Download NoteRescue

Last updated: 17 October 2026

The download is the full app. Without a licence it runs as the free scan: it finds your backups, lists every note it can recover with its title, dates, folder and first paragraph, and shows which ones are missing from Notes today. When you buy a licence, you enter the key in the same app to unlock full preview, version comparison, export and restore.

System requirements

A Mac with macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later, Apple silicon or Intel.
At least one older copy of your notes: a Time Machine backup disk (connected, or a network backup the Mac has mounted), an iPhone or iPad backup made in Finder or iTunes, or a copied Notes folder.
Full Disk Access for NoteRescue, which you turn on in System Settings, Privacy & Security. macOS protects the Notes folder and your backups; the app shows you how when you first open it. See Help.
Optional: permission to control Notes (Automation), only if you want to restore notes into the Notes app. macOS asks the first time you restore.
Free disk space for exports: about the size of the notes and attachments you export.

Installing

Open NoteRescue.dmg and drag NoteRescue to the Applications folder.
Open NoteRescue from Applications.

NoteRescue is signed with our Apple Developer ID and notarised by Apple: Apple has checked it for malicious software, so macOS opens it without a warning about an unidentified developer. macOS may still ask once whether you want to open an app downloaded from the internet. Updates come from inside the app (NoteRescue, Check for Updates).

Before you scan

If you’ve just lost notes, two things protect your chances:

Don’t make a new iPhone backup in Finder yet. Finder keeps one backup per device, and a new backup replaces the old one that may still have your notes.
Keep your Time Machine disk as it is. Don’t erase it or start a new backup disk. Time Machine removes old backups when the disk fills up, so scan soon.

Everything happens on your Mac; see the privacy policy. Questions: support@kayabyte.dev.