Focus Note

Focus Note logo Focus Note - Minimalist note-taking for focused writing.

Built for the Focused, by the Frustrated.

Welcome to Focus Note! A distraction-free, minimalist markdown editor designed specifically for macOS users who value simplicity and focus. Create, organize, and manage your notes with a beautiful, clean interface that gets out of your way.

The Problem with Modern Note Apps

Most note-taking applications today are bloated with features you don’t need:

  • Distracting interfaces with too many buttons and options
  • Propietary data you don’t own your text
  • Cloud dependencies that compromise your privacy
  • Complex organization systems that slow down your workflow and break your focus
  • Slow performance that breaks your writing flow

You deserve better. You deserve Focus Note.

What Makes Focus Note Different

Focus Note is built around one simple principle: minimalism that empowers. Here’s what you get:

Distraction-Free Writing

  • Clean, minimal interface that maximizes your writing space
  • Inline markdown rendering that shows formatting as you type
  • Collapsible sidebar that disappears when you don’t need it
  • Based on BlockNote editor (similar to Notion)
  • Lots of markdown syntax support (still working on perfecting conversion)
  • Lots of keyboard shortcut commands to speed up your workflow without using the mouse

Local-First Privacy

  • All notes stored locally on your Mac
  • No cloud accounts required
  • Full control over your data
  • Works offline

Lightning Fast Performance

  • Instant startup and file operations
  • Real-time search across all notes
  • Atomic file operations for data integrity

Key Features

Core Writing Experience

  • WYSIWYG Markdown Editor: See formatting as you type with BlockNote
  • Auto-save: Never lose your work
  • Word count: Track your progress

Organization & Discovery

  • Notes List: See all notes in a list
  • Trashed Notes List: See all notes in the trash bin. This notes are stored in a folder.
  • Global Search: Cmd+F to search across all notes
  • Tags: Categorize notes with colorful tags

Advanced Features

  • Dead Notes System: Automatically archive notes that are not visited for a long time
  • Trash Bin: Safe deletion with restore capability
  • Pinned Notes: Keep important notes at the top
  • Customizable Themes: Light/dark mode with accent colors
  • Search and Replace: Find and replace text in all notes

Keyboard Shortcuts

Speed up your workflow with these shortcuts:

Working with notes:

  • Cmd+N: Create new note
  • Cmd+S: Save note
  • Cmd+Shift+I: Edit the note’s properties (title, tags, etc.)
  • Cmd+Shift+DEL: Delete a note. Send it to the trash bin or permanently delete it.
  • Cmd+F: Global search

Navigation:

  • Cmd+Enter: Quick open files from the note’s list
  • Cmd+Arrow Up: Go to previous note
  • Cmd+Arrow Down: Go to next note
  • Cmd+Arrow Right: Open last visited note
  • Cmd+Arrow Left: Go to note’s list

App:

  • Cmd+Shift+B: Toggle sidebar
  • Cmd+,: Open settings

Download

Download the latest version of Focus Note:

Focus Note logo Focus Note v0.3.1 macOS - ARM64 for Apple Silicon

Requirements

  • macOS: 11.0 (Big Sur) or later
  • Storage: a folder to store your notes. It will be created by default in your Documents folder if it doesn’t exist.

Installation

  1. Download the app from the link above
  2. Extract the ZIP file
  3. Move Focus Note to your Applications folder
  4. Launch the app (first launch may require security approval)
  5. Configure your notes directory in Settings

Getting Started

First Launch

  1. Choose your notes directory (default: ~/Documents/focusnote/)
  2. Select your preferred theme (light/dark)
  3. Start writing!

FAQ

Q: How do I backup my notes? A: Your notes are just regular markdown files. Use Time Machine, iCloud Drive, or any backup solution you prefer.

Q: Can I sync between multiple Macs? A: Focus Note is local-first, but you can sync your notes folder using iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or any cloud sync service.

Q: What happens to my notes if I uninstall the app? A: Nothing! Your notes remain as markdown files in your chosen directory. Focus Note never “owns” your data.

Q: Can I use Focus Note with my existing Obsidian vault? A: Yes! Focus Note works with any markdown files. Point it to your Obsidian vault folder and start using it as a lightweight capture tool.

Q: Does it use standard Markdown syntax? A: Yes! Focus Note works with any markdown files. It uses the standard Markdown syntax. There are some bugs detected, but we are working on it. It only adds a front matter header to the note. What is front matter?

Change Log

v0.3.1 (Current Release)

  • Initial release with core note-taking features
  • BlockNote markdown editor integration
  • Local file storage with atomic operations
  • Light/dark themes with customizable accents
  • Dead notes system for automatic cleanup
  • Trash bin with restore functionality
  • Added support for markdown elements: divider, headings (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6), code block, image, table, list, bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, superscript, subscript, and more
  • Search files
  • Search and replace note’s content

Roadmap

Smart Organization

  • Tags system with inline [#tag] syntax
  • Daily notes with beautiful calendar view
  • Note linking using [[filename]] syntax
  • Folder tree that mirrors your file system
  • Improved markdown syntax support
  • New support for markdown elements
  • AI assisted writing
  • New keyboard shortcuts

Support & Feedback

Found a bug? Have a feature request? Want to share your experience?

Focus Note - Because writing should be simple, not complicated.