The story behind nTilia
nTilia Write where the network ends.
nTilia is an offline notes app for journalists, researchers, NGOs and independents who write in the field. Dictate with no network, take a photo on the spot, group the trip into a Mission, refine with AI you approve, and publish a bilingual journal — or deposit a paper to Zenodo for a DOI, without leaving Markdown.
Origin
An idea born on mission.
David Herreman, founder of the AWAKEN DESTINY foundation, has long written in Markdown. In the field — where connectivity vanishes — he wanted a tool worthy of that format: simple, reliable, ready to dictate a note between two actions, with place context.
Not another overloaded editor. An aesthetic, minimal interface. A tool that fits in your pocket, works offline, syncs later — not from a locked pocket — and lets you export a full mission folder on this device.
The name
Ntil — the writer.
In Ewondo, a language of Cameroon, Ntil means the writer. The “-ia” suffix softens the pronunciation and gives the word an international, technological, fluid sound.
nTilia thus stays rooted in Africa — and especially in Cameroon — while speaking to the world.
What we stand for
Three gestures. Nothing extra.
Markdown, and nothing else
An open, readable, lasting format. Your words stay yours — yesterday, today, tomorrow.
An interface that steps aside
Aesthetic, minimal, calm. The tool disappears so what you have to say can take the stage.
Ready for the field
Dictate offline, take a photo on the spot, group the trip into a Mission. Notes auto-save locally. Sync waits for Wi-Fi, not the other way around.
Capture
The field gesture — without depending on the cloud.
Built for journalists, researchers, NGOs, and independents who write away from a desk. Capture works with zero network.
Dictate, photo, place
Dictate offline, take a photo on the spot. Optional place and GPS stay with the note.
On the device first
Notes, audio, photos, place, and GPS stay in the Mission folder and auto-save locally. Transcription can run on-device so the file never goes to the cloud. Sync waits for Wi-Fi, not the other way around.
Mission folder
ZIP export: .md notes, audio clips, metadata from this Mission, on this device. Prepare to leave runs sync + ZIP before you lose the network.
Artificial intelligence
In the field, capture. Online, refine.
When you are back online, type / to ask nTilia to fix spelling, translate, match your voice, or get a piece ready to publish. Every proposal goes through a Before / After review. Nothing is applied without your explicit accept.
The / menu
Spelling, translation, your voice, ready to publish. Or ask freely: rephrase a passage, shift the tone, add a lead.
Before / After
Every proposal is a review, not a silent rewrite. Nothing is applied without your explicit accept.
Research & write
On Pro+, search the web then insert a sourced passage, with images or video when relevant — useful once you’re back, to back a story with evidence.
Background dossier
On demand, a sourced brief of the Mission’s place — geography, hazards, history, society, economy, politics. To understand, then pick from. Nothing is pasted into your notes.
The public journal
A journal people can follow.
Drafts stay local, posts can be public or private, and one article can live in two languages. Readers pick FR or EN. Export a Mission as a ZIP (notes + audio), deposit to Zenodo, or keep your archive in open Markdown — no lock-in.
What sets nTilia apart
Five differences you can check.
Capture doesn’t wait for a network
Notes, photos, place and GPS are saved on the device with no connection. From Pro, Whisper transcribes interviews on the phone without sending the audio anywhere.
Cross a checkpoint without your sources
AES-256-GCM encrypted vault. Travel Mode (Pro) takes sensitive notes off the device instead of hiding them, and leaves only the logistics.
AI that suggests, never imposes
Every suggestion opens as a word-by-word diff to review before you accept. Translation into 10 languages, including Arabic, Swahili and Ukrainian.
A journal people can cite
A Cite block in 5 formats (APA, Chicago, BibTeX, RIS, JATS) on every article, a one-click Zenodo DOI from Pro, a bilingual EN ↔ FR journal.
Your writing stays yours
Open Markdown, ZIP export of a Mission (notes, audio, images), a web app you install without an app store. Free, no credit card.
Who uses nTilia
People who write away from a desk.
For journalists
Take reporting notes offline, transcribe interviews on your phone, protect your sources at checkpoints and publish in English and French.
For researchers
An offline field notebook for researchers: records, interviews transcribed on the device, Zotero citations, ORCID co-authors and a Zenodo DOI.
For NGOs and humanitarians
Offline mission notes for NGOs and humanitarians: no-network areas, sensitive data kept on the phone, a briefing on the place, a publishable report.
For freelancers
For stringers and freelancers: offline notes, a bilingual journal that doubles as a portfolio, a custom domain and publishing to WordPress or Ghost.
In support of
AWAKEN DESTINY
nTilia is a SamionX product (Belgium). It lives in support of AWAKEN DESTINY — a Belgian private foundation that funds and accompanies aid and empowerment projects in Cameroon.
Your first note starts here.
nTilia is a product of SamionX. Start free in the browser — no credit card required.