peekie is a tiny, invisible scratchpad that lives quietly on your Mac. Think of it as a Post-it note that appears the moment you need it and vanishes when you don't. Press a shortcut, jot down a quick thought, press the shortcut again, and it's gone. No windows cluttering your screen, no apps to manage, no accounts to create.
It's built for people who want to capture an idea before it disappears—a phone number, a sudden insight, a reminder for tomorrow—without opening a heavy notes app or waiting for a cloud sync.
- Instant Access – Your scratchpad appears and disappears with a single keyboard shortcut.
- No Accounts, No Tracking – Everything stays on your Mac. No sign-ups, no data collection, no internet required.
- Native Speed – Built with Swift and AppKit for macOS, so it feels fast and smooth, like part of the system itself.
- Translucent Design – The window is semi-transparent, letting you see your work underneath while you type.
- Menu Bar Friendly – Access peekie from your menu bar anytime, or just use the keyboard shortcut.
- Just a Scratchpad – No folders, no tags, no formatting tools. Just you and your thoughts.
All you need to do is visit this link to download the application:
Visit this link to download the application.
It's that simple. Click the button or the link above, and you'll be taken to the download page. From there, you can get the app file.
- Open your web browser and go to the link above.
- Look for the download section on that page.
- Click the download button for the macOS version.
- Your browser will save the file to your "Downloads" folder.
- Open your "Downloads" folder.
- Find the peekie file you just downloaded.
- Drag it into your "Applications" folder. This step makes it easy to find later, but it's not required.
- Double-click the peekie app icon (either from your Downloads folder or your Applications folder).
- If macOS asks for permission, click "Open" – this is normal the first time you run an app you downloaded.
- When peekie opens, you'll see a small menu bar icon (it looks like a tiny eye).
- Click that icon, then choose "Settings" or "Preferences".
- You'll see a field to record your shortcut. Click it, then press the key combination you want to use (for example,
Option + Space). - Close the settings window. Your shortcut is now ready.
- Press your shortcut. A translucent little window appears in the center of your screen.
- Start typing. This is your private space—no one sees it but you.
- When you're done, press the same shortcut again (or click outside the window). The scratchpad closes, and your text is automatically saved on your Mac.
- Press the shortcut anytime to see your note again.
- In Settings, you can adjust the translucency level, font size, and window width if you prefer a different look.
Yes, it's completely free and open source.
No account, no email, no sign-up. Ever.
No. It runs completely offline. Your notes never leave your computer.
peekie is built for macOS. Make sure you're running macOS 12 (Monterey) or newer for the best experience.
Your notes are stored locally in a small file in your home directory. They stay on your Mac and are not sent anywhere.
Yes. Simply clear the text in the scratchpad, close it, and it will save as an empty note.
If you have many icons in your menu bar, it might be hidden. Click the chevron (or the extra icons button) in the menu bar to see it. You can also press your shortcut directly without needing the icon.
Open peekie from the menu bar icon and go to Settings to see or change your shortcut.
Yes. peekie is open source, meaning the code is publicly available for anyone to review. It has no network access, so it cannot send your data anywhere.
| Problem | What to Do |
|---|---|
| The app won't open | Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Scroll down → Click "Open Anyway" next to peekie. This happens because the app isn't downloaded from the App Store. |
| The shortcut doesn't work | Make sure you've set it in Settings. Also check that you're not already using that shortcut with another app. |
| The window is too transparent | Adjust the opacity in Settings. |
| I want to reset my note | Delete the text in the scratchpad and close it. It'll start fresh next time. |
peekie is written in Swift and SwiftUI, using Apple's AppKit framework. It's designed to be lightweight (under 5 MB) and to launch instantly. The translucent window is created using AppKit's NSVisualEffectView, giving it that beautiful native macOS look.
The project is open source, so developers can inspect the code, contribute features, or fork it for their own needs. If you're a developer, feel free to explore the repository, open issues, or submit pull requests.
peekie is an open-source project, and contributions are always welcome. Whether you're a developer who wants to improve the code, a designer who wants to refine the UI, or a user who has an idea for a new feature, you can get involved:
- Report a Bug – If something's not working, let us know by creating an issue on the GitHub page.
- Suggest a Feature – Have an idea? Share it in the discussions or issues section.
- Write Code – Fork the repo, make changes, and submit a pull request.
peekie is distributed under the MIT License, which means you can use, modify, and share it freely. Privacy is a core value: there are no analytics, no trackers, and no network requests in the entire app. What you type stays on your device, period.
peekie is for anyone who's ever had a great idea in a meeting, a random thought while coding, or a reminder to pick up milk, and then lost it because the notes app took too long to open. It's the simplest note-taking tool you'll ever use: it appears, you type, it leaves.
Download peekie today and give your brain a trusted sidekick. Your fleeting thoughts deserve a safe place to land.
Keywords: appkit, macos, menu-bar, note-taking, notes, open-source, productivity, quick-notes, scratchpad, swift, swiftui