Back in 2013, three friends who loved Apple and design couldn't find a notes app they liked, so they built their own. That side project became Bear. It arrived on the App Store in November 2016 and within a year it had been named Mac App of the Year and won an Apple Design Award. This November, the little Bear turns 10. Today it helps millions of people around the world capture their ideas and organize their lives every day, and the developers feel so much love and support from all of you along the way.
Bear 1.0 launched with the idea of building a notes app that fit how they write. Their day job was building apps and websites for clients. The first prototype came in October 2014, and friends loved it. November 2016 was launch day, hitting #1 on Product Hunt. December 2016 brought Mac App of the Year, and June 2017 brought an Apple Design Award. In 2018, they started rewriting the editor from scratch, code name "Panda." July 2023 saw Bear 2 launch with an all-new editor and 20+ new features. July 2025 marked the Bear Web beta.
Over the years, one thing users hear again and again is that Bear just feels good to use. For this special 10th anniversary, the team shares the principles behind every design decision. Big or small, visible or under the hood, they all follow two principles: Bear should be delightful to use and safe to trust. A feeling-good experience by design includes simple, no-sign-up writing; natural quality of life touches like moving lines with shortcuts; and rewarding exploration moments like snapping images or sliding to view the Info Panel. The team signs off every post with "Happy writing!" to encourage users.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing