How to Setup Apple Notes MCP Server

Want your AI assistant to search through and interact with your Apple Notes? You’re probably looking for a way to connect Claude, Cursor, or another AI assistant to your Mac’s notes app.

Let me walk you through the best approach for getting this set up.

Why Existing MCP Servers Are Too Technical

Most notes MCP servers out there have a few limitations:

• Complex installation process with multiple steps and dependencies
• Only work with Apple Notes - can’t control other apps
• Need separate MCP servers for each app you want to automate
• Limited functionality compared to universal solutions

Macuse: One Tool for Everything

Instead of installing separate MCP servers for every single app you want to control, Macuse handles everything in one installation.

Macuse can control pretty much any Mac app - Notes, Calendar, Reminders, Safari, you name it.

Why I’d Go with Macuse Instead

Look, here’s why I think Macuse makes more sense:

One setup vs. many setups: Instead of configuring separate MCP servers for Notes, Calendar, Reminders, etc., you just install one thing.

Cross-app workflows: Your AI can do stuff like “Find my meeting notes from last week and create reminders for the action items.” Try doing that with individual MCP servers.

No technical setup required: Some solutions need you to install Bun, clone repos, edit config files. Macuse just works.

How to Set Up Macuse for Apple Notes

What You’ll Need

• A Mac running macOS 10.15 or newer
• Claude Desktop, Cursor, or another MCP-compatible AI assistant
• Admin access on your Mac

The Setup Process

Step 1: Get Macuse

Download it from the official site and install it like any other Mac app.

Download Macuse →

Step 2: Connect Your AI Assistant

You’ll need to tell your AI assistant about Macuse. The exact steps depend on what you’re using:

• Claude Desktop: Add Macuse to your MCP config
• Cursor: Set it up in your MCP settings
• Other tools: Check the setup guide that comes with Macuse

Step 3: Give Macuse Permissions

macOS will ask you to give Macuse permission to control your apps. Just click “Allow” when prompted, or you can set it up manually in System Preferences > Security & Privacy.

What You Can Do with Apple Notes

Once everything’s set up, you can just talk to your AI assistant like this:

Search and find notes:

• “Find my notes about the client meeting from last week”
• “Show me all notes tagged with ‘project ideas’”
• “Search for notes containing budget information”

Create and manage notes:

• “Create a new note called ‘Weekly Goals’ with my tasks”
• “Add today’s meeting notes to my work folder”
• “Update my project status note with the latest progress”

Organize content:

• “Find duplicate notes and help me clean them up”
• “Organize my random notes into proper categories”
• “Extract action items from my meeting notes”

The Cool Stuff (Cross-App Workflows)

Here’s where Macuse really shines - it can work across multiple apps at once:

Notes + Reminders: “Go through my meeting notes and create reminders for any action items I wrote down”

Notes + Calendar: “Check my notes for any mentioned dates and add them to my calendar as events”

Notes + Email: “Find contact information in my notes and draft an email to John about the project”

This is the kind of stuff you can’t do with single-purpose MCP servers.

Quick Troubleshooting

If your AI can’t access Notes: Check System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy and make sure Macuse has the right permissions.

If Macuse isn’t showing up in your AI assistant: Double-check your MCP configuration - probably a typo in the config file.

If search isn’t working well: Try using more specific keywords or ask your AI to search for exact phrases.

Single-App vs Universal Solutions

Bottom Line

If you just want to search Apple Notes and don’t mind the technical setup, dedicated notes MCP servers will do the job (though you might need to install development tools, clone repos, and grant Full Disk Access).

But if you want your AI to actually be useful across your whole Mac workflow - managing notes, calendar, reminders, AND web browsing - then Macuse is the way to go.

Plus, you’ll only have to set it up once instead of installing and configuring separate MCP servers for every app you want to control.

Ready to transform your macOS productivity with AI automation? Download Macuse and experience the power of universal macOS control for your AI assistant.