Apple Notes

Provides semantic search over Apple Notes using on-device embeddings and full-text indexing with local execution.

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Language

6 months ago

First Indexed

2 months ago

Catalog Refreshed

Documentation & install

Readme and setup notes from the catalogue, plus a client-ready config you can copy for your MCP host.

Installation

Add the following to your MCP client configuration file.

Configuration

View docs

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tom-semple-mcp-apple-notes-fixed": {
      "command": "/Users/<YOUR_USER_NAME>/.bun/bin/bun",
      "args": [
        "/Users/<YOUR_USER_NAME>/apple-notes-mcp/index.ts"
      ]
    }
  }
}

You can run an MCP server locally to enable semantic search and Retrieval Augmented Generation over your Apple Notes. This lets AI assistants reference and search your notes during conversations, all on your machine without external keys.

How to use

Set up a local MCP server and connect it to your MCP client (for example, Claude Desktop) so the client can query your Apple Notes. Start by launching the local server, then index your notes so the client can search and reference them during chats. The server will operate entirely on your device.

How to install

Prerequisites you need before installing:

Bun is installed on your system
Claude Desktop is installed on your computer

Step 1: Clone the MCP Apple Notes project and enter the directory.

git clone https://github.com/RafalWilinski/mcp-apple-notes
cd mcp-apple-notes

Run and connect to Claude Desktop

Step 2: Install dependencies with Bun.

bun install

Configure Claude Desktop to use the local MCP server

Step 3: In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Developer → Edit Config and add the local MCP server entry as shown.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "local_machine": {
      "command": "/Users/<YOUR_USER_NAME>/.bun/bin/bun",
      "args": ["/Users/<YOUR_USER_NAME>/apple-notes-mcp/index.ts"]
    }
  }
}

Start indexing and using your notes

After Claude Desktop restarts, initiate indexing of your notes by telling Claude to index them, for example: “Index my notes” or “Index my Apple Notes.” This prepares the system to answer questions using the content from your Apple Notes.

Troubleshooting

If you need to inspect logs for the local MCP server, check these log files in Claude’s log directory.

tail -n 50 -f ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp-server-local_machine.log
# or
tail -n 50 -f ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp.log

Notes and caveats

Apple Notes are stored and processed locally. Ensure you replace the placeholder <YOUR_USER_NAME> with your actual system username in the configuration path.

Available tools

semantic_search

Performs semantic search over Apple Notes using on-device embeddings to retrieve contextually relevant notes.

full_text_search

Provides traditional full-text search across the Apple Notes content for exact keyword matches.

vector_storage

Stores and retrieves vector embeddings in LanceDB to enable fast, scalable similarity queries.

mcp_integration

Enables the server to be discovered and used by MCP clients, allowing AI assistants to query notes.

apple_notes_integration

Native integration with Apple Notes via JXA for on-device access and indexing.

local_execution

All processing runs locally without requiring external API keys or network access.