Before I begin my review, I advise potential users to avoid the whiny reviews. Bear's creators directly interact with their users and are unusually transparent. They are always upfront that they are a small team, so it takes them longer to create an impeccable product. Their high standards are actually admirable; I've never had any type of glitches with Bear 1. I am excited about Bear 2's upcoming release. I'll be a Bear subscriber until I die or the company disappears.
This has been the only app I've been subscribed to since my first iPhone. It's been the only app that has helped me tremendously with my severe ADHD. So if I may, I'd like to go a bit more into detail at just how much I love this app, and how it's become a daily
Perhaps because Bear creators are so approachable, some users become impatient and self-entitled like Jack Perry's review below mine. I believe those reviews show just how amazing the Bear app is because people want more and more uses out of it, more than what it was created to be. And that is what I love about this app: its versatility.
Bear is a note-taking app or writing app, a beautiful one at that. It has been the only app where I have been able to keep my notes organized. Their system of hashtags is brilliantly simple. Even better? You can use more than 1 hashtag, and your note will show up in both searches. Their Apple Watch app is perfect for quickly dictating ideas that bounce around in my head; it'll even transcribe my hashtags, so my notes are already organized in my IOS app. It also flawlessly syncs in all of my Apple products.
I write everything in it. Email drafts, notes, assignment notes, musings, etc. Like I earlier stated, their hashtag system allows a note to be organized under 2 topics. For my graduate class, I just wrapped up taking [#literarytheory] All assignments, ideas, and notes for this class had this hashtag. I then used a secondary hashtag to organize them more. Throughout various chapters I took a lot of notes on Sigmund Freud, so those notes had the [#freud]. One search of [#freud], and I am able to easily see all of my notes in the search.
Being able to quickly type the hashtags is awesome; the quickest way I've ever found to organize notes, even as you type! Their website has more effective ways of organizing notes, but the versatility is key. Those more complex #hashtag hierarchies wouldn't work for me, but the aforementioned one does.
It's adjustable to the user.
Anyways, it's rare to find a company who stands so firmly behind their product and who refuses to rush and release an inferior product just for monetary gain. I've seen that happen too much. That's why I was fine waiting for Bear 2 and am super excited about its upcoming launch!
Bear app is exactly what it advertises itself to be, and I recommend it. :)
New user and I absolutely love it! The aesthetic is on point, with multiple options for themes that truly enhance the visual experience. It's a simple and intuitive app that has all the necessary features for note-taking. Personally, I use it for my poetry writing and drafting before transferring it elsewhere. The ability to export to PDF, HTML, TXT, RFT and other formats is super convenient. Additionally, the lock feature and encryption not on outside but in the app provide added security, which initially caught my attention and prompted me to upgrade to the pro version. I firmly believe in supporting companies that have developed and continue to develop apps or services...and their brilliant brains. Great job, guys! You've definitely won me over. Oh, and did I mention I'm learning code and web design? This app will undoubtedly be a valuable resource for that too. Since the upgrade, the cleaner markup has made me even happier. It's a steal of a deal! edit sooo happy about the fonts toooooooo hehe
I am looking for a better .md editor than VS code or Obsidian.
I tried to use this but I can't see how to 'view source'.
There's a pref checkbox to "hide markdown" but it seems to not do anything?
Sometimes the WYSIWYG editor messes up when you paste a link, or you want to put in some extra html (eg for an image tag to control its width or add a style sheet). But seems that's not possible?
It's like Slack's updated frustrating rich-text input editor. The point of markdown is that you can edit it cleanly with a scalpel.
Maybe it's not for technical people, just treat it as a replacement rich text editor like Word or Apple's own Notes app?
Just checked Typora and it has a keyboard shortcut to toggle source mode, would really like that here.