Desktop Notes | Windows Notes App With Animated Companion

Desktop Notes — Your Ideas, Always Close

Desktop Notes is a Windows notes application with a playful animated desktop companion. Capture ideas, organize checklists, and keep your notes within easy reach.

Write and Organize

Create notes, search titles and content, and organize your writing with five note colors. Format text with bold, italic, underline, bullet lists, numbered lists, checklists, and adjustable text sizes.

Changes save automatically after a short pause. Switching notes, minimizing, or quitting also saves pending edits. Enable Keep on Top to keep the editor visible above other windows.

An Animated Desktop Companion

Minimize the editor to reveal a draggable paper companion. Click it to bounce, double-click to reopen your notes, or hover to access New Note and Open controls.

Quiet mode disables animations and cursor-following eyes. A system-tray menu provides quick access to notes and application controls.

Local Storage and Backups

Your notes are stored locally in a SQLite database. No account, server, subscription, or API key is required to use the installed application.

Restore deleted notes from Trash, export individual notes as HTML or plain text, and export or import JSON backups. The first launch of each day creates a backup snapshot, retaining the latest seven snapshot days.

What Is Included?

The download includes editable Python application source, a portable Windows application, a Windows setup installer, build scripts, automated tests, illustrated English HTML documentation, and third-party license notices.

The installer and portable application include their runtime dependencies. End users do not need Python installed.

Technology and Requirements

Built with Python, PySide6 Essentials, and SQLite. Packaging uses PyInstaller and Inno Setup. Designed for 64-bit Windows 10 version 1809 or later and Windows 11.

Running or building the source requires supported 64-bit Python. Creating the setup installer also requires Inno Setup. Initial source setup requires internet access to download dependencies.

Important Details

Closing the editor keeps the companion running. Choose Quit Desktop Notes from the application or tray menu to exit completely.

Portable program files still store notes in the Windows user’s local data folder. This version does not include cloud synchronization, encryption, password protection, reminders, attachments, or a built-in updater. The default build scripts produce unsigned executables.

Application previews show the implemented interface rendered with Qt on Linux. Windows fonts and system integration may vary. Decorative website illustrations are not included in the download. Third-party components retain their respective licenses.