Bear is a beautiful Markdown editor for Apple devices, but it only runs on Apple hardware. Apple Notes keeps everything free and synced across iPhone, iPad, and Mac via iCloud. Learn how to convert your Bear notes to Apple Notes in a few simple steps below.
Export your Bear notes
-
Open Bear on your Mac: Bear's export tools are most complete on macOS.
-
Select the notes you want to export:
- Mac: To export all your notes, go to File → Export Notes. To export specific notes, select the notes you want to export, then right-click or Control-click your selection and choose Export...
- iPhone or iPad: Swipe right in the note list with two fingers, tap the notes you want to export, then tap the more icon and choose Export...
-
Set the export options: Set "Export as" to Markdown, make sure "Export attachments" is checked, and uncheck both "base64 images" and "Merge notes in single file".
-
Save the export:
- Mac: Choose a folder to save your notes and click Export Notes. Each note comes out as its own Markdown file.
- iPhone or iPad: Choose where to save your notes. Each note comes out as its own Markdown file — compress the folder into a .zip file so Notes Convert can read it.
For the full rundown of export options, see Bear's export guide.
Convert your notes
With your notes exported, the conversion itself takes seconds. We'll use our app Notes Convert, the only notes conversion tool on the market, that runs entirely on your device. You can download Notes Convert here. It's free for 50 notes, and inexpensive for unlimited notes.
-
Import into Notes Convert: Open Notes Convert and set the import format to Bear. Click Open Folder… and select the folder you exported from Bear, or click Open File… and select a .zip of that folder. If you only need to convert one individual note, click Open File… and select that note's .md file. Notes Convert turns them into the target format with their titles and text intact.
-
Choose Apple Notes and convert: Pick Apple Notes as the output format, click Convert, choose where to save your notes, and wait for the conversion.
Import into Apple Notes
-
Open the Notes app on your Mac: Import works best on macOS.
-
Import your ENEX file: Notes Convert exports your notes to Apple Notes as an .enex file. In the Notes menu, go to File → Import Notes… (called Import to Notes on the newest macOS), select the .enex file Notes Convert produced, and click Import. Apple Notes turns each note in the file into a new note.
-
Let iCloud sync: Your new notes appear on your iPhone and iPad automatically once iCloud finishes syncing.
Done
Your Apple Notes are ready to be used any way you want. Enjoy!
If you want useful tips for organizing your notes, fun videos or updates, follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter.