Welcome to DEVONthink To Go 4
As with every new product generation, some things stay, others change. With DEVONthink To Go 4 we have not only updated the app itself, but also added new ways to unlock its full functionality:
- Like before you can use DEVONthink To Go, with restrictions, for free. Test-drive it as long as needed.
- To unlock its full functionality, you can either get a subscription in the App Store, or if you own a license for DEVONthink Pro or Server you can use it for registering DEVONthink To Go.
- Every DEVONthink Pro license comes with a fixed set of five mobile seats, DEVONthink Server with 25 seats.
- If you already have a subscription for DEVONthink To Go 3, it’ll continue to work also in version 4. Recently bought one-time purchases will unlock version 4 until the end of 2026.
Switch to DEVONthink To Go 4
Switching from DEVONthink To Go 3 to DEVONthink To Go 4 is done in just a few steps.
- Do not start off by uninstalling DEVONthink To Go 3. Leave it alone for now.
- Install DEVONthink To Go 4 from the App Store.
- Launch version 4. It will migrate resources, settings, and databases from version 3. You should see a message about the database being updated.
- When finished, check that the databases arrived fine. Then go back to the iPad or iPhone home screen.
- Now long-press the DEVONthink To Go 3 app and remove it. When prompted, you can safely remove the app data as well. As long as version 4 also holds a grip on the databases, this will not remove the data from your device.
For the licensing, see below.
Subscriptions vs. Licenses
Starting with DEVONthink To Go 4, we switch from a slow product cycle with large, feature-laden upgrades to smaller, more frequent updates. To make this a sustainable model, we now offer two ways for unlocking DEVONthink To Go’s full functionality:
- Subscriptions are Apple’s way of allowing us to deliver updates without holding back features for some grand update in the future that we’d then have to publish as a new app. DEVONthink To Go offers monthly and yearly subscriptions and for still the same price as in version 3.
- Alternatively, you can use a DEVONthink Pro or Server license (version 4.0 or later) to register DEVONthink To Go for free. You don’t have to buy additional seats, we just need to know that your license is eligible for updates.
Which model should you choose? If you use only iPads and iPhones, run DEVONthink Standard on your Mac, or you are still satisfied with DEVONthink 3, it’s the subscription.
If you own a license for DEVONthink Pro or Server, then it depends on whether you’re extending updates for your license regularly or if you plan to skip a year or more. You can skip updates on the Mac and switch to an App Store subscription at any time. It’s your choice, depending on your needs.
Just Purchased DEVONthink To Go 3?
With a valid subscription for DEVONthink To Go 3, you’re all set. The subscription continues to work. To renew or cancel it, visit the App Store.
If you have bought the one-time purchase for DEVONthink To Go 3 on or after January 1st, 2024, version 4 treats it like a free license valid until the end of 2026. It will not automatically become a paid subscription, the app will just ask you eventually to choose what you want to do next.
Use a Legacy Subscription or Purchase
DEVONthink To Go 3 and 4 are separate apps and unaware of the existence of the other unless they are installed on the same device at the same time.
To let DEVONthink To Go 4 know that you have a valid legacy subscription there are a few options:
- Have DEVONthink To Go 3.8.14 or later installed on your device when you launch DEVONthink To Go 4. Version 4 takes a note of the App Store transaction and uses it to attach itself to the legacy purchase. We keep that reference on our backend server so you can then safely remove version 3 from the device.
- On other devices signed in into the same Apple account, DEVONthink To Go 4 should now recognize your legacy purchases automatically. Note that this requires that you have launched DEVONthink To Go 3.8.14 or later at least once and given it a few minutes to store the necessary data in iCloud.
- Devices eligible for Family Sharing don’t share the same Apple account and so have no access to information about your legacy purchase. Install DEVONthink To Go 3.8.14 or later first, restore the purchase, then install DEVONthink To Go 4. When it has successfully picked up your legacy purchase you can safely remove version 3.
Even though legacy subscriptions continue to work on DEVONthink To Go 4 we strongly recommend that you cancel your subscription and resubscribe in version 4. Unless you’re a DEVONthink Pro or Server user, of course, in which case you can register DEVONthink To Go with your Mac license instead.
One Device, One Seat
The App Store subscriptions allow you to unlock DEVONthink To Go on five of your own devices. Through Family Sharing up to four family members can also use it on their iPads and iPhones, five devices each.
If you use your DEVONthink for Mac license for registering this app we use a seats model similar to the Mac:
- Every DEVONthink Pro license comes with five mobile seats included, DEVONthink Server with 25 seats, each one valid for one iPad or iPhone.
- Mac and iOS seats are counted separately. You cannot use a Mac seat for an iOS device or vice versa. You also cannot exchange them for another.
- Like on the Mac, mobile seats extend an existing, personalized license but can, of course, also be used by other people.
When you log into your customer account in DEVONthink To Go and register the app with a Mac license, it attached itself to the license on our backend server. You can check which devices are using your license in your customer account. Here you can also remove devices from a license to free up their seats.
