DropNote — One Note in the Mac Menu Bar
DropNote keeps one note in the menu bar. There is nothing to name, nothing to file and nothing to choose: click the icon and the note is there, exactly as it was left, with the cursor where you stopped. Type it, or press the microphone and say it. It suits anyone who wants somewhere to put a phone number, an address or a half-formed thought without opening an app or starting a document.
What you get
- DropNote.app, a universal build for Apple silicon and Intel Macs
- DropNote - How to use.pdf, a short guide to writing, dictating and exporting
- README.txt with install steps, and LICENSE.txt
- One zip
Works with
- macOS 13 Ventura or later
- Light and dark mode
One licence, personal and client work, forever. No resale.
DropNote holds one note behind a page-and-pencil icon in the Mac menu bar. Click the icon and it is there, exactly as it was left. Nothing to name, nothing to file, nothing to choose.
Nothing to name
One note, always the same one. It saves itself half a second after you stop typing, to a plain text file you can read, back up or open in any editor.
Or just say it
Press Dictate and talk. The words appear as they are spoken, transcribed by the Mac itself, and land in the note at the cursor when you stop.
It saves itself
The footer counts words and characters and says when it last saved. Text Size and Panel Height make room when the note grows.
Two clicks from a thought
A right-click on the icon starts dictation without opening anything, and the icon shows a timer while it listens.
Take it with you
Copy All puts the whole note on the clipboard, and Export writes it to a text or Markdown file wherever you choose.
How it works
- Click the icon and the note opens with the cursor where it was left. Type anything; there is no save button.
- Press Dictate, or right-click the icon to start without opening the panel, and speak. Stop and Insert puts the words in at the cursor; Discard leaves the note alone.
- Press Control-Option-N to open the note from any app, if that combination is free.
- The footer counts words and characters and shows when the note last saved, which is half a second after you stop typing.
- The options menu holds Text Size, Panel Height, Copy All, Export, Clear Note and Open at Login. Clear asks first, and one Command-Z brings the note back.
Opening it the first time
DropNote is signed and notarized by Apple, so it opens with a normal double-click. The first time you dictate, macOS also asks for the microphone and for speech recognition.
Where is the note kept?
In a plain text file at ~/Library/Application Support/DropNote/note.txt. Plain text on purpose: it survives the app, and Spotlight can find it.
Does it send anything anywhere?
No. There is no account, no sync and no network access. Dictation is transcribed on the Mac wherever the language supports it, and audio is never saved.
Can it hold more than one note?
No, and that is the point. One note removes the small decision of where to put a thought. Export it when a note is finished, and clear it.
Which Macs does it run on?
Any Mac with Apple silicon or Intel running macOS 13 Ventura or later.
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