About Qirtas

What it is, how it works, and who it helps.

What is it?How it works Features Who it helps FAQ

What is Qirtas?

Qirtas is a handwriting, drawing and note-taking app built around an open whiteboard: a page with no edges that you zoom and move in every direction, so you never run out of room or have to split your thoughts across small pages. You write with a pen or your finger, add PDF files, images, equations and tables, and keep everything in organised notebooks.

It works on Windows and Android, fully offline, and needs no account with the developer.

How it works

Create a boardPick the page template that suits you (blank, ruled, grid, dots, Cornell and more) and the paper colour.

Write and drawChoose a pen, its colour and thickness. Write with a stylus or finger, and erase with an eraser that cuts a stroke instead of deleting it whole.

Add your filesImport a PDF or an image, or on Windows a Word, PowerPoint or Excel file, and write directly over it.

Organise and reviewPut boards in notebooks and sections, select an area with the pen to move, copy or rotate it, and record audio if you wish.

ShareExport a board as an image, a PDF or a .qirtas file, or send it to a nearby device with an encrypted QR code.

SaveYour work is saved automatically on your device after every change, and you can optionally upload a copy to a private folder in your Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive.

Features in detail

Writing and drawing

Many pen styles: ballpoint, fountain pen, calligraphy, pencil, rainbow, neon, highlighters and brushes.
A dynamic partial eraser that cuts a stroke, sized by speed and pen pressure.
Pen pressure and tilt are read when your device provides them.
A palm rejection mode so your hand does not leave marks while you write with a stylus.
Snap a rough stroke into a clean shape (line, circle, rectangle or triangle) by holding the pen still at the end, with undo.
A graduated ruler for precise straight lines along its edge.
Layers: hide or lock any layer to keep a plan separate from dimensions and shading.
Handwriting to text (optional, Android only, Arabic and English).

Page and content

An open whiteboard with smooth, unlimited zoom.
Import PDF files (up to 500 pages each) and images, and write over them.
Typed text and LaTeX equations with a live preview (written with English letters and symbols; please review them).
Coloured sticky notes, tables, ready-made shapes and connectors between them, with rotation for any element.
Page templates: ruled, grid, dots, isometric, Cornell, monthly planner, checklist, music staves and graph paper.
A paper colour per board, and automatic snapping of elements.

Organising and reviewing

Notebooks and sections, moving any board between them, and selecting several boards to delete or move at once.
Free-form or rectangle selection to move, copy, paste, lock and delete content.
Optional audio recording synced with your writing; tap any writing to jump the audio to that moment.
Presentation mode: a clean full-screen view with a laser pointer.

Sharing and saving

Export each board as a PNG image, a PDF or a .qirtas file, and export all your boards at once in one ZIP file.
Share a board with a nearby device through an encrypted QR code, with no intermediary server.
Optional cloud backup to an app-specific folder in your Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive.
A backup reminder every 15 days for those who have not linked a cloud account.

Privacy

No account with the developer, no servers for your boards, no ads and no tracking tools.
Your boards are encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM.
Audio recordings stay on your device only.

How it helps you

EveryoneStudentsUniversity students

A notebook with no page limit for ideas, mind maps, diagrams and sketches.
Meeting notes by hand, plus a monthly planner and checklist from the ready templates.
Diagrams with shapes, connectors, the ruler and layers.
Present your board to others with presentation mode and the laser pointer.
Write and comment over a PDF or an image.

Write your notes over lesson files and worksheets instead of printing them.
Summarise with a Cornell page: notes, keywords and a summary on one page.
A notebook per subject, with sections for lessons and homework.
Graph paper, a ruler and shapes for maths and physics problems, plus LaTeX equations.
Sticky notes in different colours to mark what matters before a test.
Music staves for music lessons.

Open lecture slides (PDF, up to 500 pages) and write on them as the lecturer explains; they stay sharp when zoomed.
On Windows you can open Word, PowerPoint and Excel files after they are converted to PDF on your device (Microsoft Office must be installed).
Record the lecture audio (with the lecturer's permission) and jump between moments by tapping your notes.
Diagrams, equations and engineering sketches with shapes, the ruler and layers, and tables for comparisons.
Revise before exams: a notebook per course, and export summaries as PDFs or images.
Swap summaries with a classmate on the same network through an encrypted QR code.
Back up to a ZIP file or your cloud account so a semester of summaries is never lost.

Before recording any lecture, respect the rights of others and your institution's rules; do not record the lecturer or anyone else without permission.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an account?

There is no account with the developer. You can use the app as a guest by creating up to five boards; for more, sign in with your Google or Microsoft account.

Does it work offline?

Yes, fully. The internet is needed only for the optional cloud backup, downloading fonts, and downloading the handwriting model once.

Which systems does it run on?

Windows and Android, and in the browser without installing through the web version. Download links are on the Download page.

Where are my boards stored?

On your device, encrypted with AES-256-GCM. They go nowhere else unless you choose cloud backup in your account or export them yourself.

Does it read my handwriting?

Handwriting to text is optional and works on Android only. It may make mistakes, so always review the result.

What if I lose my device?

Keep an exported or cloud copy of what matters to you; the developer holds no copy of your boards and cannot recover them.

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