Where Does Bear Store Notes on Mac?
Bear keeps notes in a local SQLite database on Mac. The exact Group Containers path and where attachments sit.
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Bear stores notes in a SQLite database on macOS. The file is ~/Library/Group Containers/9K33E3U3T4.net.shinyfrog.bear/Application Data/database.sqlite. Tags, note text, and attachment metadata all live in there.
Attachments sit beside it in Application Data/Local Files, split into Note Images and Note Files by attachment UUID. Bear Pro users also get a CloudKit copy, but the local database stays the source of truth on each Mac. iOS keeps its own copy hidden by the system.
Where Bear stores this, by platform
~/Library/Group Containers/9K33E3U3T4.net.shinyfrog.bear/Application Data/database.sqlite
Open it with any SQLite browser while Bear is quit for safest reads. Attachments live in Local Files next to it. The 9K33E3U3T4 prefix is Bear's Apple team ID and is stable across installs.
Frequently asked questions
how do i back up bear notes manually
Quit Bear first, then copy the whole Application Data folder to a safe spot. Copying database.sqlite alone leaves attachments behind. The Local Files subfolder holds images and file attachments by UUID.
can i open the bear database on iphone
Not directly. iOS storage policies hide the database from file browsers. Bear Pro syncs through CloudKit, so edits on iPhone appear on Mac and land in the Mac database file above.
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