Stickies places small note windows directly on the Mac desktop. They are useful for temporary notes, phone numbers, reminders, short lists, and information you want visible while using other apps.
Stickies is included with recent macOS versions.
Does This Affect You?
Use Stickies when the full Notes app feels too heavy and you want a note that stays in view on the desktop.
Create and Format a Sticky Note
- Open Stickies from Spotlight or Launchpad.
- Use the first note that opens, or press Command + N for a new note.
- Type inside the note. Stickies saves automatically.
- Use the Color menu to choose yellow, blue, green, pink, purple, or gray.
- Resize from the lower-right corner and drag the title bar to move the note.
Stickies notes remain available until you close or delete them, even after restarting the Mac.
Find Missing Stickies
- Open Stickies again or click its Dock icon to bring its notes forward.
- Check the Window menu for closed notes and choose one to reopen it.
- Check other Desktops or Spaces with a trackpad swipe or Control + Left/Right Arrow.
- As a last resort, note data may be stored under the Stickies container in your Library, but normal users rarely need to touch those files directly.
Stickies Tips
Change Fonts
Select text and use Font > Show Fonts to change typeface, size, and style.
Export a Note
Click a note and choose File > Export to save it as plain text or rich text before deleting it.
Paste Rich Text
Copy formatted text from another app and paste it into a sticky. Formatting such as bold or size often carries over.
Float on Top
Use Window > Float All Stickies on Top to keep notes visible above other app windows.
Sources
- Apple Support: Use Stickies on Mac
- Apple Support: Keep Stickies notes visible on Mac
- Apple Support: Change Stickies settings on Mac