# Pinto Notes

> Pinto Notes is a free, open-source notes app for Mac that ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Code, Codex and Incredible can search, read and edit, with your approval.

Pinto Notes was called Amber Notes until October 2026. Not to be confused with other products called AmberNotes or Amber Notes (meeting transcription and AI note-taking services). This one is the notes app at pintonotes.com, made by Emil Wagman (https://emilwagman.com) at Incredible (https://incredible.one).

## Facts

- Pinto Notes is a free, open-source notes app for Mac that ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Code, Codex and Incredible can search, read and edit, with your approval.
- It works like Apple Notes: folders, pinned notes, checklists, tables and a note list sorted by date.
- On the Mac, it imports your Apple Notes with their folders, and leaves Apple Notes unchanged.
- It has a built-in MCP server, so AI apps connect to it directly, without a plugin or a server of your own.
- Incredible, the AI assistant from incredible.one, lists Pinto Notes in its Apps: search for it, choose Connect, then sign in and approve it on your Mac.
- Pinto Notes is listed in Claude's connector directory (https://claude.ai/directory/amber-notes): open the listing and choose Connect to Claude.
- You approve each AI app on your Mac (or with your recovery key on pintonotes.com), and choose read only, or read and edit. You can disconnect any of them at any time.
- When an AI changes a note, Pinto Notes shows what changed, with Undo, and keeps the previous version in the note's history.
- Notes sync between your Macs through the cloud, and are stored as markdown.
- Notes are encrypted on your Mac before they sync. Pinto Notes keeps a locked copy of your key so that signing in opens your notes on a new device. That means Pinto Notes could open your notes if it had to, for example under a court order, and so could someone who gets into your account. With Advanced protection on, notes are end-to-end encrypted: Pinto Notes can't open them and can't help you back in. While an AI you approved is working, the server opens the notes it asks for in memory; locked notes stay unreadable to it
- The Mac app (macOS 26 or later) is a free download from pintonotes.com. The iPhone app is coming soon to the App Store.
- The code is on GitHub under the MIT license.

## Connect an AI (MCP)

- MCP server (Streamable HTTP, OAuth 2.1 sign-in or a bearer access token): https://mcp.pintonotes.com
- The older address, https://mcp.ambernotes.app, is the same server and keeps working, so anything you connected before needs no change.
- ChatGPT: add it as your own app in Developer mode (Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise or Edu, on the web), choose OAuth, then Allow in Pinto Notes.
- Claude: open https://claude.ai/directory/amber-notes (Pinto Notes in Claude's connector directory), choose Connect to Claude, then Allow in Pinto Notes. Fallback: add https://mcp.pintonotes.com as a custom connector (every plan; the free plan includes one).
- Claude Code and Codex: an access token from Pinto Notes, Settings, Connect an AI, sent as an Authorization header.
- Claude Code plugin: `claude plugin marketplace add pinto-notes/pinto-notes`, then `claude plugin install amber-notes`, then sign in from /mcp.
- Codex, Gemini CLI and VS Code: one command each at https://pintonotes.com/blog/mcp-server#install; each signs in with OAuth in the browser.
- Incredible (https://incredible.one), a desktop app for Mac and Windows: in Apps, search for notes, pick the one with the leaf icon and choose Connect, then Allow in Pinto Notes (it shows as an app on this computer). On an older Incredible, add https://mcp.pintonotes.com as an MCP server instead.
- Any other app that supports MCP: add the server address and sign in, then Allow in Pinto Notes.
- Full details: https://pintonotes.com/blog/mcp-server

## Pinto Notes with your AI, or instead of another notes app


## Blog posts

- [ChatGPT merged Chat and Work? How to get plain chat back](https://pintonotes.com/blog/chatgpt-chat-and-work-merged): ChatGPT's Chat or Work toggle is gone for many users. What changed, what OpenAI has said, how to get plain chat back with GPT 6 Sol, and how limits count.
- [Gemini 4 Carbon: who gets it, price and what to try first](https://pintonotes.com/blog/gemini-4-carbon): Gemini 4 Carbon is Google's new frontier model. Who can use it now (cyber defenders first), what it will cost, how it beats Argon, and what to try today.
- [How to connect iCloud Mail and Calendar to ChatGPT](https://pintonotes.com/blog/connect-icloud-mail-calendar-to-chatgpt): ChatGPT now has iCloud Mail and Calendar plugins on every plan. How to make the Apple app-specific password, connect both, what to ask, and how to disconnect.
- [The AI assistant in Keynote, Pages and Numbers, and MCP](https://pintonotes.com/blog/keynote-pages-numbers-ai-assistant): Apple's AI assistant comes to Keynote, Pages and Numbers in November, with MCP so ChatGPT and Claude can edit your documents. Who gets it and what it costs.
- [ChatGPT "Chat memory full": what it means and what to do](https://pintonotes.com/blog/chatgpt-chat-memory-full): Why ChatGPT says Chat memory full after a few messages, why deleting memories doesn't fix it, what to do instead, and how it differs from Memory full.
- ["Your usage does not need a reset right now": Codex resets explained](https://pintonotes.com/blog/codex-usage-reset): Why Codex refuses a banked reset above 80% left, how to use one in ChatGPT's Usage settings, what it restores per plan, and free versus paid resets.
- [Gemini Notebooks: how to use them, now from any Gemini chat](https://pintonotes.com/blog/gemini-notebooks): How to make a Gemini notebook, add sources and old chats, and use @Gemini Notebook from any chat (new on 23 October). Free limits, EEA and Mac notes.
- [What time do AI companies launch? We timed 206 launches](https://pintonotes.com/blog/what-time-ai-companies-launch): We counted six months of AI launches. 64% broke between 11 am and 5 pm US Eastern, Tuesday is the biggest day, and most days nothing ships.
- [Every new ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini feature in 2026, with dates](https://pintonotes.com/blog/new-ai-features): Every new feature in ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini since April 2026, plus Grok, Meta AI, Perplexity and Copilot: the date, who gets it and the official page.
- [How to use Claude Duet: what it does and how to get it](https://pintonotes.com/blog/how-to-use-claude-duet): Claude Duet is Anthropic's proactive agent for Pro and Max in the US. How to join the waitlist, connect your apps, what to ask first, and what it won't do.
- [How to lock chats in ChatGPT with a PIN or Face ID](https://pintonotes.com/blog/lock-chats-in-chatgpt): Lock a ChatGPT chat from its ••• menu, open it with a PIN or Face ID, and know what it doesn't do: a forgotten PIN deletes every locked chat.
- [Siri AI and Apple Notes: what it can do, and what it can't](https://pintonotes.com/blog/siri-ai-apple-notes): Siri AI finds, rewrites and makes notes. What it can do in Apple Notes, what Apple doesn't say, and the one thing it can't: let ChatGPT or Claude in.
- [A habit tracker your AI can update for you](https://pintonotes.com/blog/habit-tracker-with-chatgpt-or-claude): Habit apps keep their AI coaches to themselves. A free tracker ChatGPT or Claude can update, plus a prompt for one built in chat.
- [A budget your AI can keep for you](https://pintonotes.com/blog/budget-tracker-with-chatgpt-or-claude): Most budget apps keep their AI to themselves. A free budget ChatGPT or Claude can add your spending to, where the app, not the AI, does the sums.
- [How to plan a trip with ChatGPT or Claude, and keep the itinerary](https://pintonotes.com/blog/plan-a-trip-with-chatgpt-or-claude): Plan a trip with ChatGPT or Claude: a prompt for a day-by-day itinerary, then keep it, with bookings and packing, in a trip planner you can edit.
- [How to make flashcards with ChatGPT or Claude](https://pintonotes.com/blog/flashcards-with-chatgpt-or-claude): Make flashcards from your notes with ChatGPT or Claude: a prompt for good cards, ChatGPT's own flashcards, and a study app that brings back what you miss.
- [How to connect your notes to Grok with a custom MCP connector](https://pintonotes.com/blog/connect-notes-to-grok): Add any MCP server to Grok as a custom connector on grok.com or with grok mcp add in Grok Build, so Grok can read and edit your notes.
- [Meta Muse connectors: what they are, and which to add](https://pintonotes.com/blog/meta-muse-connectors): What Meta Muse connectors are, how to add and approve one, which to start with, and how Muse Code takes your own MCP servers.
- [What are ChatGPT dots? What to give yours, and who can get one](https://pintonotes.com/blog/what-are-chatgpt-dots): ChatGPT dots are always-on agents that keep working between conversations. Who can get one, how to set it up, and six jobs to give yours.
- [GPT-6 Astra use cases: what it can do for you, and how to try it](https://pintonotes.com/blog/gpt-6-astra-use-cases): What GPT-6 Astra is, how to start computer use in the ChatGPT desktop app, eight everyday use cases, and where it still gets things wrong.
- [How to move Apple Notes to Obsidian, Notion or Google Keep](https://pintonotes.com/blog/move-apple-notes-to-obsidian-notion-keep): Move your Apple Notes to Obsidian with its importer, to Notion through a Markdown export, or to Google Keep by hand, and what each one keeps.
- [A daily journal with ChatGPT or Claude: prompts to copy](https://pintonotes.com/blog/journal-with-chatgpt-or-claude): A prompt that makes ChatGPT or Claude ask four journal questions and write the entry in your words, four more for other days, and where to keep them.
- [Apple Notes templates: make your own, plus five to copy](https://pintonotes.com/blog/apple-notes-templates): Apple Notes has no templates, but a folder of notes works. How to set it up on iPhone and Mac, plus five templates that paste in as checklists.
- [Claude + Memory vs Claude + Notes](https://pintonotes.com/blog/claude-memory-vs-notes): What Claude's memory keeps and where to edit it, when you want notes Claude can read and write instead, and two prompts to use both.
- [Apple Notes not syncing between iPhone and Mac? 6 checks](https://pintonotes.com/blog/apple-notes-not-syncing): Find which device is at fault in a minute, then six checks in order, including the iOS 27 message that looks like a sync failure but isn't one.
- [Apple Notes tables: sums, sorting and the trick for totals](https://pintonotes.com/blog/apple-notes-tables): Apple Notes can't sum a table column, but there's a trick that gets you a total anyway. Plus rows, sorting and widths, tested on macOS 27.
- [Apple Notes tags and Smart Folders: how they work, and why they stop working](https://pintonotes.com/blog/apple-notes-tags-smart-folders): How tags and Smart Folders work in Apple Notes on iPhone and Mac, and the fixes when a tag won't form, a note can't be tagged or a Smart Folder is empty.
- [Move Apple Notes to iCloud from On My iPhone or Gmail](https://pintonotes.com/blog/move-apple-notes-to-icloud): Notes under On My iPhone or Gmail never reach your Mac. How to move them into iCloud on iPhone or Mac, and what to check first for locked notes.
- [How to back up Apple Notes](https://pintonotes.com/blog/back-up-apple-notes): iCloud syncs Apple Notes but keeps no old copies. How to back up every note to files on your Mac, and what iPhone backups and Time Machine cover.
- [Recover deleted Apple Notes: within 30 days, and after](https://pintonotes.com/blog/recover-deleted-apple-notes): Within 30 days it's in Recently Deleted on any device or iCloud.com. After that, the few cases that still work, and which recovery apps to avoid.
- [Forgot your Apple Notes password? 5 things to try first](https://pintonotes.com/blog/forgot-apple-notes-password): A reset won't unlock your old locked notes, which most guides skip. Five things that can still get you in on iPhone and Mac, then how to reset safely.
- [An encrypted notes app your AI can use](https://pintonotes.com/blog/encrypted-notes-app-for-ai): Pinto Notes encrypts every note on your Mac and still lets ChatGPT and Claude read and edit them. How it works, its limits, and how others compare.
- [What's new in Apple Notes in iOS 27, and how to use it](https://pintonotes.com/blog/apple-notes-ios-27): New in Apple Notes in iOS 27 and macOS 27: divider lines, links to sections, Paste and Copy as Markdown, and Export To. Each one with a screenshot.
- [How to export Apple Notes to Markdown](https://pintonotes.com/blog/export-apple-notes-to-markdown): Export a note from Apple Notes as a Markdown file on Mac and iPhone, what to check in the file, and how to export every note at once.
- [How to connect ChatGPT to your notes](https://pintonotes.com/blog/connect-chatgpt-to-your-notes): What ChatGPT can do with Apple Notes, Notion and Google Drive today, where each stops, and how to let it write to your notes from any chat.
- [Can Claude read your Apple Notes?](https://pintonotes.com/blog/claude-and-apple-notes): What works today on a Mac, what doesn't work on iPhone or the web, and the options side by side.
- [Notes apps with an MCP server, compared](https://pintonotes.com/blog/notes-apps-with-mcp): Which notes apps ChatGPT and Claude can read and edit through MCP, whether that works away from your Mac, and what to check before you pick one.
- [Obsidian MCP servers compared (2026)](https://pintonotes.com/blog/obsidian-mcp): There's no official Obsidian MCP server. The community plugins and servers compared, how to set one up in Claude, and the limits they share.
- [How to move from Apple Notes to Pinto Notes](https://pintonotes.com/blog/move-from-apple-notes): Import all your Apple Notes on your Mac, with folders, checklists and tables. Apple Notes stays untouched.
- [Your notes in Claude Code and Codex, in one command](https://pintonotes.com/blog/notes-in-claude-code-and-codex): Give Claude Code and Codex your notes with one command, so they write the standup and remember decisions you can read on your phone.
- [The Pinto Notes MCP server](https://pintonotes.com/blog/mcp-server): The server address, how sign-in and approval work, and every tool an AI app can call.
- [Apple Notes API: Apple says no. Here's what works instead](https://pintonotes.com/blog/apple-notes-api): Apple Notes has no API. What works instead: AppleScript, Shortcuts and every Apple Notes MCP server for Claude and Codex, compared, plus their limits.
- [The best notes app for AI agents](https://pintonotes.com/blog/best-notes-app-for-ai-agents): What an AI agent needs from a notes app: remote MCP, precise writes, undo and history, approval, and apps you read on. How the options compare.

## Templates

Note templates an AI fills in through the MCP tools. Each page adds the note (and its app, for some) to Pinto Notes with Use template, and shows a filled-in example; the note, its prompt for ChatGPT, Claude and Claude Code, and the example are at /templates/<slug>.json.

- [All templates](https://pintonotes.com/templates)
- [Habit tracker template and app for ChatGPT and Claude](https://pintonotes.com/templates/habit-tracker): A free habit tracker app in a note: tick today in one tap, see streaks and the week, edit habits yourself. Or tell your AI what you did and it logs the day.
- [Meeting notes to action items template for AI](https://pintonotes.com/templates/meeting-notes): Paste rough meeting notes or a transcript and your AI turns them into decisions and action items in Pinto Notes.
- [Daily standup template for Claude Code and ChatGPT](https://pintonotes.com/templates/daily-standup): Daily standup notes, newest first. Claude Code writes yesterday from your commits; ChatGPT or Claude from what you tell it.
- [Meal plan and grocery list template for ChatGPT](https://pintonotes.com/templates/meal-plan): A weekly meal plan with the grocery list that goes with it. Your AI plans the dinners and writes the list in Pinto Notes.
- [Reading list template with notes for ChatGPT and Claude](https://pintonotes.com/templates/reading-list): A reading list with ratings and notes. Tell your AI about a book and it files it; ask it what to read next.
- [Mood and energy log template for ChatGPT and Claude](https://pintonotes.com/templates/mood-energy-log): An evening mood and energy log. Tell your AI about your day in your own words and it scores and logs it in Pinto Notes.
- [Job hunt pipeline template for ChatGPT and Claude](https://pintonotes.com/templates/job-hunt): A job search pipeline your AI keeps current: every application, its stage and the next step, plus interview prep.
- [Trip planner and itinerary template for ChatGPT and Claude](https://pintonotes.com/templates/trip-plan): A free trip planner in a note: a countdown, a day-by-day itinerary, bookings with paid ticks and a packing list. Edit it yourself, or let your AI fill it in.
- [Flashcard maker and study app for ChatGPT and Claude](https://pintonotes.com/templates/study-flashcards): A free flashcard maker and study app in a note: paste your notes and your AI makes the cards, then study what's due, a card at a time, in five boxes.
- [Decision log template for ChatGPT and Claude](https://pintonotes.com/templates/decision-log): A decision log your AI keeps: what you chose, what you didn't, and why. Ask it later why you decided something.
- [Workout log template for ChatGPT and Claude](https://pintonotes.com/templates/workout-log): A workout log your AI keeps for you. Describe the session after the gym and ChatGPT or Claude logs it in Pinto Notes.
- [Budget tracker template and app for ChatGPT and Claude](https://pintonotes.com/templates/budget-log): A free budget and expense tracker in a note: what's left this month, spending by category, quick add. Or tell your AI what you spent and it logs it.
- [1:1 meeting notes template for ChatGPT and Claude](https://pintonotes.com/templates/one-on-one-notes): A running 1:1 note. Topics go in during the week, your AI writes up the meeting and keeps the follow-ups in Pinto Notes.
- [Book notes template for ChatGPT and Claude](https://pintonotes.com/templates/book-notes): Book notes your AI organizes: send highlights as you read, and it keeps the quotes, the big idea and what you'll do differently.
- [Bug triage template for ChatGPT and Claude](https://pintonotes.com/templates/bug-triage): A bug triage table your AI keeps. Paste a report or an issue and it files it by severity in Pinto Notes.
- [Weekly review template for ChatGPT and Claude](https://pintonotes.com/templates/weekly-review): A weekly review your AI runs with you. It asks five questions, then writes the week up in Pinto Notes, newest first.
- [Recipe box template for ChatGPT and Claude](https://pintonotes.com/templates/recipe-box): A recipe box your AI files for you: paste a recipe and it becomes a clean sub-note with ingredients as a checklist.
- [Content calendar template for ChatGPT and Claude](https://pintonotes.com/templates/content-calendar): A content calendar with an idea bank. Your AI turns ideas into scheduled posts and keeps the status current in Pinto Notes.
- [Home maintenance checklist template for ChatGPT](https://pintonotes.com/templates/home-maintenance): A home maintenance schedule your AI keeps: what's due, when it was last done, and a monthly checklist in Pinto Notes.
- [Gift ideas template for ChatGPT and Claude](https://pintonotes.com/templates/gift-ideas): A gift idea list your AI fills as you go: ideas by person, sizes and likes, and suggestions before the next birthday.
- [Cornell notes template for ChatGPT and Claude](https://pintonotes.com/templates/cornell-notes): Cornell notes your AI sets up for you: your notes on the right, a question for each on the left, and a short summary. Then it quizzes you.
- [Daily journal template for ChatGPT and Claude](https://pintonotes.com/templates/daily-journal): A daily journal your AI keeps with you. Answer four short questions, or just tell it about your day, and it writes the entry, newest day first.
- [Grocery list template for ChatGPT and Claude](https://pintonotes.com/templates/grocery-list): A grocery list your AI keeps sorted by aisle. Say what you need in one sentence; it files each item and clears what you've ticked.

## More

- [Download for Mac](https://pintonotes.com/download): free, macOS 26 or later.
- [Help and FAQ](https://pintonotes.com/help)
- [Changelog](https://pintonotes.com/changelog)
- [Privacy & Security](https://pintonotes.com/privacy-security): what's stored, what's encrypted, every log and how long it's kept.
- [Privacy policy](https://pintonotes.com/privacy)
- [Amber Notes is now Pinto Notes](https://pintonotes.com/amber-notes): the old name, and what stayed the same.
- [Blog feed (RSS)](https://pintonotes.com/blog/feed.xml)
- [Source code on GitHub](https://github.com/pinto-notes/pinto-notes) (MIT license)