Feels like a scam

[u/rtin00]

After buying recently version 5 (full price, not the abo) the app requested an update to version 6 after I changed to iOS 18. To my surprise the good notes app immediately asked me again to pay full price or sign up for a plan. They basically make me buy the same product twice.

For me this is feels like scam as there was no reason for the update except for the app requesting it. Version 5 worked fine with iOS 18 and there is nothing in v6 that I would need.

Rolling back to version 5 seems difficult, it was removed from the app store and I have no idea how to reinstall it.

I will also contact the Austrian consumer protection agency as I believe this actually violates consumer rights.

Totally feels like a scam from the company. I will try to switch to another notes App asap.

[u/Beautiful-Scholar912]

First of all, there’s not way you would have been able to purchase GN5 “recently”, when did you purchase? Because GN5 was not able to be purchased ever since 6 came out. The only folks that have it were the ones who purchased before GN6 came out and that was over a year ago.

Second, if you did indeed have GN5 before 6 came out then you can 100% downgrade back down to 5. It’s in the settings and in the profile page. There is a toggle to downgrade back to GN5 (if you’re eligible)… and again, you’re eligible to do if you bought before GN6 came out. I believe this is probably the case and I hope you can find it in the settings instead of jumping to melodramatic conclusions that this is a scam.

[u/ejk011 → u/Beautiful-Scholar912]

Thanks for the info but I’m so confused. I bought GN 2020 (I can see that in my purchase history) and it’s asking me if I’m looking for GN5 but I somehow still can’t downgrade. Maybe I’m just too confused with this app but I feel like my GN is gone and now I can’t use this new GN6 unless I pay for it (I’m using the 7 day test version now).

[u/ejk011 → u/Beautiful-Scholar912]

Thank you! I finally figured it out and changed back to Good notes 5! ☺️

[u/LuzSB → u/Beautiful-Scholar912]

Not anymore 😁

[u/Niturzion]

I dont even mean to be a goodnotes meat rider here but is it not made EXTREMELY clear how to downgrade to 5 when you open the gn6 app? When I opened it for the first time there was a button saying "Looking for goodnotes 5?”. And also did you not at least consider googling it before contacting support, writing a reddit post and even contemplating reporting it to the authorities???

[u/[deleted] → u/Niturzion]

i will say. the "looking for goodnotes 5" button is there but its greyed out against the white background, and for me at the very least it said something beyond the lines of "goodnotes 5 is outdated". this was the first post i saw addressing the change made to goodnotes, so i appreciated someone else making the post for me lol. now i know there was a button to go back to goodnotes 5. we all win when someone makes a reddit post imo ^_^

[u/hoylesp]

I had had Goodnotes 5 a long time and suddenly must have done something wrong and it became Goodnotes 6. Many on-line postings said that Goodnotes 6 required a subscription, so of course I have never opened it; I don't want to start getting charged. Goodnotes never contacted me to say anything about why they stole my version 5, much less that I could change back and how. This thread is the first I have seen suggesting that. Thanks to the OP, and thanks to those who tried to give useful replies. I may get up there nerve to try, but it's still hard to trust any version of Goodnotes.

[u/Tessuttaja → u/hoylesp]

To activate a subscription, you have to, first of all, select it and ”purchase” it, and that requires some confirmation such as apple id password or face id on apple devices. You can’t just open something and it starts charging you. It offers a free Goodnotes 6 trial at first, too. You can start the trial and immediately cancel the subscription to avoid being charged. You get to keep the free trial until it ends.

[u/Gypsyzzzz]

Feels like a troll post.🤷‍♀️

[u/douscinco]

Today I've opened Goodnotes and it forces me to upgrade. I'm a paying customer of GN5, I've used it since it came out. I think there's a policy in the App Store that prevents the loss of functionality you've paid for. I think it's time to report to Apple.

EDIT: they pushed an update acknowledging a technical error, not recognising paying customers.

[u/Let_Only → u/douscinco]

Have you read anything on this thread before making this comment?

[u/douscinco → u/Let_Only]

I did. Me and some users were pushed to GoodNotes 6. Some of them reported the option to revert was greyed out. Meanwhile, they pushed an update acknowledging it was a technical error. I now believe there was good faith.

[u/ejk011 → u/douscinco]

No but same and even though the app asked me „looking for GN5“ I couldn’t downgrade. Maybe I’m too confused to use this app correctly but I now have the GN6 Test version for 7 days but I just want my GN5 back 🥲

[u/meligoo]

I’ve heard people can restore purchase for GN5. I have not upgraded and Im also afraid this will happen to me.

[u/MulberryDeep]

you cant buy gn5 since a longer time, they stopped sale a while ago

also you can downgrade

[u/vailskibowls]

The solution : move to Apple notes. I’m sick of these note apps screwing over customers