Messages thread. Your desk shows the games waiting on your move.
- How do I pass a note?
- In the app, tap Write a note, write it, pick a fold and tap Fold & pass, then choose a friend in the message sheet and send. Or, in a Messages chat, tap +, choose Do Not Read, and do the same there.
- How does my friend open it?
- They tap the folded note in Messages and unfold it: pull the tab, open the flap, tap the corners, or play the fortune teller, depending on the fold you chose.
- Does my friend need the app?
- Yes, to unfold it. Without the app they see the folded note in Messages and can get Do Not Read free. On a Mac, the note opens a page on this website.
- Does it work on Android?
- No. Notes travel through iMessage, so you need an iPhone or iPad, and so does your friend.
- Does it work in group chats?
- Yes. Everyone can tick boxes on the same note ("who's in for Saturday?"), and each person's tick shows in their own pen color.
- Does it work on iPad and Mac?
- It works on iPhone and iPad with iOS 17 or later. Messages on the Mac can't unfold notes; a note opened there shows a page on this website.
- Can the people who make Do Not Read read my notes?
- No. There's no server. Notes go from your device to your friend's through Apple's Messages, and Do Not Read collects no data at all.
- Do notes disappear after they're read?
- No. Notes stay in your Messages history like any other message. Don't write anything you wouldn't want saved.
- If I buy a pack, can my friends see it?
- Yes. Friends always see your fancy paper, pens and stickers, even if they don't own the pack. Owning a pack only matters for writing with it.
- I got a new phone. How do I get my packs back?
- Open the app, go to the Shop tab and tap Restore purchases at the bottom.
- What do S.W.A.K. and LYLAS mean?
- Sealed with a kiss, and love you like a sister. See our guide to note-passing slang for more.
Still stuck? Email support@donotread.app.