macOS & iOS
Jotaid runs on both Mac and iPhone with the same data model, but the two platforms navigate very differently. If you learned one first, this page bridges the gap.
Navigation at a Glance
| macOS | iOS | |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Three-pane window | Single screen with a side drawer |
| Switch views | ⌃1 / ⌃2 / ⌃3, or the toggle in the toolbar | Open the left drawer (hamburger) and tap List / Canvas / Node |
| Commands | Menu bar + keyboard shortcuts | On-screen buttons and gestures |
| Quick capture | Floating Quick Note window (⇧⌘J) | Quick Note is the launch screen |
Coming from macOS?
On iOS there are no keyboard shortcuts for switching modes. The List / Canvas / Node switch lives in the left drawer — tap the hamburger icon to open it. This is the single most common thing Mac users can't find on iPhone.
The Three Views
Both platforms share the same three views — only the way you reach them differs:
- List — a scrollable column of notes, for fast reading and capture
- Canvas — an infinite board where notes become draggable cards
- Node — your knowledge graph, backlinks, and co-occurrence matrix
Gestures (iOS)
iOS replaces menus and shortcuts with touch:
- Swipe left on a note row — delete, or move to a project
- Long-press a note row — enter multi-select
- Long-press a canvas card — open its action menu (color, delete, etc.)
- Tap the drawer's dimmed area — close the drawer
Info Panels
Rich detail (graph node info, matrix pair details) appears differently per platform:
- macOS: hover a node for a floating info panel; click to pin it open
- iOS: tap a node to open a bottom sheet with the same information
Quick Note
- macOS: Press ⇧⌘J anywhere to summon a floating capture window. It keeps your draft even if it loses focus.
- iOS: Quick Note is where you land on launch. Its Save and New Note button saves the current note and immediately clears for the next one — built for rapid successive capture.
Next: Capturing Ideas covers Quick Note and clipping in depth.