If you are using Evernote Free and have already exceeded the current plan limits, your ability to edit notes depends on which specific limit you have hit. [1]
1. Exceeding the Note Count Limit (50 Notes)
If you have more than 50 notes or 1 notebook (the limits introduced in late 2023), Evernote's official policy is that you can still view, edit, share, and export your existing notes. [1, 2]
* Editing: You can open an existing note and change its content or size (up to the individual note limit).
* Restriction: You cannot create new notes or notebooks until you delete enough content to fall back under the 50-note/1-notebook threshold. [1, 2, 3, 4]
2. Exceeding Individual Note Size Limits (200 MB)
As of September 17, 2024, the maximum size for a single note on a Free account was increased to 200 MB. [5, 6]
* Editing existing large notes: Some users have reported that if an older note was significantly over a previous limit (like the old 25 MB cap) or is currently pushing the 200 MB limit, it may become "View Only".
* The "Lock" Issue: In some cases, if a note is too large to sync to the server, Evernote may lock it to prevent data integrity issues. To fix this, you often have to copy the text into a new (smaller) note or upgrade your plan to "unlock" the original for editing. [7, 8, 9, 10, 11]
3. Exceeding the Monthly Upload Limit (250 MB) [12]
If you hit your 250 MB monthly upload quota, the impact is immediate: [13]
* No Syncing: Any edits you make to increase a note's size (like adding a large PDF or image) will not sync to the cloud or your other devices until your limit resets the following month.
* Read-Only State: Your account effectively becomes "read-only" for the remainder of the month. While you can sometimes edit notes locally on one device, those changes are risky as they aren't backed up to the server and could be lost if the app is reinstalled or the device fails. [10, 14]
Summary of Actions
* To decrease size: If a note is too large, you should be able to delete attachments to shrink it. However, if the note is already "locked" by the system, you may need to export the note or copy-paste the text into a fresh, smaller note to resume editing.
* To increase size: You can add content up to the 200 MB per note and 250 MB per month limits. Once either is hit, further additions will be blocked or fail to sync. [7, 12, 13, 15]
Would you like to know the exact steps to export your notes if you decide to move them to a different service?
[1] [https://help.evernote.com](https://help.evernote.com/hc/en-us/articles/23565231682323-Understanding-Evernote-Free-and-Starter-plans-limits-note-and-notebook-limits-explained)
[2] [https://evernote.com](https://evernote.com/blog/evernote-free-note-limits)
[3] [https://help.evernote.com](https://help.evernote.com/hc/en-us/articles/23565231682323-Understanding-Evernote-Free-and-Starter-plans-limits-note-and-notebook-limits-explained)
[4] [https://www.tamingthetrunk.com](https://www.tamingthetrunk.com/p/evernote-storage-and-system-limits)
[5] [https://evernote.com](https://evernote.com/blog/free-limit-changes-august-2024#:~:text=On%20September%2017%2C%202024%2C%20we%20increased%20note,limit%20is%20now%20250MB%20%28up%20from%2060MB%29)
[6] [https://evernote.com](https://evernote.com/blog/free-limit-changes-august-2024)
[7] [https://discussion.evernote.com](https://discussion.evernote.com/forums/topic/146861-cant-edit-notes-that-are-too-large-view-only/)
[8] [https://discussion.evernote.com](https://discussion.evernote.com/forums/topic/146861-cant-edit-notes-that-are-too-large-view-only/)
[9] [https://discussion.evernote.com](https://discussion.evernote.com/forums/topic/141152-when-i-cancel/)
[10] [https://discussion.evernote.com](https://discussion.evernote.com/forums/topic/79752-how-does-data-limit-work-and-what-happens-if-data-limit-is-reached/)
[11] [https://evernote.com](https://evernote.com/blog/evernote-free-note-limits)
[12] [https://evernote.com](https://evernote.com/blog/free-limit-changes-august-2024#:~:text=On%20September%2017%2C%202024%2C%20we%20increased%20note,limit%20is%20now%20250MB%20%28up%20from%2060MB%29)
[13] [https://www.tamingthetrunk.com](https://www.tamingthetrunk.com/p/evernote-storage-and-system-limits)
[14] [https://discussion.evernote.com](https://discussion.evernote.com/forums/topic/126963-what-if-i-exceed-the-limit-of-evernote/)
[15] [https://www.youtube.com](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaKfINRmWKM&t=1)
