Apple Notes MCP server

Last verified: 2026-09

Read local Apple Notes on macOS.

Community Files & knowledge No API key Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Code, VS Code

What it does

Read-only window into macOS Notes. It can list, open, and search notes. It cannot create or edit them, and it cannot open password-protected notes.

It sits in Files & knowledge: These servers put the model inside a folder, a notes vault, or a Drive.

Good for

List Notes on this Mac and open one by title.
Search note bodies for a flight number or address.
Pull text out of Notes into a markdown file via Filesystem (read here, write there).
Find an old note without opening the Notes app.

Tools

get-all-notes — List notes the app can see.
read-note — Open one note's text.
search-notes — Search note bodies.

Config (Claude Desktop / Cursor / Windsurf)

Paste the JSON below. Same mcpServers shape. Replace placeholder paths and secrets. Windows paths look like C:\\Users\\you\\project, not /path/to. Host-side steps →

Claude Desktop

OS	Config file
macOS	`~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
Windows	`%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json` (usually `C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Roaming\Claude\`)
Linux	`~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`

Cursor

Scope	macOS / Linux	Windows
This project	`.cursor/mcp.json` in the repo root
This user	`~/.cursor/mcp.json`	`%USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json`

Windsurf

OS	Config file
macOS / Linux	`~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`
Windows	`%USERPROFILE%\.codeium\windsurf\mcp_config.json`

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apple_notes": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "apple-notes-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Windsurf remote MCP: use serverUrl instead of url if the block below is HTTP.

One-liner: npx -y apple-notes-mcp

Secrets it wants: none — uses macOS permissions

Source repo →

How to get started

macOS only. Grant the host disk/Notes permissions when the OS prompts.
Paste the JSON and restart. Ask it to list notes.
Do not expect create/edit — those are listed as missing in the repo.

Access risk

Anything in Notes that is not encrypted can be sent to the model. No write path, but the read is still private mail, 2FA backups, and health notes if you keep them there.

When to skip it

Skip it if you already dump notes to a folder or Obsidian. Windows/Linux cannot run it.

Instead: Obsidian, Filesystem, Notion.

Files & knowledgeObsidianRead and search a local Obsidian vault. OfficialFilesystemRead and write files inside a folder you choose. Chat, mail & docsNotionSearch and update Notion pages.

Vs alternatives

Server	Official?	Needs a secret?	Best for
Apple Notes	No	No	Read local Apple Notes on macOS.
Obsidian	No	Yes	Read and search a local Obsidian vault.
Filesystem	Yes	No	Read and write files inside a folder you choose.
Notion	No	Yes	Search and update Notion pages.

More in Files & knowledge

OfficialFilesystemRead and write files inside a folder you choose. OfficialGoogle DriveList and read files from a Google Drive account. OfficialMemoryPersistent notes the model can store and recall across chats. Files & knowledgeLogseqRead a Logseq graph.

All 6 in this category →

FAQ

Can it create or edit notes?

No. The current server is read-only. Encrypted notes and attachments are also out of scope.

Does it run on Windows?

No. It uses macOS Notes storage and needs disk/Notes permission.

Will it see iCloud notes?

It sees what the local Notes database has. iCloud sync status is listed as a missing feature.

Safer than Filesystem on ~/Library?

Yes, because it only walks Notes. Still: anything unencrypted in Notes can go to the model.