Bear

Bear is a note-taking and writing app from Shiny Frog that stores notes as Markdown-based plain text while still showing formatting such as bold, italics, headings, links and tables as you type. It is aimed at anyone who writes regularly, from people keeping quick lists and journals to those drafting long documents. Notes are organized with nested tags rather than folders, and notes can link to one another, with backlinks and a table of contents shown in an info panel. There is no sign-up or account required to start writing. On iPad, Bear also supports sketching with Apple Pencil. Other features include an app extension for clipping web pages, Siri and Shortcuts support for creating notes, dictation from Apple Watch, and support for right-to-left scripts such as Arabic and Hebrew. The app is free to download, with a Pro subscription available as an in-app purchase. For iPhone Duo, Shiny Frog's release notes for version 3.0.2, published on the App Store on October 12, 2026, say the app is now ready for the new device. The same update lists a refreshed design for panels and improved automatic sizing for tables. The developer has not published details of any fold-specific behavior, so we list it as adapted rather than built for the fold.

Features

• Markdown-based notes with inline formatting
• Nested tags for organization
• Linked notes with backlinks and table of contents
• No account needed to start writing
• Siri and Shortcuts support
• Web clipping via app extension

Bear's version 3.0.2 release notes on the App Store (October 12, 2026) state that the app is now ready for iPhone Duo. The same update mentions a new panel design and better automatic table sizing, but the developer has not described any behavior specific to folding, the outer display or Split View. DuoDiscover has not yet tested Bear on an iPhone Duo.

Bear is developed by Shiny Frog Ltd..

Official website: bear.app