How to Export Apple Notes

Why export Apple Notes?

Apple Notes is a great app, but it has one major limitation: your notes are locked inside Apple's ecosystem. You can't open them on Windows, can't import them directly into Obsidian or Notion, and can't create a proper offline backup without going through a third-party tool.

The most common reasons to export Apple Notes are:

• Switching to an Android phone or Windows PC
• Moving your notes to Obsidian, Notion, Bear, or Logseq
• Creating a PDF archive of important notes
• Backing up notes independently of iCloud
• Sharing a note with someone who doesn't have an Apple device

Method 1 — Use Apple Notes Exporter (recommended)

Apple Notes Exporter is a free, open-source Mac app that scans your entire Apple Notes library and exports it to PDF, Markdown, or HTML. It's the fastest and most complete way to export your notes.

Step 1 — Download the app

Download Apple Notes Exporter for Mac. It's a standard .dmg file — open it, drag the app to your Applications folder, and launch it.

Step 2 — Scan your library

When you open the app, it automatically scans your Apple Notes library, including all iCloud-synced notes and folders. The scan takes a few seconds.

Step 3 — Select notes or folders

Browse your notes by folder or search for specific ones. You can select individual notes, entire folders, or your entire library. There's no limit on how many notes you can export.

Step 4 — Choose a format

Select your export format:

• PDF — best for archiving, printing, and sharing. Opens on any device.
• Markdown (.md) — best for importing into Obsidian, Notion, Bear or Logseq. Preserves text structure and headings.
• HTML — best for viewing in any browser on any device, including Windows and Android.

Step 5 — Pick a destination and export

Choose where to save your files and click Export. Each note is saved as a separate file. The folder structure from Apple Notes is preserved.

Method 2 — Apple Notes built-in export (limited)

Apple Notes has a built-in export option, but it's very limited. You can export individual notes by going to File → Export as PDF. There is no way to export multiple notes or your entire library at once, and there's no Markdown export.

For anything beyond a single note, the built-in option is not practical. Apple Notes Exporter is the better solution.

Which format should you choose?

The right format depends on what you want to do with your notes after exporting:

• PDF — choose this if you want a permanent archive, need to print notes, or want to share notes with people on any device. PDF is the most universally compatible format.
• Markdown — choose this if you're moving to Obsidian, Notion, Bear, Logseq, or any Markdown-based app. Markdown preserves formatting (headings, lists, bold text) and is editable.
• HTML — choose this if you want to read your notes in a browser on Windows, Android, or any device. HTML files are self-contained and display well without any special software.

How to access exported notes on different devices

Once exported, your notes are standard files. Here's how to get them to different devices:

• Windows PC — upload to OneDrive or Google Drive, or copy via USB. PDF and HTML files open natively on Windows.
• Android or Samsung — upload to Google Drive. PDFs open in any Android PDF viewer; HTML opens in Chrome.
• Obsidian — export to Markdown and point your Obsidian vault at the export folder. All notes appear immediately.
• Notion — use the Markdown import feature in Notion settings to import your .md files.

Frequently asked questions