Where Does Stickies Store Notes on Mac?
Where Stickies keeps notes on modern macOS versus the legacy database file, and how to move them over.
Last updated
Stickies on modern macOS keeps each note as an RTFD bundle inside its sandbox container, a migration from the old single StickiesDatabase file. Catalina performed the split automatically on first launch. The legacy file lingers ignored on upgraded machines.
That history explains every conflicting guide: pre-Catalina paths name the database file, current ones name the container folder. Moving machines means copying the container Stickies folder with the app closed. Individual bundles open anywhere RTF reads.
Where Stickies stores this, by platform
~/Library/Containers/Stickies/Data/Library/Stickies
Per-note RTFD bundles on Catalina and later inside the sandbox container. Copy the folder with the app closed for migration. Legacy ~/Library/StickiesDatabase auto-converts when placed and launched. Each bundle previews in Quick Look.
Frequently asked questions
how do I move Stickies to a new Mac
Copy the Stickies folder from the Containers tree to the same spot on the new Mac with the app closed. Each note is an RTFD bundle inside. The legacy single-file database migrates automatically when placed in Library and launched.
how do I import an old StickiesDatabase
Drop the old StickiesDatabase file into ~/Library and launch the app to trigger conversion. Catalina and later split it into per-note RTFD folders. The original file stays ignored afterward, so archive it elsewhere.
can I read notes without the app
Browse the Containers Stickies folder where each note keeps text.rtf plus images. Quick Look previews bundle contents without opening the app. Copy bundles out for plain files, or export through the app for cleaner results.
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