What It Does
Bookmarks done properly!
Browser Notes lets you jot down thoughts about any web page and have them appear automatically when you return.
Press shiftcontroloptioncommandN (user configurable) to add a note. When you revisit a page that has notes, a floating HUD appears with all your annotations for that URL.
It reads the current URL from your browser’s address bar using the macOS Accessibility API — no browser extensions to install, no JavaScript injected into pages, and no data sent anywhere. Everything stays on your machine.
Of course, if your notes must be transferrable, you can export them from one machine and import on another — we're not barbarians.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| shiftcontroloptioncommandN | Add a note to the current page (configurable) |
| shiftcontroloptioncommandH | Open the Notes Browser (all notes) (configurable) |
| return | Save note / navigate to selected page |
| escape | Dismiss panel |
Both hotkeys are configurable in Settings.
Features
- Page Notes HUD — appears automatically when you visit a page with notes, disappears when you navigate away
- Notes Browser — search and filter all your notes by text, URL, or hashtag. Each row shows the site’s favicon alongside the note. The panel sizes to 80% of your active browser window so it scales with whatever you’re working in. Press Return to navigate there
- Colour-coded hashtag pills — use
#hashtagsin your notes to categorise them. Tags render as bold, uppercase, colour-coded pills with text picked for legibility against the fill. Each tag has its own colour and gets the same colour every time it appears - Edit in place — click the pencil icon on any note to edit it. Timestamps are preserved
- Resizable HUD — drag to resize the Page Notes panel. Max width is capped for readability
- Smart dismiss — hides when you switch apps, re-appears when you return to the browser
- Any browser — works with Safari, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Arc, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi, and more
- Browser independent — notes created in one browser will show in any other browser (on the same machine)
- Local storage only — SQLite database on your machine. Nothing leaves your Mac
- Import/export notes — export from one machine and upsert into another
Privacy
Browser Notes uses the Accessibility API to read one thing: the text in your browser’s address bar. It does not read page content, inject scripts, or communicate with any server. Your notes are stored in a local SQLite database and never leave your machine — unless you physically move them.
This was a deliberate design choice. We explored JavaScript injection early in development and rejected it on security grounds — injecting code into web pages is a vector for all sorts of unpleasantness. The Accessibility API approach is read-only and minimal.
Settings
Right-click the application icon in the menu bar and choose Settings… to configure:
- Notes Browser hotkey — customise the global hotkey
(default: shiftcontroloptioncommandH) - Add Note hotkey — customise the global hotkey
(default: shiftcontroloptioncommandN) - Accessibility permission — status display and grant button
- Menu bar icon pill — optional grey background for stronger contrast on busy or wallpaper-tinted menu bars (off by default)
- Launch at Login — start automatically when you log in
Auto-updates are handled by Sparkle. Use the “Check for Updates…” menu item to check on demand; Sparkle’s prompt offers an “Automatically download and install updates in the future” checkbox the first time an update is available. BrowserNotes checks for new versions automatically once a day in the background.
Installation
Two formats on every release — both signed and notarised, pick whichever suits:
- Installer (
.pkg) — recommended for first-time installs. Double-click to run; macOS Installer places the app in/Applicationswithout quarantine or App Translocation. - Download (
.zip) — unzip and dragBrowserNotes.appto your Applications folder.
On first launch, grant Accessibility permission when prompted.
Building from Source
Browser Notes uses Swift Package Manager. No Xcode project is required.
- Clone the repo:
git clone https://github.com/PerpetualBeta/BrowserNotes.git - Run
gmake build - Launch with
open .build/BrowserNotes.app
Requirements
macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later. Universal binary (Apple Silicon and Intel).