Where Are Apple Stickies Stored on Mac?
Stickies note bundles on modern Macs versus the legacy database, and the migration that loses colors.
Last updated
Modern Stickies (Catalina onward) splits each note into its own RTFD bundle under ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Stickies/Data/Library/Stickies, with colors and positions in the container preferences. Quick Look previews them right in Finder.
Mojave and earlier used a single ~/Library/StickiesDatabase digest instead. Upgrades often botch the migration (yellow resets, lost positions); the repair is placing the old database in ~/Library and launching Stickies on macOS 10.15 through 13 to reconvert, reportedly broken on 14 and 15. Stickies and Notes never shared storage; exporting to Notes frequently fails after migrations.
Where macOS stores this, by platform
~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Stickies/Data/Library/Stickies/
Per note RTFD bundles (TXT.rtf plus images) on Catalina plus. Legacy single file ~/Library/StickiesDatabase on Mojave and earlier. Positions in container prefs. Distinct from Notes.app storage.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up Apple Stickies?
Copy the Stickies folder above (plus container preferences for positions). Each RTFD bundle opens standalone, so restores work note by note with no import step.
My Stickies lost colors after upgrading macOS. How do I fix it?
That is the failed Mojave to Catalina migration. Restore the old StickiesDatabase into ~/Library and launch Stickies on macOS 10.15 through 13 to trigger conversion properly.
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