With the release of iOS5, it is possible to have automatic nightly backups of your device’s data, including all your Mental Note data.

To turn this feature on, ensure these 3 settings are turned On:

Settings -> iCloud -> Storage & Backup -> iCloud Backup On

Settings -> iCloud -> Documents & Data -> On

Settings -> iCloud -> Storage & Backup -> Manage Storage -> your device -> Mental Note -> On

As long as you have switched On iCloud backup for Mental Note (as above), all your Mental Note data will be wirelessly backed up to your iCloud account.

Note that for a backup to occur automatically, the device must be locked (push sleep/wake button, or wait for Auto-Lock to kick in), connected to Wi-Fi, plugged in, and it must be at least 24 hours since the last backup was performed.

Backups can be forced by tapping Settings -> iCloud -> Storage & Backup -> Back Up Now, though you still must be connected to a Wi-Fi network.

If you have Wi-Fi at home, it is possible to setup your device to automatically back itself up around the same time each night. To do this, perform a manual backup around the time you’d like your nightly backup cycle to begin. Then if you leave your device plugged in at home over night, your backup will begin near the same time each night. Even if you are doing nightly backups, we strongly recommend using the built-in Mental Note backup feature whenever possible (see below).

You would make use of this backed up data if:

a.) you lost your device, or somehow lost everything on your device:

Restore your entire device from your iCloud backup (onto your device or replacement device), and your Mental Note data will be restored to your last backup point. (Begin by tapping the Restore button in iTunes when tethered, or from your brand new device’s Welcome screen.)

b.) you accidentally deleted the Mental Note application:

Restore your entire device from your iCloud backup as above, and your Mental Note data will be restored to your last backup point.

We also recommend using the built-in Mental Note backup feature for finer grained control over when data is backed up. In Mental Note Settings, under Backup, tap Create. A backup file with all notes up to that point is created when you tap Create.

Move the created backup file off your device, or wait for it to be backed up to iCloud along with the rest of your data in your nightly backup.

Depending on the number of notes you have stored in Mental Note, these backup files can be large. From time to time, remove old backups by tapping: Mental Note Settings (gear icon), then Restore, and Edit.