Releases: bastian-js/dropnote
Releases · bastian-js/dropnote
Release list
DropNote v2.9.0
DropNote v2.9 makes it a true menu-bar citizen, gives locked notes real privacy, and lets you make the app your own.
What's New
Menu Bar Only
- Live strictly in the menu bar — turn off "Show in Dock" in Settings → General and DropNote disappears from the Dock and the ⌘-Tab switcher entirely
- Windows still work — the notes and settings windows open and focus normally while the app stays out of the Dock, even with windows on screen
Smarter Note Locking
- Auto re-lock — choose when an unlocked note locks itself again in Settings → General → Note Lock:
- When switching notes (default)
- After a set time (with a minute picker)
- When the popover closes
- Only when the app restarts
- Real privacy for locked notes — a locked note's contents can no longer be found through search; neither the popover search nor the global search window matches or previews its hidden text
- Unlock animation — a custom padlock now swings open in place when you authenticate, then reveals the note — subtle, and no more re-clicking the menu bar icon after a Touch ID prompt
Make It Yours
- Custom accent color picker — a fully in-app picker with a color spectrum, grayscale row, and a hex field, matching the app's style (no more system color panel)
- Per-feature settings — Settings → General is reorganized into clear cards for the Todo tab, Transcription, Menu Bar, and Note Lock
- Tab labels your way — show each popover tab as an icon with its label or just the icon
Fixes & Polish
- The menu bar popover now stays open through Touch ID / password prompts and refocuses the note afterwards
- Link preview cards sit flush-left under their link and reserve their own space, so they never overlap the text you type next
- The Settings window stays in the foreground when you toggle "Show in Dock", and its content no longer clips
- Custom-styled tag "Add" button; shorter locked-note hint so it always fits
Installation
Option A — Mac App Store (recommended)
Get DropNote from the Mac App Store for automatic updates and no Gatekeeper prompts:
https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6761221463?pt=128642489&ct=GitHub&mt=8
Option B — ZIP
- Download
DropNote-v2.9.zipfrom the Releases section. - Unzip and move DropNote.app into your Applications folder.
- Right-click → Open on first launch if Gatekeeper blocks it.
Option C — Build from source
- Clone the repo:
git clone https://github.com/bastian-js/dropnote.git - Open
dropnote.xcodeprojand build with ⌘R in Xcode 15+.
Requirements
macOS 10.15 or later
License
Licensed under the terms in the LICENSE file.
DropNote v2.8.0
DropNote v2.8 makes the editor smarter and the app yours — inline link previews, live Markdown, version history, self-destructing notes, and a custom accent color.
What's New
Inline Link Previews
- Title and favicon, inline — paste a link and a compact preview card appears directly beneath it, right where the link sits in your text
- Know before you click — see what a URL points to at a glance instead of staring at a raw address
- Click to open — tap the card to open the link in your default browser
- Scrolls with your note — cards stay anchored to their link as you scroll and type
Live Markdown
- Type
**bold**, get bold — formatting happens as you type, Notion-style, with no mode to toggle and no toolbar trip - Asterisks disappear — the markers are stripped automatically once the word is wrapped
Version History
- Local snapshots — DropNote keeps the last 10 versions of each note as you edit, entirely on-device
- One-click restore — open the history icon in the editor toolbar, pick a timestamp, and roll back
- Reversible — restoring snapshots your current text first, so you can undo a restore
Self-Destructing Notes
- Set an expiry — right-click a note and choose Self-Destruct: in 5, 10, or 30 minutes, in 24 hours, or a custom date and time
- Clean custom picker — a tidy date-and-time sheet for anything outside the presets
- Automatic cleanup — when the time is up, DropNote sends a notification and removes the note for you
- At a glance — a small timer icon marks notes that are scheduled to expire
Custom Accent Color
- Make it yours — choose an accent color in Settings → Display from a curated palette or pick any color you like
- Applies everywhere — tabs, buttons, highlights, and the menu bar badge all follow your color
Editable Floating Notes
- Type in the overlay — the floating always-on-top note is now fully editable, not just a read-only pin
- Stays in sync — edits save straight to disk and update the popover and full window
- Reachable from everywhere — float a note from a tab in the popover or from the sidebar in the full window
Menu Bar Todo Badge
- Open todos at a glance — a small dot in your accent color appears on the menu bar icon when you have unfinished todos
- Toggle in Settings — turn the badge off under Features if you prefer a clean icon
Onboarding & Settings
- Transcription in onboarding — a new step shows live dictation, lets you pick your preferred language (saved for later), and toggle the Transcription tab on or off
- Redesigned About page — a cleaner Info section in Settings with quick links to the website, GitHub, and issue tracker
- Roomier Settings window — larger and fully responsive, so nothing gets clipped
- Version from the bundle — the version shown in Settings always matches the actual build
- Wipe and restart — "Wipe everything" in the Danger Zone now drops you straight back into onboarding
Fixes & Polish
- Link previews sit right — cards are flush-left under their link and reserve their own space, so they never overlap the text you type next
- Onboarding no longer gets stuck — the global-search step shows its shortcut instead of opening a window that trapped focus
- Calmer editor — removed the persistent "Saved" label; your work is still saved automatically, just without the noise
- Centered action toolbar — the editor's action bar is balanced again and no longer tints with the accent color
Installation
Option A — Mac App Store (recommended)
Get DropNote from the Mac App Store for automatic updates and no Gatekeeper prompts:
https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6761221463?pt=128642489&ct=GitHub&mt=8
Option B — ZIP
- Download
DropNote-v2.8.zipfrom the Releases section. - Unzip and move DropNote.app into your Applications folder.
- Right-click → Open on first launch if Gatekeeper blocks it.
Option C — Build from source
- Clone the repo:
git clone https://github.com/bastian-js/dropnote.git - Open
dropnote.xcodeprojand build with ⌘R in Xcode 15+.
Requirements
macOS 10.15 or later
License
Licensed under the terms in the LICENSE file.
DropNote v2.7.0
DropNote v2.7 adds live speech-to-text transcription and a floating note overlay on top of all windows.
What's New
Transcription Tab
- Live speech-to-text — click the mic icon tab (leftmost in the tab bar) to open the transcription view; press the mic button to start recording and watch your words appear in real time
- Multiple languages — switch between DE, EN, EN-GB, FR, ES, IT using the language picker in the control bar
- Copy, save, or clear — copy the full transcript to the clipboard, save it as a new note with one click, or discard it with the trash button
- Automatic session restart — the service proactively restarts every 50 seconds to stay within the macOS speech recognition session limit without interrupting you
- Full window support — the Transcription tab is also available in the full notes window via the sidebar
- Toggle in Settings — hide the Transcription tab from Features in Settings if you don't need it
Floating Note
- Always-on-top overlay — right-click any note tab and choose "Float Note" to pin it as a semi-transparent overlay that stays above all other windows and all spaces
- Adjustable opacity — use the slider in the floating window to dial in exactly how transparent you want it
- Modern close button — hover to reveal a red close button; click to dismiss the overlay
Other Improvements
- New Note button always visible — the pencil icon in the search bar is now always shown, so you can create a new note even when only the Todo or Transcription tab is active
- Crash fixes — fixed several crashes when deleting the last note related to stale index lookups in NoteEditor, EditorToolbar, and TabsBar during SwiftUI view removal transitions
Installation
Option A — DMG (recommended)
- Download
DropNote-v2.7.dmgfrom the Releases section. - Open the DMG and drag DropNote into your Applications folder.
- Right-click → Open on first launch if Gatekeeper blocks it.
Option B — ZIP
- Download
DropNote.zipfrom the Releases section. - Unzip and move DropNote.app into your Applications folder.
- Right-click → Open on first launch if Gatekeeper blocks it.
Requirements
macOS 10.15 or later
License
Licensed under the terms in the LICENSE file.
DropNote v2.6.0
DropNote v2.6 adds note reordering, clickable URLs, and a set of UX improvements building on the stability work from v2.5.1.
What's New
Notes
- Drag-to-reorder notes — hold and drag any note tab in the menu bar or any note row in the full-window sidebar to rearrange them; the order is saved automatically
- Pinning moves the note to the front — pinning a note now immediately moves it to the first tab position instead of leaving it in place
- Clickable URLs — links in your notes are automatically detected and highlighted; Cmd+click to open them in the browser
Todos
- Delete all completed todos at once — a trash icon appears next to the "Completed" heading in the Todos section; one click removes all finished items
Bug Fixes
- Fixed: clicking the menu bar icon no longer shows a dock icon — the app was unnecessarily switching to regular activation policy when opening the popover, causing the dock icon to flash in
- Fixed: clicking the menu bar icon no longer brings the full window to the front — if the notes window was already open in the background, clicking the menu bar icon would pull it to the foreground instead of just showing the popover
Installation
Option A — DMG (recommended)
- Download
DropNote..dmgfrom the Releases section. - Open the DMG and drag DropNote into your Applications folder.
- Right-click → Open on first launch if Gatekeeper blocks it.
Option B — ZIP
- Download
DropNote.zipfrom the Releases section. - Unzip and move DropNote.app into your Applications folder.
- Right-click → Open on first launch if Gatekeeper blocks it.
Requirements
macOS 10.15 or later
License
Licensed under the terms in the LICENSE file.
DropNote v2.5.1
DropNote v2.5.1 is a focused bug-fix release addressing stability, keyboard input, data integrity, and performance issues reported after v2.5.0.
What's Fixed
Keyboard & Editing
- Cmd+V now works in the menu bar popover — the popover window was never properly focused on open; the text editor is now set as first responder automatically so paste, copy, and all other shortcuts work immediately without needing to click first (#15)
- Pasted text now matches your note's formatting — previously, pasting from a browser or another app would bring in foreign fonts and sizes; paste now strips external formatting and applies the style already present at your cursor
- Cmd+C, Cmd+V, Cmd+Z and other shortcuts now work in the Notes window — an internal event monitor was incorrectly intercepting keyboard input meant for the full window; shortcuts are now handled directly at the text-view level
Stability
- Fixed crash on startup for Login Item users on macOS 12 and earlier — the launch-at-login API used requires macOS 13; earlier versions now safely skip it instead of crashing
Data Integrity
- Fixed note content disappearing after creating a new note — a debounced auto-save could fire after the fact with a stale snapshot, silently overwriting the file and losing the new note; the pending save is now cancelled before any structural change
Todos
- Todo checkboxes now update instantly in the Notes window — checking or unchecking a todo visually updated the wrong section due to a SwiftUI lazy layout bug; fixed
- Todo state now syncs live between the menu bar and the Notes window — changes made in one place now appear immediately in the other without needing to reopen anything
- Fixed being unable to tap the first note tab when coming from the Todos tab — switching relied on detecting a tab index change, but if the first note was already selected in the background, no change was detected and the Todos view stayed visible
UI
- Fixed blue focus ring appearing around the note when content overflowed — the scroll view was drawing a system focus ring when the text editor was active; now suppressed
Performance
- Reduced idle memory usage
- Eliminated a repeating 0.2 s timer in the formatting toolbar; button states now update only when the cursor actually moves
- The Notes window now fully releases its view hierarchy, text layout engine, and notes data when closed instead of keeping everything in memory indefinitely
- The rich-text cache now enforces a 6 MB size limit with automatic eviction of large entries
- The text layout engine now only processes visible content instead of laying out the entire note up front
- Removed a redundant full copy of every note's text from the search index
Installation
- Download the
.zipfile from the Releases section. - Move DropNote.app into your Applications folder.
- Right-click → Open on first launch if Gatekeeper blocks it.
Requirements
macOS 10.15 or later
License
Licensed under the terms in the LICENSE file.
DropNote v2.5.0
DropNote v2.5.0 introduces a major feature expansion with Todos, a new full-window experience, and improved workflows across the app.
What’s New
Notes & Todos in One Place
- Brand new Todos system integrated directly into DropNote
- Todos appear as the first “note” in the menubar app
- Add, complete, and manage tasks seamlessly
- Behavior similar to Apple Reminders for a familiar experience
New Full Window Mode
- Completely new large window view for focused work
- See Notes and Todos side by side in a clean, spacious layout
- Designed for a more complete note-taking experience beyond the menubar
Todo Creation Improvements
- Create Todos with optional:
- Due dates
- Tags
- Quick Add for instant task creation (text-only, no friction)
- Fast interaction optimized for speed and simplicity
Customization & Onboarding
Toggle Todos feature on/off:
- During onboarding
- Anytime in Settings
- More control over how DropNote fits your workflow
New Shortcut
⌘ + ⌥ + N opens the full Notes window instantly
UI & Experience Refinements
- Improved consistency between menubar and full window mode
- Cleaner transitions between Notes and Todos
- Better interaction feedback across the app
Preview
Performance & Stability
- Optimized rendering for the new full window mode
- Faster interactions when managing Todos
- General bug fixes and stability improvements
Installation
- Download the
.zipfile from the Releases section. - Move DropNote.app into your Applications folder.
- Right-click → Open on first launch if Gatekeeper blocks it.
Requirements
macOS 10.15 or later
License
Licensed under the terms in the LICENSE file.
DropNote v2.1.0
DropNote v2.1.0 builds on the major redesign with refinements, stability improvements, and a smoother overall experience across the app.
What’s New
Improved Global Search
- Faster and more responsive search behavior
- Improved result ranking for more accurate matches
- Smoother keyboard navigation and interaction
- Better focus handling when opening and closing the search window
UI & Experience Refinements
- Polished editor layout and spacing
- Improved tab behavior and visual feedback
- Cleaner and more consistent UI across all views
- Subtle visual improvements for a more native macOS feel
Settings & Usability
- Improved settings navigation and structure
- More reliable global shortcut handling
- Better validation and feedback for user input
Performance Improvements
- Faster startup and reduced loading delays
- Optimized search indexing and updates
- Improved responsiveness across the app
Fixes & Stability
- Fixed edge cases in note opening and switching
- Improved window and focus behavior
- General bug fixes and performance optimizations
Installation
- Download the
.zipfile from the Releases section. - Move DropNote.app into your Applications folder.
- Right-click → Open on first launch if Gatekeeper blocks it.
Requirements
macOS 10.15 or later
License
Licensed under the terms in the LICENSE file.
Changelog:
https://github.com/bastian-js/dropnote/commits/main
Full Changelog:
v2.0.0...v2.1.0
DropNote v2.0.0
DropNote v2.0 is a major redesign and feature upgrade focused on instant global access, faster navigation, and a fully refined macOS-native experience.
What’s New
🔍 System-Wide Global Search
- Spotlight-like Search Overlay accessible from anywhere in macOS
- Global Hotkey (Cmd + Option + F) to open search instantly
- Live Search with Debounce for fast, responsive results
- Smart Result Ranking based on title, content, frequency, and recency
- Keyboard Navigation
→ Arrow keys to navigate
→ Enter to open
→ Esc to close or clear - Click Outside to Dismiss for natural, distraction-free flow
- Direct Note Opening straight from search results
🎨 Redesigned UI & Visual Polish
- Fully Redesigned Popover Editor with improved spacing and layout
- Refined Note Tabs with clearer selection and smoother transitions
- Cleaner Editor Chrome with better borders, margins, and contrast
- Modernized Search UI with centered layout and subtle blur effects
- Consistent Card-Based Design across editor, search, and settings
⚙️ New & Improved Settings Experience
- Redesigned Settings Window with sidebar navigation
- Clear Section Grouping for better readability
- Configurable Global Search Shortcut with built-in validation
- Dedicated About Page with app info and feature highlights
⚡ Performance & Architecture Improvements
- In-Memory Search Index for instant result lookup
- Automatic Re-Indexing when notes are added or edited
- Improved App Startup with early index initialization
- More Reliable Event Handling for keyboard and window focus
- Cleaner Architecture with separated managers and services
🛠️ Stability & Fixes
- Fixed text input issues inside scroll views
- Eliminated race conditions in note opening logic
- Improved focus handling for floating windows
- More consistent behavior when switching notes or views
Installation
- Download the
.zipfile from the Releases section. - Move DropNote.app into your Applications folder.
- Right-click → Open on first launch if Gatekeeper blocks it.
Requirements
- macOS 10.15 or later
Preview
new ui preview
new settings
License
Licensed under the terms in the LICENSE file.
Changelog:
https://github.com/bastian-js/dropnote/commits/main
Full Changelog:
v1.4.0...v2.0.0
DropNote v1.4.0
DropNote is a simple and efficient macOS app for managing your notes directly from the menu bar.
This release focuses on rich text editing, performance, and a noticeably more polished UI/UX.
What’s New
✨ Rich Text Editing
- Floating Formatting Toolbar with Bold, Italic, and Underline
- Live Button State Feedback: Formatting buttons highlight when the current selection is styled
- Persistent Formatting: Text formatting is preserved when switching between notes (RTF-based storage)
🎨 UI & UX Enhancements
- Smooth Animations for note switching and tab selection
- Full-Width Bottom Toolbar with improved spacing and layout balance
- Consistent Icon Styling across the entire editor and toolbar
💾 Auto-Save Improvements
- Debounced Auto-Save (500 ms) for efficient background saving (Issue #14)
- Save Status Indicator shows when content is saving or fully saved
- Editing feels instant without unnecessary disk writes
📄 Improved Export
- Formatted PDF Export
→ Bold, Italic, and Underline are fully preserved - TXT and PDF exports now accurately reflect editor content
⚡ Performance & Stability
- Faster App Launch with lazy loading and async note decoding
- RTF Caching prevents redundant decoding work
- No Cursor Jumps when applying text formatting
- Smoother Selection Restore for a more fluid writing experience
🛠️ Toolbar Refinements
- Improved spacing and interaction feedback
- Better visual clarity and hit targets
- Layout stability across all window states
Installation
- Download the
.zipfile from the Releases section. - Move DropNote.app into your Applications folder.
- Right-click → Open (on first launch to bypass Gatekeeper if unsigned).
Usage
- Click the menu bar icon to open DropNote.
- Create new notes using the “+” button.
- Format text using the floating toolbar.
- Pin or lock notes as needed.
- Everything saves automatically in the background.
Requirements
- macOS 10.15 or later
License
Licensed under the terms in the LICENSE file.
Preview:
Changelog:
https://github.com/bastian-js/dropnote/commits/main
Full Changelog:
v1.3.0...v1.4.0
DropNote v1.3.0
DropNote is a simple and efficient macOS app for managing your notes directly from the menu bar. This update focuses on usability, layout stability, and a refined editing experience.
What's New:
🔒 Note Locking
- Secure Notes: Lock individual notes using a password or Touch ID.
- Privacy First: Locked notes remain inaccessible until authenticated.
📌 Pinned Notes
- Pin Important Notes: Keep frequently used notes fixed at the top.
- Persistent Order: Pinned state is saved and restored on launch.
🎨 UI & Layout Overhaul
- Refined Design: Updated visual hierarchy with a more native macOS look.
- Stable Layout: Fixed issues where UI elements were cut off.
- Optimized Spacing: Improved margins and alignment across the app.
🛠️ Toolbar Improvements
- Redesigned Bottom Toolbar: Better icon spacing and cleaner layout.
- Improved Accessibility: Icons are easier to interact with and visually clearer.
📤 Share & Export
- Copy as Plain Text
- Export as TXT
- Export as PDF
📜 Navigation Improvements
- Horizontal Note Scrolling: Smooth horizontal tab scrolling for unlimited notes.
Installation:
- Download the
.zipor.dmgfile from the Releases section. - Move DropNote.app into your Applications folder.
- Right-click → Open (on first launch to bypass Gatekeeper if unsigned).
Usage:
- Click the menu bar icon to open DropNote.
- Create new notes using the “+” button.
- Pin notes to keep them at the top.
- Lock notes to protect sensitive content.
- Edit note contents freely – everything saves automatically.
Requirements:
- macOS 10.15 or later.
License:
Licensed under the terms in the LICENSE file.
Preview:
Changelog: https://github.com/bastian-js/dropnote/commits/main
Full Changelog: v1.2.0...v1.3.0