PINote help: getting started, the editor, shortcuts, and Pro

Jump to: Getting started · Writing · Editor · Window · Typography · Shortcuts · Your files · Pro · Support

Longer walkthroughs live in the guides: first-run setup, the Markdown editor, keyboard shortcuts, and storage. This page is the full reference.

Your first minute with PINote

1. Get PINote from the Mac App Store. You’ll need macOS 14 or later.
2. Open the app and look for the PINote icon in your Mac’s menu bar. Click it to open your notes. PINote is a menu bar app, so it does not appear in the Dock.
3. Use the + button to create a note, then start writing. No PINote account is needed.
4. Press ⌥⌘N from any app to show or hide your notes. You can change this shortcut in Settings → Quick Open.
5. To have PINote ready whenever you sign in, turn on Settings → General → Launch at Login.

Start with one thing you want to remember: an idea, a short checklist, or a plan for the day. The free version keeps up to 9 notes, with every editing feature included.

A little structure for your thoughts

PINote supports Markdown formatting, including headings, lists, checklists, quotes, links, tables, code blocks, and math. Use formatting to make a note easier to scan, or simply write plain text.

• Capture an idea: keep a short note for thoughts you want to return to.
• Make a checklist: break a task into small steps and check them off as you go. A checklist does not create reminders or assign tasks to anyone.
• Keep context together: add images and file attachments alongside your writing.
• Find a note: use the search field in the sidebar. Search matches note titles, text, and attachment names.
• Find or replace text: use Find and Replace inside the current note.

Your notes are stored locally, so you can read and write without an internet connection. Try the Markdown note templates for a weekly plan, meeting record, or checklist.

Show or hide the note list

Use the list button at the bottom left of the window, or press ⌥⌘S, to show or hide the sidebar. Open it to search and switch notes; hide it to give the current note more room. In a narrow window, the list temporarily covers the editor; choosing a note returns you to its content.

Try the interactive illustration.

Copy a whole note

Move the pointer over the note window and use the copy button at the bottom right. Choose Copy Markdown to keep Markdown markers, or Copy Plain Text to remove them. Both include the current note’s title and body. A message confirms the result.

The website illustration copies only its sample note. It does not read your local notes or clipboard contents.

Write with the editor

Insert anything with /

Type / at the start of a line or after a space to open the insert menu, then choose what to add. The menu offers Heading 1–3, Bulleted List, Numbered List, Task List, Quote, Code Block, Inline Math, Block Math, Divider, Table, Image, and File.

Markdown shortcuts as you type

Familiar Markdown syntax turns into formatting as you type:

• #, ##, or ### followed by a space for a heading
• - or * followed by a space for a bulleted list, or 1. for a numbered list
• [ ] followed by a space for a task
• > followed by a space for a quote
• ``` for a code block, and --- for a divider

Full-width characters typed with a Chinese input method, such as ＃ and －, work too.

Rearrange blocks

Hover over a paragraph, heading, or list to show its handle. Drag the handle to move the block elsewhere in the note. Click it for Block actions: Move up, Move down, Duplicate block, Delete block, or Turn into another type, such as a heading, quote, task list, or code block.

Math with LaTeX

Choose Inline Math or Block Math from the / menu, then enter the LaTeX for your equation. PINote renders it in place; click an equation to edit it again.

You can also type an equation directly: wrap it in $$ for inline math, such as $$E = mc^2$$, or in $$$ for a block equation. Imported Markdown that uses $…$ and $$…$$ is displayed as math.

Images and attachments

Paste an image or file, drag it into a note, or choose Image or File from the / menu. Attachments stay with the note.

PDFs, audio, and video open in PINote’s preview window; other file types use Quick Look. From the preview, choose Save As… to keep a copy elsewhere or open the file in another app. A single image can be up to 50 MB and other files up to 200 MB.

Window and focus

Resize it and keep its place

Drag an edge or corner of the note window to resize it. Keep a quick note compact or expand for longer writing. The window has minimum and maximum sizes. PINote remembers its size and position and restores it within the visible area of your current screen.

Three widths serve different purposes: the window controls how much desktop space you use; dragging the divider in a wide window adjusts the note list; Settings → Editor → Content Width limits the line length of your writing.

Collapse to a floating icon

Use the minus button at the top of the window to collapse your note into a floating icon. Drag the icon somewhere convenient and click it to return to the note window.

Settings → Quick Open → Auto-Collapse When Inactive is off by default. Enable it to collapse the note window when you switch to another app. Moving the pointer outside the window alone does not trigger this behavior. When the setting is off, the note window stays open when you switch apps.

This is separate from the note list folding away after you choose a note in a narrow window. In that case, the note’s content stays visible.

Hover over the top control area to reveal the centered window title, close and collapse buttons at the upper left, and new-note and more buttons at the upper right. Hover over the bottom area for the note list button at the lower left and copy button at the lower right. Each area fades after a short delay when the pointer leaves. The heading inside the note stays visible.

Keyboard or accessibility focus on a top control keeps that area visible. Copy feedback also keeps the bottom controls visible briefly.

Try the window illustration on the homepage. Enable automatic collapse in the illustration, then click the empty space outside the note window to try it. You can also use “Try switching apps” to see the effect on this page. The website switch does not change your Mac app preferences.

Appearance and typography

In Settings → Editor, choose a system, serif, or monospaced font. Adjust font size, line height, paragraph spacing, and content width. The settings include a typography preview and an option to restore defaults.

In Settings → Appearance, follow your Mac’s appearance or choose light or dark. Adjust note list density and choose a standard, soft, or high-contrast editor theme. App appearance and editor theme are separate choices.

In Settings → General, choose whether PINote uses English or Simplified Chinese, or follows your Mac’s language. The change applies right away.

Clean pasted links

Settings → Editor → Remove Link Tracking Parameters is on by default. Pasting a web link removes common UTM and advertising parameters covered by PINote’s rules. Turn it off whenever you need the original URL.

For example, https://example.com/article?utm_source=newsletter can become https://example.com/article. This does not block all forms of tracking.

Shortcuts and organization

Default keyboard shortcuts

• ⌥⌘N — show or hide the note window, from any app.
• ⌥⌘S — show or hide the note list, including while you edit a note.
• ⇧⌘O — import Markdown files.
• ⇧⌘S — export the current note.
• ⌥⌘0 — open Trash.

Change the first two in Settings → Quick Open.

Organize your notes

• Right-click a note in the list to Rename, Pin, Duplicate, or Move to Trash it. Drag notes to change their order. Pinning a note controls its place in the list.
• In a narrow window, choosing a note returns you to its content. In a wider window, the list can stay beside your writing. Use the bottom-left button or list shortcut to toggle it yourself.
• During the current app session, PINote remembers editor selections when you switch notes, helping you pick up your writing. This does not promise the same cursor position after quitting the app.
• Copying a whole note includes its title and body. Choose Markdown to keep text markers or plain text for pasting into another app.

Your notes and files

Local storage

PINote saves notes, attachments, and settings on your Mac. It does not upload your note content to a PINote server. In Settings → Data, you can see the storage location and Storage Usage, export Markdown, and create or restore backups.

The app’s local library is not automatically a folder of standalone Markdown files. An export is a copy made at one moment; Pro folder sync keeps a folder you choose up to date.

Import and export Markdown

Import: with the PINote window active, press ⇧⌘O or choose File → Import… in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Select up to 100 .md files at a time (up to 10 MB each and 50 MB per import). Each file becomes a note, and the free version’s 9-note limit applies. Dragging a .md file into a note adds it as an attachment instead.

Export a note: open the More (…) menu at the top right of the window and choose Export, or press ⇧⌘S. PINote creates a portable folder with the Markdown file and its attachments.

Export everything: choose Settings → Data → Export All Markdown… to write every note, including Trash and attachments, to a folder of Markdown files.

Backup and restore

Use a portable backup when you want to preserve the app’s data for later restoration. Choose Create Backup in Settings → Data. A backup includes your notes, Trash, and attachments.

To restore, choose Restore Backup… and decide whether to Replace Current Library or Merge into Current Library. Back up your current data first, and do not test a restore with your only copy of important work.

Keep an extra copy of important work in a location you control. Exported files and backups remain wherever you save them, even if you later remove a note from PINote.

Folder sync with Pro

Folder sync keeps your notes in step with Markdown files in a folder you select. Changes made in PINote are written out, and edits made to those files elsewhere come back into PINote.

1. Start a Pro trial or unlock Pro in Settings → PINote Pro.
2. Open Settings → Sync, choose a dedicated folder, and enable syncing.
3. Use a local folder or a folder managed by a third-party sync service. That service handles any transfer between devices under its own policies.

PINote does not provide its own cloud-sync account or an iPhone app. Folder sync and a backup serve different purposes: a change or deletion can be synchronized, so keep separate backups of important notes.

For a fuller explanation of what each option preserves, read the local storage, backup, and folder sync guide.

Recover a deleted note

Deleted notes go to Trash and stay there until you permanently delete them. Open it from the More (…) menu or with ⌥⌘0, select a note, and choose Restore. Restoring notes is subject to your free-note allowance unless Pro is active.

A little more room with Pro

Free keeps up to 9 notes and includes the full Markdown editor, search, attachments, import, export, and portable backups. Opening, editing, searching, exporting, and pasting images always stay available.

PINote Pro adds unlimited notes and folder sync. It is a one-time in-app purchase, with no subscription, and supports Family Sharing. Your local price is displayed in the app before purchase, and Apple handles payment.

Early-bird price: US$3.99. Regular price: US$19.90. Prices are in USD, paid once with no subscription. Local App Store prices apply.

Try Pro

Open Settings → PINote Pro to start the available 14-day trial. No payment is required and it does not renew automatically. After the trial ends, your existing notes remain readable and editable. Creating or restoring notes beyond the free allowance and using folder sync require Pro.

Family Sharing

If you use Apple’s Family Sharing, members of your family group can unlock PINote Pro on their own Macs without buying it again. They can use Restore Purchases in Settings → PINote Pro if Pro does not appear automatically.

Restore a purchase

Open Settings → PINote Pro and use Restore Purchases. Make sure the Mac App Store is signed in to the Apple Account associated with your purchase. An internet connection may be needed to verify it.

If a purchase does not appear, contact support with the app version, macOS version, and what happened. Do not send your Apple Account password or payment details.

Let’s get it sorted

For help, feedback, or a feature suggestion:

For a problem report, include:

• Your PINote version and macOS version.
• What you were trying to do and what happened instead.
• Steps that reproduce the problem, if you know them.

Please use a sample note rather than sending private writing. For a security report, include Security in the subject line.

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