I want to export (or transfer) all notes from the Apple Notes app to a note taking app on a different platform. So I need to bulk copy or move all the notes I have in Apple Notes to Linux. Is there any way to do this?
From what I've tried, the Notes app on the MacBook can only export a single note as an unmodifiable PDF, by using the export as PDF button. I want to be able to export all notes in the Notes app in one go as modifiable text files, and for the export operation to preserve all images and links in each note.
Best Answer
The Apple Notes program does not offer such a feature, nor does Apple offer other export tools that would handle this.
In regards to exporting as a simple text file - you cannot actually do that while preserving images and other features in the notes. The PDF export is good for "static usage" (i.e. if you're not going to edit the notes afterwards).
If you look at third party solutions, I would look at the following:
Your best bet is probably third party exports such as the "Apple Cloud Notes Parser" project:
https://github.com/threeplanetssoftware/apple_cloud_notes_parser
Alternatively you can run a third party Apple Notes client on Linux and keep using Apple's service:
https://github.com/xfanatical/linux-client-for-icloud-notes
The third option is IMAP: The Notes program supports IMAP accounts. You can use a third party mail service and add that as an account and then copy your notes to that service within Apple Notes. Then you can copy the actual IMAP emails that these notes are stored within on Linux. It is not in a standard format that is readily usable by other notes programs unfortunately.