How to cover a note · The Lunchbox Blog

A cover hides your note behind a little game. They tap, pull, hold or shake, and the note comes out. It turns an ordinary note into a small surprise.

To cover a note, write it and tap Send. Then tap Cover, pick one, and send it on its way.

Eight covers, opened one after anotherOpen on YouTube

New to Lunchbox Notes? Start with what a lunchbox note is.

Pick a cover

After you tap Send, you see your note the way they will. Tap Cover and choose one.

A sheet of covers to choose from: a lunchbox, a letter, a mailbox, wax, a button, a candle, an hourglass and a jar — Pick a cover

Want to see how it feels? Open it yourself, the way they will. Tap the note and the cover goes back on. Trying it sends nothing.

Trying the mailbox before it goesOpen on YouTube

The eight covers

Lunchbox. One tap and the note pops out.
Letter. Tear the strip, and the note slides out of the envelope.
Mailbox. Pull the little door down.
Wax. Spread two fingers to crack the seal.
Button. Tap it again and again.
Candle. Keep a finger on it while it burns down.
Sand. Hold on while the sand runs through.
Jar. Shake the phone until the top pops off.

A note by candlelight, closed — A birthday note, by candlelight

Love, Aunt May — A birthday note, by candlelight

A note behind a button, closed — A few taps first

Twenty-five taps for this face. — A few taps first

A note in a mailbox, closed — The mailbox

For the button, the candle, the sand and the jar, you choose how much it takes. Keep it quick, or make them work for it.

The moment it opens

A note rising out of an open red lunchbox — The lunchbox

A note sliding up out of a torn envelope — The letter

A red wax seal cracking in two on an envelope — The wax

The top flying off a glass jar as a note unrolls — The jar

What they see

Until they open it, they see the cover, on their home screen too, so they know something is waiting. They can still react and write back before they open it.

What you see

You see when a covered note is opened, and in a group who has seen your note. Other notes don’t say.

Two sent notes, one marked as covered and not opened yet, the other marked as opened — Still waiting, and opened

If they get stuck

The candle can take a while, and a phone on a bus is hard to shake. You can always open it for them.

A question asking whether to open the cover for them, with Reveal and Not now — Open it for them

A few to try

Under the candle: “Make a wish first. Then keep your finger on it.”
Under the button: “One tap for every time you made me laugh this week.”
Under the mailbox: “You have mail. Real mail. Well, nearly.”
Under the jar: “Shake it like the ketchup.”

Try it now: Lunchbox Notes is in beta.

Get it on iPhone Get it on Android

iPhone opens TestFlight, Apple’s app for trying apps before they’re out. Android opens Google Play.

Rather wait for the App Store and Google Play? Get an email when it’s out.