Support.

Contact

Email [email protected] for product support, purchase help, or accessibility feedback.

System requirements

AnchorNotes requires macOS 15 or later. Dictation requires macOS 26. Optional on-device rewriting requires macOS 26 and Apple Intelligence; dictation does not require Apple Intelligence.

Create your first note

1. Open AnchorNotes, then switch to the app you want a note for.
2. Press Option–Command–N to create a note attached to that app.
3. Write your note. For example, keep a release checklist beside Xcode or research notes beside Safari.
4. Switch to another app, then return. Your attached note appears again.

To browse your notes, click the AnchorNotes menu bar icon and choose Show AnchorNotes. Closing the main window keeps the app running from the menu bar. Check or change keyboard shortcuts in Settings.

Write, format, and add screenshots

Live Markdown lets you edit formatted notes directly. If you prefer plain Markdown with a separate preview, choose Legacy Editor in Settings → Editor. Both editors use the same note files.

Paste a copied screenshot with Command–V. Live Markdown shows it inline; Legacy Editor shows the image in Preview. Double-click a displayed image to open it in Quick Look. Pasted images are saved in the library’s attachments folder, so include that folder in backups.

Active notes, archiving, and the free limit

Free includes every feature and up to five active notes in total across all apps, including unattached notes. An active note is any note that has not been archived, even when another app is in front and the note is hidden.

To make room, select a note and choose Archive from its actions. Archiving keeps its content and removes it from the active-note count. To bring it back, select it in Archive in the library sidebar and choose Unarchive. Restoring a note uses an active-note slot again. Permanently deleting an archived note removes it rather than making it available to restore.

Keep notes within reach

Enable Float on Top in a note’s actions to keep it above other windows while its attached app is in front. This does not detach it from the app. Leave a note Unattached if you want it to stay available as you switch apps.

In Settings → Note arrangement, choose Freeform to keep notes in their saved positions, or Edge Stack to tuck them along the right edge of the screen. Move the pointer to that edge or click the anchor tab to reveal the stack. Move away to hide it again. Windowed and full-screen apps have separate arrangement settings.

Where are my notes?

Each note is stored locally as a readable Markdown file. Choose Open Notes Folder from the menu bar icon to reveal the folder in Finder. Separate local metadata remembers each note’s app, position, color, and display mode.

Pasted images are stored separately in the library’s attachments folder. Keep the whole library together when backing it up.

Back up and restore your notes

Choose Open Notes Folder, then quit AnchorNotes before copying the entire folder to your backup destination. Include hidden files and folders, which contain note metadata and archived notes, as well as the attachments folder for pasted images.

To restore a complete backup, quit AnchorNotes and keep a separate copy of your current library first. Restore the backed-up folder to the same location, then reopen AnchorNotes. A full restore returns the library to its backed-up state; it does not merge newer notes into that backup.

Sync and editing files outside AnchorNotes

AnchorNotes has no built-in cloud sync or setting to choose a different library folder. Moving the folder into a cloud service does not make AnchorNotes use that new location. Any third-party backup or sync service you use has its own terms and privacy policy.

You can edit a note’s Markdown file in another text editor. If AnchorNotes detects that the file changed while you were also editing the note in the app, it asks which version to keep. Use Disk Version keeps the external edit; Overwrite Disk Version saves the version in AnchorNotes over it. These choices do not merge changes. Copy any text you want to preserve before choosing.

Notes are not appearing

• Open the main library and confirm the note is active rather than archived.
• Check that the note is attached to the intended app and that app is in front.
• If Edge Stack is enabled, move the pointer to the right screen edge or click the anchor tab. Check Settings → Note arrangement for both windowed and full-screen apps.
• For a window attachment, confirm the window is still open or temporarily choose Entire App.
• Quit and reopen AnchorNotes after changing the optional window-name permission.
• If the issue continues, include the affected app name in your support email.

Window attachments (experimental)

Keep reference notes with an entire app and a project checklist with one window of that app. Window attachments are off by default. Open Settings → Window attachments and turn on Enable window attachments.

Click a note’s attachment label, or open ⋯ → Attach to, then choose its destination:

• Entire App — follows the app across its windows. This remains the default for existing and new notes.
• A specific window — follows that window for the current session. App-wide notes can appear alongside it.
• Unattached — stays independent of app focus.

The note’s header shows its attachment. When the window closes, either AnchorNotes or the attached app restarts, or you disable the feature, window-specific notes return to Entire App. Their content is kept. Window assignments are not saved between sessions.

A window is missing from Attach to

Open windows should appear even when they are on another Space; you should not need to visit them first. Once discovered, a window stays listed when minimized or on another Space.

Window detection can vary between apps. If a destination is missing or unclear, use Entire App and include the affected app name when contacting support.

Show window names

Window attachments work with numbered labels without extra permission. To make destinations easier to recognize, choose Show window names in Settings → Window attachments. This requests optional macOS Screen Recording access, which protects other apps’ window titles. AnchorNotes reads these names locally and does not capture screen images or record video.

You can manage access in macOS System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording (called Screen Recording on some versions). macOS may ask you to quit and reopen AnchorNotes after granting access.

Names come from the attached app and may include a filename or workspace. The note follows the window even when its title changes. It does not attach to the file or an individual tab. Missing or duplicate names use numbered labels. See the window information privacy details.

On-device dictation

On macOS 26, click the microphone in the note or its toolbar and speak. In the main editor, you can review the live transcript before inserting it. Choose Finish Dictation to insert your words at the current selection, or press Escape to cancel without changing the note. Dictation does not require Apple Intelligence.

The first use asks for Microphone and Speech Recognition access and may download the files Apple needs for on-device speech recognition. Audio is processed on-device during the active session and is not stored or sent to AnchorNotes. Manage either permission in macOS System Settings → Privacy & Security.

Pro purchase and restore

Pro removes the five-active-note limit; every feature is included in Free. Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription. Open Settings → Plan to buy Pro or choose Restore Purchases. Use the same Apple Account that made the original purchase. If verification is temporarily unavailable, reconnect to the internet and retry.

On-device rewriting

Rewriting requires macOS 26, a Mac that supports Apple Intelligence, and Apple Intelligence enabled. If rewriting is unavailable, check Apple Intelligence & Siri in System Settings and wait for its on-device model to become ready. The rest of AnchorNotes continues to work, and note content used for rewriting is not sent to AnchorNotes.

Privacy

AnchorNotes requires no account and stores note content locally. Read the full privacy policy for details.