Apple Notes · mgcrea — Claude Code MCP server: what it does, how to install
MCP server for interacting with Apple Notes on macOS. It lets AI assistants search personal note archives, extract attachments, and organize folders.
claude mcp add --env APPLE_NOTES_ALLOW_WRITES=<APPLE_NOTES_ALLOW_WRITES> --env APPLE_NOTES_ACCOUNTS=<APPLE_NOTES_ACCOUNTS> --transport stdio notes -- npx -y @mgcrea/mcp-apple-notesWhat Apple Notes does
This server controls the native macOS Notes application using two distinct paths: Apple Events and a direct SQLite index reader over NoteStore.sqlite. Standard queries run through Apple Events without requiring Full Disk Access. On a 921-note collection, a full search finishes in 97 ms. Performance degrades around 5–10k notes, where the SQLite lane becomes essential.
Mutation tools stay invisible to the model by default. Commands like create_note, move_note, and delete_notes register only when APPLE_NOTES_ALLOW_WRITES=1 is passed. Without Automation permissions for Notes, the server immediately fails with error -1743. Notes protected with passwords remain inaccessible because their content is stored on disk as AES ciphertext.
What it helps with
- search macOS notes by keyword or account
- extract note attachments to
~/Downloads - create structured notes with headers
- inspect nested folder structures
Example prompts for the agent
- Find all notes mentioning project roadmap from last month.
- Create a note in the Work folder titled Sprint Goals.
- List all nested folders inside my Personal account in Apple Notes.
How to install Apple Notes
Platform CLI
claude mcp add --env APPLE_NOTES_ALLOW_WRITES=<APPLE_NOTES_ALLOW_WRITES> --env APPLE_NOTES_ACCOUNTS=<APPLE_NOTES_ACCOUNTS> --transport stdio notes -- npx -y @mgcrea/mcp-apple-notesReplace <…> with your own values
Platform CLI
codex mcp add notes --env APPLE_NOTES_ALLOW_WRITES=<APPLE_NOTES_ALLOW_WRITES> --env APPLE_NOTES_ACCOUNTS=<APPLE_NOTES_ACCOUNTS> -- npx -y @mgcrea/mcp-apple-notesReplace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"notes": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@mgcrea/mcp-apple-notes"
],
"env": {
"APPLE_NOTES_ALLOW_WRITES": "<APPLE_NOTES_ALLOW_WRITES>",
"APPLE_NOTES_ACCOUNTS": "<APPLE_NOTES_ACCOUNTS>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"servers": {
"notes": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@mgcrea/mcp-apple-notes"
],
"env": {
"APPLE_NOTES_ALLOW_WRITES": "<APPLE_NOTES_ALLOW_WRITES>",
"APPLE_NOTES_ACCOUNTS": "<APPLE_NOTES_ACCOUNTS>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Platform CLI
gemini mcp add -e APPLE_NOTES_ALLOW_WRITES=<APPLE_NOTES_ALLOW_WRITES> -e APPLE_NOTES_ACCOUNTS=<APPLE_NOTES_ACCOUNTS> notes npx -y @mgcrea/mcp-apple-notesReplace <…> with your own values
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about Apple Notes
How to install Apple Notes in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add mcp-apple-notes -- npx -y @mgcrea/mcp-apple-notes. To enable editing features, include environment variables: `claude mcp add --env APPLE_NOTES_ALLOW_WRITES=<APPLE_NOTES_ALLOW_WRITES> --env APPLE_NOTES_ACCOUNTS=<APPLE_NOTES_ACCOUNTS> --transport stdio notes -- npx -y @mgcrea/mcp-apple-notes`.
What does Apple Notes MCP server do?
It exposes your local macOS Notes storage to coding assistants, enabling search across folders, body inspection, and optional document creation.
Why does the server fail to read locked notes?
Password-protected entries are stored as encrypted AES ciphertext on disk. No macOS permission bypasses this crypto barrier, so the server cannot read their text.
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