Take bad notes.
Remember more.
Most note apps want to help you organize. IRLpad helps you remember. It's a digital notebook that follows physical rules — one page at a time.
Notes are broken.
Most apps give you infinite space, perfect formatting, endless folders.
You organize everything. Remember nothing.
In a world of infinite feeds and perfect tools, IRLpad gives you physical limits.
IRLpad gives you:
- 1
Bad notes. Messy notes. Honest notes.
- 2
Physical rules that help you remember.
- 3
A real page. With edges.
Science-Backed Design
IRLpad isn't just minimalist — it's built on how the brain actually works. These aren't design choices. They're cognitive tools.
Cognitive Load Theory
Working memory handles ~7 things at once.
(Miller, 1956)
Infinite scroll = cognitive overwhelm. IRLpad = finite page. One idea. Done.
Zeigarnik Effect
We remember incomplete tasks — if we can see them.
(Zeigarnik, 1927)
Infinite feeds blur boundaries. Pages = visible edges = memory triggers.
Embodied Cognition
Movement builds memory.
(Wilson, 2002)
Page flips, strikes, swipes = muscle memory. IRLpad builds that in.
Method of Loci
Memory is spatial.
(O'Keefe & Nadel, 1978)
Physical location boosts recall. IRLpad gives each idea a space.
Constraints Boost Creativity
Blank slates paralyze. Boundaries clarify.
(Stokes, 2005)
Infinite notes kill momentum. IRLpad's constraints create focus.
The Forgetting Curve
You forget 70% of what you don't revisit.
(Ebbinghaus, 1885)
IRLpad makes review natural — you flip back. Like a real notebook.
Key Features
Finite Pages
Forces clarity. You feel done.
Fast Swipe to Remove
Swipe quickly to remove a page. Like tearing it out, but cleaner.
No Delete Key
Strike out instead. Ideas evolve, not vanish.
Draw + Type
Two-finger swipe switches mode.
Layered Notes
Flip back and see old pages faintly below.
No Infinite Feed
You write, flip, revisit. That's it.
The Note Experience
There's no perfect formatting, no endless editing, and no folders to get lost in. Because imperfect ideas are the ones you actually remember.
No Delete Key
You can't delete — you strike through. Removing "undo" forces deeper thinking and stronger memory. Your thought process stays visible, mistakes and all.
One Page at a Time
When a page is full, you move on. Swipe quickly to remove a page entirely. You can turn back, see old pages, and even faintly glimpse what's beneath — just like a real notebook.
Physical Limits
People remember better when their thoughts stay in one physical place. Finite space sharpens ideas and reduces overload.
What People Are Saying
It feels like I finally get to carry a notebook again — without actually carrying one.
IRLpad User
Verified Purchase
I tore out a page, and it felt like closure. That's weird, right?
IRLpad User
Verified Purchase
I actually flip through my notes now. Who does that?
IRLpad User
Verified Purchase
IRLpad made me delete 900 notes I didn't need.
IRLpad User
Verified Purchase
What it does is give your thoughts a page.
A real one. With edges.
IRLpad is for people who think on paper. Who miss notebooks but not the bulk.
Available on iOS
IRLpad