Download Kinetic Notes
A single universal build that runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel. Free, open source, and no account required.
Kinetic Notes 1.8
Build 40 · macOS 13.0 Ventura or later
Before you start
System requirements
- macOS
- macOS 13.0 Ventura or later
- Architectures
- Universal — arm64 (Apple Silicon) and x86_64 (Intel), both native
- Runtime dependencies
- None. Only system frameworks; nothing bundled, no Homebrew
- To build from source
- Xcode 15 or later
Rosetta 2 is neither required nor used. Both architectures are compiled into one binary and each runs natively — which is the reason this project exists, since Notational Velocity's 2011 build has no Apple Silicon slice at all.
Installing
Two steps.
- 1
Download the release and drag Kinetic Notes.app to your Applications folder.
- 2
Open it.
Migrating
Coming from Notational Velocity?
Your existing notes are safe and Notational Velocity keeps working. Kinetic Notes is a separate application, not an upgrade in place:
- Notes live in ~/Library/Application Support/Kinetic Notes/, not in Notational Velocity’s Notational Data folder.
- It uses its own Keychain item, so changing a passphrase here cannot affect the one Notational Velocity depends on.
- It has its own bundle identifier and preferences. You can keep both installed indefinitely.
- On first launch it offers to import an existing notes folder, encrypted ones included. It copies, never moves.
Verify
Checksums
Confirm the download matches what was published before you open it.
Kinetic-Notes-1.8.zip
SHA-256
7347b8cb9e096f9a0fb4435c4dc70d3858204627c99b185ca203a2dec7ddc3ceshasum -a 256 ~/Downloads/Kinetic-Notes-1.8.zipspctl -a -vvv -t install "/Applications/Kinetic Notes.app"The second command should report accepted and source=Notarized Developer ID. A checksum proves you received the file intact; the signature proves who built it.
From source
Build it yourself
It is one command, with no package manager and no dependencies to fetch first. Requires Xcode 15 or later.
git clone https://github.com/jptechco/kn.gitcd kn
xcodebuild -project Notation.xcodeproj \ -target Notation \ -configuration Deployment build# Should report: x86_64 arm64lipo -info "build/Deployment/Kinetic Notes.app/Contents/MacOS/Kinetic Notes"
# Should leave only /usr/lib entriesotool -L "build/Deployment/Kinetic Notes.app/Contents/MacOS/Kinetic Notes" \ | grep -v /System/LibraryThe application is written to build/Deployment/Kinetic Notes.app. If you plan to contribute, read the note in the repository about the compiled Interface Builder nibs first — MainMenu.nib must not be re-saved by a modern Interface Builder.
History
Release history
Every release, with what changed in it.
Version 1.8
Current· build 40
Line numbers, and a count of the note's words, characters, lines or paragraphs — both in Settings → Editing. After an automatic update, the release notes now appear on the next launch.
Version 1.7.1
A repackaged 1.7. The archive no longer damages the app's signature while it unpacks, so a fresh download opens normally instead of being refused.
Version 1.7
Update controls get their own Preferences pane, a Color Scheme control pins the app to light or dark, and Dark Mode no longer hides text in Preferences.
Version 1.6
Signed with an Apple Developer ID and notarized, so it opens normally on first launch — and it updates itself from here on.
Version 1.5
· build 20
Replaces the application's Carbon-era file handling. Storage formats are unchanged and verified compatible in both directions.
Version 1.1
Spanish added as a seventh locale, with the rebrand applied across all languages.
Version 1.0
The first release. Native Apple Silicon support, third-party dependencies removed, Dark Mode, and an import assistant for Notational Velocity users.
From 1.6 the application can check for new versions itself, if you let it. The feed is here for anyone who would rather not, or who likes to read what changed first.