A digital notepad that feels like a real one.
IRLpad is built around cognitive friction and spatial memory—fixed pages, no scroll, no erase. Real constraints that help your notes stick.
Notes are broken.
Most apps give you infinite space, perfect formatting, and endless folders.
You organize everything. Remember nothing.
In a world of infinite canvases and productivity features, IRLpad gives you physical limits — on purpose.
IRLpad gives you:
- 1
A digital notepad with real constraints — no scroll, no delete key, no undo.
- 2
Structure that strengthens memory and focus.
- 3
A single page at a time. Just like paper — but always with you.
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 notepad.
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
No toolbars. No templates. No clutter.
IRLpad is built to feel instant, familiar, and out of the way — just you and the page.
No Delete Key
Text isn't erased — it's crossed out.
Your edits stay visible, so your train of thought never disappears.
One Page at a Time
Each page is finite.
Swipe forward to continue. Swipe fast to remove. Flip back to see what came before.
Type or Scribble
Use your keyboard, your finger, or a stylus.
Switch modes with a two-finger swipe — no menus or interruptions.
Smart Keyboard Controls
Jump to the end of a line or page with a single tap.
Faster than dragging, designed to keep you moving.
Subtle Haptics
Page turns and removals respond with light feedback.
You don't just see it — you feel it.
Small Details. Big Difference.
Handwriting feels smooth. Pages have weight.
And settings live in Settings > IRLpad — where they belong.
What People Are Saying
It reminds me of my pocket Moleskine — except I can't lose it in the laundry.
IRLpad User
I used to overthink everything in Notion. Now I just write and turn the page.
IRLpad User
I used to throw everything into Apple Notes and never look at it again. IRLpad makes me actually reread things.
IRLpad User
There's no productivity guilt with this. I write something, strike it out, turn the page, done.
IRLpad User
Apple Notes is where I store things. IRLpad is where I think.
IRLpad User
I've tried Evernote, Craft, all of them. This is the first one that feels like a notebook, not a system.
IRLpad User
There's nothing to customize. And weirdly, that makes it mine.
IRLpad User
What it does is give your thoughts a page.
A real one. With edges.
IRLpad is for people who think on paper. Who miss notepads but not the bulk.
See how IRLpad brings back the realness of writing on paper
Available on iOS
IRLpad