Apple MCP Server

Apple Notes MCP Server

Local serverstdioGo

What is the Apple MCP server?

Apple Notes MCP Server. That is what the apple mcp server brings to an AI assistant: the same capability, reachable through the Model Context Protocol rather than a separate app or dashboard.

The short version

Read and write Apple Notes, with Apple Notes native formatting support.

The tools it exposes

The server publishes 14 tools. What each one is for:

  • Permission — Where to enable
  • Accessibility — System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility > enable node
  • list_notes — Browse notes, optionally filter by folder
  • search_notes — Find notes by keyword
  • get_note — Read full content as Markdown
  • create_note — Write Markdown → natively formatted note
  • update_note — Replace content, preserving folder
  • delete_note — Move to Recently Deleted
  • Element — Works?
  • Links — Text kept, URL lost
  • Flag — Default
  • Action — Method

Getting it running

Installation goes through your MCP client rather than a global install: point it at @ailenshen/apple-notes-mcp on npm and it is fetched when the client starts. The copy-paste blocks for Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor are further down this page.

How it compares

Plenty of planning and project tracking servers cover similar ground. The differences that matter in practice are scope of access and how much setup stands between you and a working tool call. Apple's toolset — Permission, Accessibility, list_notes and 11 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by ailenshen; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

SyncDev reviews every entry in this directory against the project's own documentation before publishing, and revisits them as servers change.

Things to watch

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • With 14 tools registered it takes up a noticeable share of the context window; turn it off in projects that never touch Apple.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
PermissionWhere to enable
AccessibilitySystem Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility > enable node
list_notesBrowse notes, optionally filter by folder
search_notesFind notes by keyword
get_noteRead full content as Markdown
create_noteWrite Markdown → natively formatted note
update_noteReplace content, preserving folder
delete_noteMove to Recently Deleted
ElementWorks?
LinksText kept, URL lost
FlagDefault
ActionMethod
ReadAppleScript → Markdown
CreateNative Markdown import

How to install the Apple MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apple-notes": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@ailenshen/apple-notes-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Example prompts to try

  • Use Apple to Permission.
  • Use Apple to Accessibility.
  • Use Apple to list notes.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Apple to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 14 tools (Permission, Accessibility, list_notes, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Apple directly.