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The fastest place to put an idea.

BrainDump is a macOS menu bar scratchpad. Tap ⌘⌥ from anywhere, type, and tap again. No app to open, no note to create, no account.

Download for macOS

macOS 13 or later · 1.2 MB · Free

First time opening it

BrainDump is signed but not yet notarised by Apple, so macOS will warn you once. Right-click the app and choose Open, or run:

xattr -cr /Applications/BrainDump.app

How it works

  1. ⌘⌥The panel slides in from the edge, already focused.
  2. typeThe caret is where you left it. Markdown and checklists if you want them.
  3. ⌘⌥It disappears. You are back in whatever you were doing.

Also in there: search, pinned notes, drag to reorder, markdown that hides its own syntax, clickable checkboxes, file attachments, and export to .md or .txt. Nothing is behind an upgrade.

Where it helps

  • A thought arrives while you are deep in something else, and you do not want to leave it.
  • Someone says a date, a name, or a number on a call and you need it somewhere in two seconds.
  • A running checklist for the day that you do not want living in a project tool.
  • Links, snippets and half-ideas to deal with later.

Good to know

Where notes live
~/Library/Application Support/BrainDump/notes.json — plain JSON you can open in any editor.
Sync
There is none. Notes stay on this Mac. Export any note to .md or .txt if you need it elsewhere.
Accounts
None. No sign-in, no licence key, no email.
Requirements
macOS 13 or later. Universal — Apple silicon and Intel. 1.2 MB.

Made by Azwaf

I build small macOS tools under the name Tembium — tiny tools that disappear into your workflow. BrainDump is the first one. More are on the way.