Apple Notes companion workflow

Keep Apple Notes for the moment. Use OmniCanvas for what happens next.

This is not an all-or-nothing migration pitch. Apple Notes is excellent at native capture. OmniCanvas is the workspace for context that needs space, connections, decisions, and a review loop.

Try a canvas without migratingSee the migration path

Send the useful fragment

Use the OmniCanvas Inbox for a URL, quote, PDF, image, or text file. Keep the quick capture in Apple Notes if that is fastest; move only the context that needs follow-through.

Bring a complete library

On a Mac, copy the Apple Notes library folder and import it locally. OmniCanvas reconstructs supported note text and folders, then matches original media files by Apple’s attachment identifiers.

Leave with ordinary files

A portable ZIP contains Markdown organized by folder, exact retained originals, canvas JSON, a manifest, and the complete restorable OmniCanvas backup.

Choose by moment

One workflow can use both apps

Fast Siri and lock-screen captureKeep using Apple Notes
A shared family list or simple checklistKeep using Apple Notes
Freehand markup where native ink feel matters mostUse the writing app you prefer
A project mixing notes, PDFs, recordings, images, and decisionsHand it to OmniCanvas
Context that must become owners, actions, and a review queueHand it to OmniCanvas
Ideas that need spatial arrangement and links across projectsHand it to OmniCanvas

Full migration when you want it

Copy once. Parse locally. Keep the originals.

Settings → Data offers both a complete library-folder import and a database-only fallback. The importer runs in your browser; it does not upload the Apple Notes database for parsing.

  1. 1Quit Apple Notes on your Mac.
  2. 2In Finder, open ~/Library/Group Containers/ and copy group.com.apple.notes to your Desktop.
  3. 3In OmniCanvas, choose the copied folder under Apple Notes library.
  4. 4Review the import summary. Matched originals appear on each note and in portable exports.

Portability is part of the product, not an emergency procedure

The portable archive is deliberately boring: Markdown, original files, JSON, and a manifest. You can read the important material with ordinary tools, while the included backup preserves the complete OmniCanvas workspace if you return.

  • Readable Markdown organized by folder
  • Exact retained PDFs, images, and text files
  • Per-note canvas scene JSON
  • Manifest with explicit missing-file warnings

What does not translate perfectly

Apple Notes is a private, evolving format. A trustworthy importer should name the edge cases.

  • Full-library import requires a Mac copy of the Apple Notes data folder; a browser cannot read Apple’s private container directly.
  • Quit Apple Notes before copying so its SQLite database is not changing during the copy.
  • A database-only import can recover supported text and folder metadata, but attachment bytes live outside NoteStore.sqlite and therefore require the full folder.
  • Locked notes, collaboration state, drawing semantics, and newer Apple schema variants may not translate perfectly. OmniCanvas keeps unmatched items visible as import warnings instead of claiming they moved.
  • Original attachments are retained as files. They are not rewritten into an Apple-proprietary editable format.

Start with one handoff, not a life-changing migration

Bring one project note or PDF into OmniCanvas. If the follow-through feels better, the complete importer is waiting.

Try OmniCanvas free