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CyberNotes is a sleek, privacy-focused note-taking application for Windows that keeps writing and organization entirely on your device. Create rich notes with formatting, images, code blocks, and markdown shortcuts; arrange them in colorful folders; work across multiple tabs; and detach important notes into floating windows. Instant search, autosave, session restore, customizable themes, and an optional master-password access lock support both quick ideas and longer projects. Data is stored locally with SQL.js (SQLite WASM). Built with Electron + React + TypeScript.
Free and open source (GPLv3): no ads, no tracking, and no data collection. Just enjoy it.
Most note apps either sync your data to the cloud (privacy risk) or are too basic to be useful. CyberNotes gives you the best of both worlds: rich editing, powerful organization, and rock-solid security, all 100% offline.
| Need | Solution |
|---|---|
| Keep notes private | Local-only SQL.js: no cloud, no accounts, no tracking |
| Rich editing without bloat | TipTap editor with markdown shortcuts, images, code blocks |
| Stay organized | Folders with icons & colors, multi-tabs, floating notes, drag & drop |
| Protect sensitive notes | Master password (bcrypt-hashed access lock, notes stored unencrypted) with auto-lock and privacy shield |
| Work efficiently | Autosave, session restore, global hotkey, system tray |
| Make it yours | 6 themes, custom backgrounds, glass effects, UI scaling |
- TipTap Editor: Bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, headings (H1–H3), bullet/ordered lists, code blocks, blockquotes, horizontal rules, text highlighting
- Word-Style Font Sizes: Size dropdown and floating bubble in the editor, one-tap cycling in floating notes
- Links & Images: Auto-link detection, image insertion with size and alignment controls, local thumbnail previews
- Markdown Shortcuts: Type
##,>,-,```for instant formatting - Document Tools: Line/column counter, word/character count, reading time, document minimap, line numbers
- Save Options: Autosave as you type, manual save with draft protection, confirm on close/navigation
- Folders: Custom names, 20 icon options, 20 unique colors (enforced uniqueness)
- Floating Notes: Detach notes as always-on-top desktop sticky widgets
- Multi-Tab Interface: Work with multiple notes simultaneously
- Favorites & Pinning: Pin important notes for quick access
- Drag & Drop: Move notes between folders effortlessly
- Instant Search: Full-text search across titles, previews, and content
- Recent Notes: Track edited, opened, and created notes with history
- Welcome Space: Time-based greeting, notes stats, and keyboard shortcuts when no note is open
- Session Restoration: Remember open tabs, active note, and floating notes between sessions
- Master Password or PIN: Bcrypt-hashed access lock with lock screen (notes are stored unencrypted on your device)
- Offline Recovery: One-time recovery code with hint and rate-limited reset from the lock screen
- Auto-Lock: Configurable inactivity timeout (1 min to 24 hours)
- Privacy Shield: Screen shield when app is hidden or minimized
- Caps Lock Manager: Auto-off after inactivity with visual countdown and sound notifications (5 synthesized presets)
- 6 Visual Themes: Cyber Dark, Midnight, Forest, Cyber Neon, Light, Graphite
- Color Intensity: Adjustable 0–100% for colorful themes
- Custom Background: Set your own wallpaper image
- Glass Effects: Configurable blur intensity (0–40px) and overlay opacity (0–95%)
- UI Scaling: Adjust interface size to your preference
- Tab Width: Normal or wide, minimap toggle, density controls
- Greeting Name: Personalize time-based greetings
- System Tray: Minimize/close to tray, custom DPI-aware tray menu
- Global Hotkey: Show/hide with customizable shortcut (default:
Alt+Shift+N) - Suite Recommendations: More from CyberGems in About and tray (optional)
- Auto-Start: Launch minimized with Windows
- Single Instance: Second launches focus the existing window
- Spell Check: Bilingual (English/Spanish) with right-click suggestions
- Context Menu: Formatting, spell suggestions, link/image controls
- Auto-Updates: Background check on launch + every 6h, progress bar, auto-download and restart
- Manual Checks Stay Manual: On-demand checks only check; downloads and restarts need your tap
- Usage Statistics: Optional local stats with streaks, reset and purge
- Export: Markdown, HTML (styled), or full JSON backup
- Import: Restore from JSON backup (with automatic safety backup)
- Bilingual UI: Full English / Español with instant switching
- Download the latest installer or portable build from Releases
- Run the
CyberNotes_Setupinstaller or the portable executable - Launch CyberNotes. No other requirements needed: you do not need Node.js or npm
Windows may show a SmartScreen warning the first time you run the CyberNotes installer: this is an unsigned hobby app, so Windows hasn't built reputation for the file yet. This is expected; the source is public so you can inspect exactly what it does. The same can appear when launching the portable build.
To continue:
See how to run the installer (step by step)
Windows shows this warning for any installer without a paid code-signing certificate; it does not mean the file is unsafe. Do not click "Don't run":
- Run the installer. Windows may show the blue "Windows protected your PC" dialog.
- Click the small More info link.
- Click Run anyway. The installer starts normally.
You can verify the file independently: compare the SHA with the GitHub release, scan it on VirusTotal, or build from source. More details: SmartScreen guide on the website.
- Platform: Windows 10 / 11
- Framework: Electron 35 + React 19 + TypeScript
- Editor: TipTap (ProseMirror)
- Storage: SQL.js (SQLite compiled to WebAssembly)
- Security: bcryptjs password hashing
- Animations: Motion (Framer Motion)
- Testing: Vitest unit tests (
npm test)
cyber-notes/
├── electron/
│ ├── main.ts Electron main process (window, tray, stickies, IPC handlers)
│ ├── preload.ts Context bridge (secure API exposure)
│ ├── updater.ts Auto-update logic
│ ├── logger.ts File logger (userData/logs)
│ └── OpenTaskbarSettings.cs Helper source for the tray pin tool
├── shared/ Code shared by main and renderer (no Electron/React APIs)
│ ├── notes.ts Thumbnail extraction
│ ├── sticky.ts Floating-note palette and ids
│ ├── lang.ts Language helpers
│ └── backup.ts Automatic backup logic (plus *.test.ts suites)
├── src/
│ ├── components/
│ │ ├── MainApp.tsx Main application layout
│ │ ├── TitleBar.tsx Custom title bar with menu and greeting
│ │ ├── Sidebar.tsx Folder navigation and recent notes
│ │ ├── NoteList.tsx Note list panel with search and trash
│ │ ├── NoteEditor.tsx TipTap editor, tabs and export
│ │ ├── StickyNoteApp.tsx Floating always-on-top note widget
│ │ ├── SettingsModal.tsx Settings with backup configuration
│ │ ├── LockScreen.tsx Password lock screen
│ │ ├── AboutModal.tsx About dialog and update status
│ │ ├── UpdaterBanner.tsx Auto-update progress banner
│ │ ├── TrayPinModal.tsx Tray pin helper dialog
│ │ ├── AppLoader.tsx Startup loader and privacy shield
│ │ ├── WelcomeGreeting.tsx Time-aware greeting with date
│ │ ├── WelcomeNameModal.tsx First-run name setup
│ │ ├── FolderIcon.tsx Folder icons and colors
│ │ ├── ConfirmDialog.tsx Reusable confirm/alert dialogs
│ │ ├── ModalActions.tsx Shared modal motion and helpers
│ │ ├── Tooltip.tsx Custom tooltips
│ │ ├── ErrorBoundary.tsx Render crash fallback
│ │ └── GlobalErrorToast.tsx Global error toast
│ ├── hooks/
│ │ └── useInputContextMenu.tsx Native-like input context menus
│ ├── utils/
│ │ ├── notes.ts Note metadata, preview and thumbnail helpers
│ │ └── audio.ts Synthesized Caps Lock sounds
│ ├── types/ TypeScript interfaces and API bridge types
│ ├── themes.ts Theme definitions
│ ├── fonts.ts Editor fonts
│ └── languages.ts i18n translations (English / Español)
├── public/
│ ├── tray-menu.html/.js/.css Custom tray menu window
│ └── fonts/ Self-hosted fonts (fully offline)
└── package.json
Only needed if you want to work on CyberNotes or build it yourself; regular users can skip this section.
- Node.js v18+ (LTS recommended)
- npm or yarn
git clone https://github.com/CyberGems/CyberNotes.git
cd CyberNotes
npm install
npm run devnpm run build:electron| Command | Description |
|---|---|
npm run dev |
Start Vite development server with hot reload |
npm run build |
Compile TypeScript and build production bundle |
npm run build:electron |
Full build: TypeScript → Vite → electron-builder installer |
npm run preview |
Preview the production build locally |
npm run lint |
Run TypeScript type-checking without emitting files |
npm test |
Run unit tests with Vitest |
Artifacts land in release/:
| Artifact | Description |
|---|---|
CyberNotes_Setup_1.14.0.exe |
NSIS installer (interactive wizard, custom install dir) |
CyberNotes_Portable_1.14.0.exe |
Portable build (zero-install) |
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
Alt+Shift+N |
Toggle window visibility (global, customizable) |
Ctrl+N |
Create a new note |
Ctrl+Shift+N |
Create a new folder |
Ctrl+F |
Focus search bar |
Ctrl+S |
Save note manually |
↑ / ↓ |
Navigate notes in list |
Enter |
Open selected note in editor |
Escape |
Return focus to note list / close modal |
Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y |
Undo / Redo |
Tab / Shift+Tab |
Indent / Remove indent |
For the complete shortcuts reference including cursor navigation, line jumps, and text selection keys, see the Keyboard Shortcuts Wiki.
After countless hours building and refining CyberNotes for my own use, I recently decided to share it with the world along with my other open-source tools in CyberGems.
If you’d like to support future updates, I’d truly appreciate it. Your donation helps keep development going, roll out new features, speed up updates and bug resolution, and enhance documentation quality. You can also show your support by starring the repo on GitHub. Thank you! 🙏
Crypto donations (BTC, ETH, USDT, LTC): click to view addresses
| Asset | Address | QR |
|---|---|---|
| BTC | |
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| ETH | |
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| USDT (ERC20 / BEP20) | |
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| USDT (TRC20) | |
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| LTC | |
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⚠️ Send only the selected asset on the indicated network. Using the wrong network will result in permanent loss of funds.
CyberNotes is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v3.0. See LICENSE for the full license text.
Copyright (C) 2026 CyberGems
For frequently asked questions, troubleshooting guides, and detailed configuration instructions, visit the FAQ or the online documentation.
Documentation source of truth: the GitHub Wiki is canonical (edited via the
CyberNotes.wikicheckout). The website mirrors it.
Made by CyberGems
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| 💻 CyberManager | Lightweight, high-performance task manager, virtualized and NT-native, a powerful Task Manager alternative. |
| ⚡ CyberPaste | Privacy-first clipboard manager for text, code, images, HTML and files. |
| 📸 CyberSnap | Screen capture and annotation suite with vector tools, high-speed OCR, screen recording and color picker. |
| ⭐ CyberTray | High-performance tray launcher with hotspots, system monitoring, process manager and PIN-protected file vault. |
| 💫 CyberViewer | Full-featured image viewer and editor engineered for casual and power users. |
| 🛡️ CyberWall | User-friendly Windows firewall with real-time per-app rules powered by the WFP kernel engine. |