I have seen recommendations for Joplin. I downloaded it for Linux and Android (GrapheneOS). I created a note on desktop and transferred it to phone. I can't find how to import the .jex file into the mobile app. That seems really dumb.
Am I the dumb one?
I think you’d need to sync it to the android client, rather than import it. I self host Joplin server for my sync backend, and use the app across my mobile and desk computers. I don’t love Joplin, but it’s the best self hosted, private, end to end encrypted notes app available on all platforms that I could find.
Yup, it's not great, but it does the job and syncs well, I don't think I've seen it fail. I selfhost using WebDAV and Nextcloud.