Bear

Bear is a writing and note-taking tool that runs on Apple devices. You type notes in plain text and add formatting using simple Markdown commands. This means you can make text bold, create headers, add links, or insert images without reaching for your mouse.

The app organizes notes using tags. Instead of putting notes in folders, you add hashtags anywhere in your text. These tags appear in the sidebar, and you can nest them for deeper organization. For example, you might use tags like work, personal, or ideas.

Bear keeps everything private and stored locally on your device. The free version offers solid features, while Bear Pro adds extras like cloud sync between devices, more export options, and the ability to search text inside images and PDF files.

Getting started with Bear is simple and requires no account creation:

• Open the app and tap the plus button to create a new note. Start typing right away, and your note saves automatically.

• The first line becomes your note title. Use the formatting toolbar to add bold text, lists, headers, or links using simple Markdown.

• Add tags anywhere in your note using the hashtag symbol. For example, type work or journal to organize your content. Tags appear in the sidebar for quick access.

• Attach photos, files, or PDFs by tapping the attachment button. You can also use Apple Pencil on iPad to sketch ideas directly in your notes.

• With Bear Pro, enable sync to access all your notes across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Your notes update instantly when you make changes on any device.

• Export notes to different formats like PDF, Word documents, or plain text files whenever you need to share them.

• Markdown text formatting with simple commands

• Tag-based organization with nested tags

• Cross-device sync with iCloud (Pro)

• Apple Pencil sketching support on iPad

• Export to PDF, Word, HTML, and more formats

• Search text inside images and PDFs (Pro)

• 28+ beautiful themes to customize appearance

• Password and Face ID note encryption

• Apple Watch dictation support

• No account required to start