# altocomputer.com This file contains the complete documentation for this site. Last updated: 2026-09-13T15:14:15.837Z --- ## /apps/alto-mail/create-apple-reminder-from-apple-mail # create apple reminder from apple mail 1. Install alto.mail macOS app. 2. Follow alto.mail setup guide for initial use. 3. Click "Add Reminder" button and it will be automatically create new Apple Reminder with the link to the Apple Mail. 4. You will be redirected to the Apple Reminders app and see new reminder. --- ## /apps/alto-mail/privacy # privacy alto.mail does not store sensitive information. Please [report](mailto:alto@tinysend.com) any security vulnerability. If there is a security breach, I promise to disclose it. --- ## /apps/alto-settings/privacy # privacy Alto Settings does not store sensitive information. Please [report](mailto:alto@tinysend.com) any security vulnerability. If there is a security breach, I promise to disclose it. --- ## /apps/alto-start/how-to-change-home-page-on-safari # how to change home page on safari changing your home page in safari is easy and can be done in a few steps: 1. open safari on your device 2. click on "safari" in the menu bar at the top of your screen 3. select "preferences" (or settings on newer versions) 4. click on the "general" tab 5. locate the "homepage" field at the top 6. enter the web address (url) of the website you want as your home page 7. close the preferences window your new home page will now load whenever you: - click the home icon in the safari toolbar - open a new window - start safari (if you've set it to open with your homepage) tip: you can also set your current page as the homepage by clicking "set to current page" next to the homepage field. --- ## /apps/alto-start/how-to-change-start-page-on-safari # how to change start page on safari changing your start page in safari is easy and can be done in a few steps: 1. open safari on your device 2. click on "safari" in the menu bar at the top of your screen 3. select "preferences" (or settings on newer versions) 4. click on the "general" tab 5. locate the "homepage" field at the top 6. enter the web address (url) of the website you want as your start page 7. close the preferences window your new start page will now load whenever you: - click the home icon in the safari toolbar - open a new window - start safari (if you've set it to open with your start page) tip: you can also set your current page as the start page by clicking "set to current page" next to the homepage field. --- ## /apps/alto-start/privacy # privacy alto.start does not store sensitive information. Please [report](mailto:alto@tinysend.com) any security vulnerability. If there is a security breach, I promise to disclose it. --- ## /apps/alto-start/safari-start-page # safari start page a safari start page (also called homepage) is the webpage that automatically opens when you launch safari or click the home button. it's a convenient way to access your favorite website right when you start browsing. there are two main ways to use safari start page: ## custom website start page 1. open safari on your device 2. click on "safari" in the menu bar at the top of your screen 3. select "preferences" (or settings on newer versions) 4. click on the "general" tab 5. locate the "homepage" field at the top 6. enter the web address (url) of the website you want as your start page 7. close the preferences window ## built-in start page - safari's built-in start page shows your frequently visited sites - displays your favorite bookmarks - shows a privacy report - includes siri suggestions - can be customized by clicking the settings icon in the bottom-right your selected start page will appear whenever you: - click the home icon in the safari toolbar - open a new window - launch safari (if configured in preferences) tip: to quickly set any current webpage as your start page, click "set to current page" in the homepage preferences. --- ## /apps/clipper/privacy # privacy Apple Notes Web Clipper does not store sensitive information. Please [report](mailto:alto@tinysend.com) any security vulnerability. If there is a security breach, I promise to disclose it. --- ## /apps/daily/faq # faq Get alto.daily on the App Store: [for iPhone](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alto-daily/id6478018751) · [for Mac](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alto-daily/id6478018751?mt=12) ## Is alto.daily free? Yes. The core is free: the habit grid, the year graph, ticking and unticking, home screen and lock screen widgets with their tick buttons, targets and rest days, notifications, the multi-list dashboard, the weekly summary, and Siri, Shortcuts, Control Center and Spotlight support. Pro is a single one-time purchase — $9.99 in the US, [adjusted per country](/apps/daily/pricing) — not a subscription. It adds the month view, and recording roughly where you do a habit, with a map of it. ## Is it a subscription? No. Pro is one payment, once. There is no monthly plan. ## Where is my data stored? In Apple Reminders. alto.daily does not have its own database or account — your habits are regular recurring reminders in your iCloud. If you delete the app, all your habits and history stay in Apple Reminders. ## Does it sync between iPhone and Mac? Yes, through Apple Reminders and iCloud. Complete a habit on any device — iPhone, Mac, or your Apple Watch using Apple's own Reminders app — and every device sees it. ## How do I add a new habit? Create a reminder in Apple Reminders, give it a date, and set Repeat to Daily. Any daily recurring reminder shows up in alto.daily. You can keep all habits in one list (for example a list called Daily) or spread them across as many lists as you want. ## Do I have to open the app to complete a habit? No. Complete the reminder anywhere — in Apple Reminders, on your Apple Watch in Apple's Reminders app, or in alto.daily directly. Everything stays in sync because it is all the same reminder. ## Does alto.daily track me? No accounts, no analytics of your habits, no servers. Your data lives in Apple Reminders on your devices and in your iCloud. See the [privacy policy](/apps/daily/privacy). ## What devices does it work on? iPhone and Mac. [Download for iPhone](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alto-daily/id6478018751) or [download for Mac](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alto-daily/id6478018751?mt=12). ## How do I get help? Open the app, tap the `?` in the header and send a problem, an idea or a question — it reaches me directly. Or email [daily@tinysend.com](mailto:daily@tinysend.com). --- ## /apps/daily/how-to-track-habits-in-apple-reminders # how to track habits in Apple Reminders Apple Reminders can track habits on its own, free, on every Apple device. ## set up a habit in Reminders 1. Open Apple Reminders and create a list for your habits, for example one called Daily. 2. Add one reminder per habit: "Read 20 minutes", "Stretch", "No sugar". Emojis work well as visual markers. 3. Give each reminder a date and time, then set Repeat to Daily. 4. Each day, tick the reminder when the habit is done. Tomorrow it comes back on its own. That gives you recurring habits, notifications at the time you chose, sync across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch, and Siri ("add stretch to my Daily list, repeat daily"). ## what Reminders will not show you History. When you complete a recurring reminder, it rolls to tomorrow — Reminders shows today, not your year. There is no streak and no picture of your progress. ## seeing your progress: alto.daily [alto.daily](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alto-daily/id6478018751) is a free app for iPhone and Mac that reads the same recurring reminders and draws a yearly heatmap per habit. Your habits stay ordinary Apple Reminders in your iCloud — complete them in Reminders, on your Watch, or in alto.daily. Delete the app and your data is still in Reminders. Start with plain Apple Reminders — it might be enough. For streaks and the year at a glance, alto.daily adds that, free. [Download alto.daily for iPhone](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alto-daily/id6478018751) [Download alto.daily for Mac](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alto-daily/id6478018751?mt=12) See the [faq](/apps/daily/faq) for what is free and what is in the one-time Pro purchase. --- ## /apps/daily/pricing # pricing The core app is free. Pro is a one-time purchase. There is no subscription. ## free The habit grid, the year graph, ticking and unticking, the home screen and lock screen widgets with their tick buttons, goals and rest days, starred lists, notifications, the weekly summary, the share card, and Siri, Shortcuts, Control Center and Spotlight support. ## Pro $9.99, once. US price. Adds the month view, and recording roughly where you do a habit — the neighbourhood, never the address — with a map of it. ## pricing per country $9.99 is the US price. Pro is priced per country, matched to local purchasing power — in India it is ₹169. The App Store shows your local price. [Download alto.daily for iPhone](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alto-daily/id6478018751) · [for Mac](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alto-daily/id6478018751?mt=12) More: [faq](/apps/daily/faq) --- ## /apps/daily/privacy # privacy alto.daily does not store sensitive information. Your habits live in Apple Reminders and stay on your device and in your iCloud. Please [report](mailto:daily@tinysend.com) any security vulnerability. If there is a security breach, I promise to disclose it. --- ## /apps/notes-exporter/notes/claude # use Apple Notes in Claude Two ways to give Claude (or any AI tool) your Apple Notes. ## plain files Export your notes as Markdown — [how to export Apple Notes](/apps/notes-exporter/notes) — and point any tool at the folder. Claude Code, Cursor, and every file-reading AI can search Markdown. This works with any exporter for a one-time snapshot. ## live, over MCP [Notes Exporter](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notesexporter/id6741618455?mt=12) keeps the export syncing in real time and serves it over a built-in local MCP server — Claude reads your current notes, messages, contacts and Screen Time. Setup: [connect the MCP server](/apps/notes-exporter/notes/mcp). Examples: - "find my notes about the kitchen renovation and summarize where we landed" - "what did Anna and I agree about the trip, in notes or in our messages?" - "draft a follow-up from my meeting notes from Tuesday" - "how has my screen time trended since I deleted the news apps?" Everything stays local — the server runs on your Mac and serves only what you exported. [Download Notes Exporter for Mac](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notesexporter/id6741618455?mt=12) More: [faq](/apps/notes-exporter/faq) --- ## /apps/notes-exporter/notes/mcp # connect the MCP server Notes Exporter runs a built-in MCP (Model Context Protocol) server on your Mac. MCP is the open standard AI tools use to reach external data — connecting it means Claude, Cursor, and VS Code can read your exported notes, contacts, conversations and Screen Time as context, locally. ## setup 1. Install [Notes Exporter](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notesexporter/id6741618455?mt=12) and export the sources you want available. 2. Open the MCP section in the app — the server runs locally (localhost), and there is one-click connect for Claude, Cursor, and VS Code. 3. Ask your AI tool about your own data. The server serves what you exported — nothing more. ## why MCP instead of copy-paste - the AI searches across everything you exported instead of what fits in one paste - always current: exports sync in real time, so the answers reflect today's notes and messages - scoped: only the sources you exported are visible Examples: [use Apple Notes in Claude](/apps/notes-exporter/notes/claude). [Download Notes Exporter for Mac](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notesexporter/id6741618455?mt=12) --- ## /apps/notes-exporter/notes/obsidian # Apple Notes to Obsidian Two routes to get Apple Notes into an Obsidian vault as Markdown. ## Obsidian's official Importer The Obsidian team ships a free Importer plugin that reads Apple Notes and writes them into your vault. For a one-time migration, install Importer and run it once. It is a one-time import: later edits in Apple Notes are not reflected in the vault. ## Notes Exporter [Notes Exporter](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notesexporter/id6741618455?mt=12) keeps the vault current while you keep using Apple Notes: 1. Point the export at your vault (or a folder inside it) and connect the vault — there is an "open in obsidian" button once connected. 2. Notes export as Markdown with YAML front matter, and dates arrive as real Obsidian date properties — created/modified sort and filter like native vault notes. 3. Edit a note in Apple Notes and the file updates automatically, in the background — real-time sync, not re-runs. 4. Pre-built bases give you table views over your notes, and the companion Obsidian plugin shows sync status inside the vault. 5. Attachments export alongside the notes; deep links reopen any note back in Apple Notes. The first 100 notes are free and re-syncing them stays free. Unlimited notes are a one-time $4.99 (US price, [adjusted per country](/apps/notes-exporter/pricing)) — not a subscription. [Download Notes Exporter for Mac](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notesexporter/id6741618455?mt=12) More: [how to export Apple Notes](/apps/notes-exporter/notes) · [faq](/apps/notes-exporter/faq) --- ## /apps/notes-exporter/faq # faq Get Notes Exporter on the App Store: [Download for Mac](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notesexporter/id6741618455?mt=12) ## What can Notes Exporter export? Apple Notes, Messages (iMessage), Contacts, Bear, and Logseq — as Markdown or HTML files on your Mac. Attachments are exported alongside your notes, and photos people sent you in iMessage are converted so they actually display. ## Is it free? Every source has a free tier: 100 Apple Notes, 100 contacts, and 10 conversations. Re-syncing anything you have already exported stays free forever. Unlocking unlimited export is a one-time $4.99 per source (US price, [adjusted per country](/apps/notes-exporter/pricing)) — not a subscription. Bear and Logseq export is completely free. ## Does it keep my export up to date? Yes. Notes Exporter is a sync tool, not a one-shot exporter: it auto-exports when anything changes, works in the background, and can launch at login with a menu bar mode. Your folder of Markdown files stays current. ## What does the Markdown look like? Markdown with YAML front matter: title, created and modified dates, folders, nested tags, word counts, and a deep link that reopens every note in its source app. iMessage conversations become one Markdown file per chat with a heading per day, reactions attached to the message they belong to, edit history, and replies as real links. Contact cards become Markdown files with phones, emails, addresses and groups — chats link to people, and people list their conversations. ## Does it work with Obsidian? Yes: dates show up as real date properties, there are pre-built bases, and a companion plugin shows sync status inside your vault. ## Can AI tools read my exported notes? Yes, two ways. The exports are plain local files, so any tool can read them. And Notes Exporter has a built-in MCP server that serves your notes, contacts and conversations as context to Claude, Cursor, and VS Code — one-click connect. ## Where does my data go? Nowhere. Exports are plain files on your Mac. There is no cloud, no account, no upload. See the [privacy policy](/apps/notes-exporter/privacy). ## What platforms? Mac only. [Download for Mac](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notesexporter/id6741618455?mt=12). --- ## /apps/notes-exporter/pricing # pricing Each source is a one-time purchase. There is no subscription. ## free tier - 100 Apple Notes, 100 contacts, and your 10 most recent conversations export free - re-syncing anything you already exported stays free - Screen Time: your 10 most recent days export free - Bear and Logseq: free, no limit ## unlock Unlimited export of a source: $4.99, once. US price. ## pricing per country $4.99 is the US price. Prices are set per country, matched to local purchasing power — in India the unlock is ₹80. The App Store shows your local price. [Download Notes Exporter for Mac](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notesexporter/id6741618455?mt=12) More: [faq](/apps/notes-exporter/faq) · [all guides](/apps/notes-exporter/guides) --- ## /apps/notes-exporter/privacy # privacy Notes Exporter does not store sensitive information. Please [report](mailto:alto@tinysend.com) any security vulnerability. If there is a security breach, I promise to disclose it. --- ## /apps/alto-calendar # alto.calendar An app to create summary Busy/Free calendar from all your Apple Calendars. This way you can share this new calendar with your significant other or friends and they will know when you are busy or free. Works the other way too - ask them to create their calendars and you can see when they are free or all of you are. [Download for Mac](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alto-calendar/id6670268848) ## changelog - 1.9 (Sep 13, 2024): Minor changes. - 1.8 (Sep 16, 2024): Minor changes. - 1.7 (Sep 15, 2024): New way to show calendars overlap. - 1.6 (Sep 10, 2024): Minor changes. - 1.5 (Sep 4, 2024): Minor changes. - 1.4 (Sep 4, 2024): Minor changes. - 1.3 (Sep 2, 2024): Minor changes. - 1.2 (Sep 1, 2024): Minor changes. - 1.1 (Aug 30, 2024): Minor changes. - 1.0 (Aug 30, 2024): Initial release. --- ## /apps/alto-computer # alto.computer alto.computer is macOS app that adds new functionality to Apple Notes: - shows backlinks between Apple Notes - create Apple Reminders from Notes - copy link to the Notes - create new Notes from the templates But most importantly it allows you to publish your Apple Notes online. This is where [alto.so](https://alto.so) comes in. It's a web site that hosts and displays your published Apple Notes. More than that, you can configure any Apple Notes folder to become a dedicated website with custom domain name. You can use your Apple Notes as Content Management System. [Download for Mac](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alto-computer/id6480425094?mt=12) ## changelog - 1.59 (Oct 21, 2024): Add ability to unpublish website. - 1.0 (Apr 10, 2024): Initial release. --- ## /apps/recuremail # recuremail recuremail is the easiest way to create and send a newsletter. ## steps are simple 1. [signup](https://recuremail.com/) 2. create newsletter 3. start sending emails directly from your Mail client 4. ... that is it. no need to learn new tools ## how is it different 1. it's the simplest possible tool 2. no marketing fluff. No fancy templates. No complex interfaces 3. the focus is on sending authentic emails ## how to send new email 1. open your Mail client 2. write your email -> send it to your newsletter address 3. we will deliver it to everyone 4. that is it. No need to learn new tools [visit online](https://recuremail.com) ## changelog - 1.1 (Oct 22, 2024): Send email to the owner when wrong incoming email address was used. - 1.0 (Jul 18, 2024): Relaunch under the new domain name. --- ## /people/anton # anton anton.jpeg anton is behind most of the apps and posts. --- ## /people/claude # claude claude is extremely helpful with developing iOS and macOS apps. --- ## /words/apple-notes-is-your-cms # Apple Notes is your CMS Many people use Apple Notes as a place for temporary and transient documents. You write something on your laptop. Then you copy it into some external online service like Notion or Google Docs for collaboration. Then you copy it again into WordPress for public content like blog posts. You end up in a situation where different versions of the same document/content live in different systems. You have many tools and a kind of content pipeline where your content is transferred from one app to another. I propose a different way. Use Apple Notes as your Content Management System (CMS). Use it to write drafts, collaborate with people, and publish things online. Keep the source content in Apple Notes and then syndicate it to online services automatically. You only need to syndicate public documents. Private documents and notes can be shared with other people using native Apple collaboration functionality. For free. Simple workflow is usually better than a complex one. So do keep it simple. --- ## /words/principles # Principles I'm an aspiring believer in "actions over words" maxim. As Alfred Korzybski once said "A map is not the territory it represents." In the same vein, words are not actions. But as we still need maps to start navigating where we want to go, we do need words to try to describe what we want to accomplish and in what manner. That is why before starting Alto I decided to write down some core beliefs that I have about software and how it should be. My hope is to come back to this list in the future and see what was achieved and what was not. But I also want to explore how my beliefs changed over that time. Life is a learning journey, after all. So in the spirit of openness and for the purpose of education and self-reflection later here is my list. ## No lock in Users of the software should always be able to not only put data in, but take data out. The effort and experience of those operations should match. It shouldn't be appropriate to optimize flows for data import and make it incredibly hard to get data out. ## Open formats and protocols Strive for using open data formats. Strive for making data and software interoperable. ## Trust and verification It should be transparent about what software does. Changes should be traceable and auditable. This builds trust between user and software and people. ## Bicycle for the mind In 1980 Steve Jobs said that "the computer is the most remarkable tool that we've ever come up with. It's the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds." Software should be a bit magical and enable some new ways and modes of thinking. ## 80/20 Optimize software to handle 80% of most common cases, optimize UI flows for 80% of users, and so on. E.g. if you know the most common case - just apply it automatically and tell the user what you did. Also allow user to revert the change, so she stays in control. ## Data vs UI Data can be viewed in a lot of different ways. Tools we use to see something influence what we see. John Berger once talked about it applied to the works of art. Same principles can be extended to the software. The goal here is to achieve a plurality of view possibilities over a single source of data. This can be done through building different options ourselves or by providing proper tools to do 3rd party implementations. ## Multi-tenancy Allow software to be used in local and cloud contexts. Maxim here is local-first software, which is not always possible to achieve, but a good goal to have. ## People-first Power of the people and to the people. Strive to write software that empowers people but also uses people's contributions to improve the product for everyone. ## No tracking for ads If there is a need to collect analytical data, expose this back to users. Don't collect data to use it for ads. ## Make it personal Software/product/company. Eg companies are not physical real world entities (in a way that Yuval Noah Harari talks about them). This is why this blog is written in first-person view. I write about what I believe in. It's my playbook to stick to. I can try to make my team mates like and follow some of them, but ultimately everyone is their own person. And a company or a team as a single unified entity is an illusion. --- Those are all aspirations at this point. Whenever I'll make a decision to implement or not implement something, ideally it should connect to one of those principles. --- ## /contact # contact reach out with questions. - email: alto@tinysend.com - imessage: +14159108321 - [public.me](https://public.me/anton) - [twitter](https://twitter.com/montaigne_io) ---