Pages
One note per page.
Press + for a fresh page. Flip with ‹ ›, or click the name to see every note. Double-click it to rename.
TempNote
A scratchpad in your menu bar.
Dump it in, copy it out, toss it. For the text you need for the next five minutes, not the next five years.
Dump it. Copy it. Toss it.
Three moves. That is the whole app.
1
Dump it.
Click the glyph or press ⌥⌘N. The caret is already waiting.
2
Copy it.
One click copies the whole note. The icon flips to a green check.
3
Toss it.
Delete with no dialog, Undo for four seconds. Or set a timer and let it expire.
See it in action
Real screenshots. Click one to look closer.
Small, and particular about it.
Every app wants to keep your text forever. This one is built to let it go.
Colours
Eight light hues. Tap the dot.
The whole note takes the tint, so you can tell pages apart at a glance.
Expiry and undo
A scratchpad that empties itself.
Delete with no "Are you sure?", just a four-second Undo. Or set a timer, an hour to a month, and a note removes itself after its last edit.
Private, on device
Plain text. Your disk. That's it.
One small text file on your Mac. Nothing reads it, nothing suggests anything, nothing phones home.
Everything in it.
The whole feature list fits on one screen. That's the point.
- Lives in the menu barOne click or ⌥⌘N. No window, no Dock icon.
- Notes expireSet a timer: an hour, a day, a week, a month. Or never.
- PagesSeveral notes, one per page. ‹ › to flip.
- Note listEvery note at a glance. Delete many at once.
- Eight coloursRotate through them, or fix one.
- NamesDouble-click to rename in place.
- Copy the whole noteOne click, or ⌘C with nothing selected.
- Undo, not dialogsDelete instantly. Undo waits four seconds.
- Starts with the clipboardOptional: a new note opens with what you just copied.
- ResizableDrag a corner. The size is remembered.
- No AI, no account, no syncPlain text on your Mac.
- 5.2 MB, universal, freeNative Swift. Apple silicon and Intel.
Keyboard first.
Every action has a shortcut. ⌥⌘N works everywhere.
| Open or close TempNote (global, changeable) | ⌥⌘N |
| New note | ⌘N |
| Previous / next page | ⌥← / ⌥→ |
| All notes | ⌥↓ |
| Copy the whole note (nothing selected) | ⌘C |
| Delete note | ⌘⌫ |
| Undo delete | ⌘Z |
| Settings | ⌘, |
| Text size bigger or smaller | ⌘+ / ⌘− |
| Reset text size | ⌘0 |
| Close what's open, then the popover | esc |
| Quit | ⌘Q |
Also for Chrome
The popular add-on. We're bringing it back.
TempNote started life as a well-loved Chrome add-on. It's returning, rebuilt: the same scratchpad under the toolbar button, with pages, colours, copy-out, undo and expiry, stored only in Chrome. It keeps its own notes, separate from the Mac app.
In Google's review now. The listing opens once it's approved.
Frequently asked questions
What is TempNote?
TempNote is a free scratchpad that lives in the Mac menu bar. It is for the text you need for the next five minutes, not the next five years: a confirmation code, an address, a reply you are drafting. Dump it in, copy it out, let it go. Notes delete themselves on a timer you choose. No AI, no account, no sync, no subscription.
Is TempNote really free?
Yes. No premium tier, no feature locks, no subscription, no in-app purchases.
Does TempNote use AI?
No. It does not summarise, suggest, autocomplete or read your notes. Text goes in, text comes out, text goes away.
Where are my notes stored? Does it sync?
On your Mac, in one plain-text JSON file in ~/Library/Application Support/TempNote/. Nothing is synced, there is no account and no cloud, so it is fine on a work Mac that blocks cloud tools.
Do notes really delete themselves?
Yes, if you set a timer. In Settings, Delete notes after can be 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, 30 days, or Never. Never is the default; pick a timer and a note is removed that long after its last edit, so the scratchpad empties itself.
How is TempNote different from Apple Notes, Stickies or a clipboard manager?
Notes apps are built to keep things; TempNote is built to let them go. Stickies put windows on your desktop; TempNote stays out of sight until you call it. A clipboard manager records everything you copy; TempNote only holds what you put in it.
What are the system requirements?
macOS 13 (Ventura) or later, Apple silicon or Intel. A 5.2 MB DMG, signed and notarized by Apple. Mac only: there is no Windows, iPhone or iPad version.
Can I open TempNote from any app with a keyboard shortcut?
Yes. ⌥⌘N opens or closes TempNote from anywhere, and you can change the keys in Settings.
What does "Send anonymous error reports" send?
Crash reports and an anonymous launch count, never the text of a note. Switch it off in Settings and nothing is sent. Details in the privacy policy.
Who makes TempNote?
NiKhCo, a small studio in British Columbia, Canada, that also makes Fin., a quiet menu-bar to-do list. Write to [email protected].
What's new
1.0.1 Latest October 2026
- Dark mode: the popover follows the system appearance, and every note colour has a dark version.
- Text size from the keyboard: ⌘+ and ⌘− change it, ⌘0 resets it. Sizes now run 10–24 pt, default 14.
- A settings gear next to + in the footer.
- Fixed: settings switches could render without their knob; the note list no longer shows the desktop through it.
1.0.0 October 2026
- First release: pages, names, eight colours, one-click copy, undo instead of dialogs, and notes that expire on a timer.
- Note list under the name; settings inside the popover; global shortcut; launch at login.
- Signed and notarized; updates install in place.
Dump it, copy it, toss it.
Free. Nothing to sign up for, nothing to sync, nothing "smart".