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Getting started3 min readUpdated August 8, 2026

Write your first note

How to insert things on desktop and mobile, plus the two organizing habits worth forming early.

Open Grape, create a note and start typing. That is the whole setup. The one thing worth knowing is that inserting content works differently on desktop and mobile.

On desktop: the slash menu

Type / on an empty line to insert anything the editor supports: headings, checklists, tables, images, PDFs, a drawing canvas or a voice recording. Markdown shortcuts work as well, so # followed by a space becomes a heading and - followed by a space starts a list.

On mobile: the toolbar above the keyboard

There is no slash menu on the phone. Instead, a formatting toolbar sits directly above the keyboard. It holds text styles, checklists, tables, the voice recorder, the drawing canvas, highlights, attachments, links and more. The row scrolls sideways, so if you do not see a button, swipe the toolbar.

Give the note a home

Notes do not need a folder, but they are easier to find in a month if they have one. See Create folders and subfolders.

Pin what you keep coming back to

Pinning holds a note at the top of the list. Most people end up with two or three pinned notes: a daily scratchpad, a running to do list, and whatever project is loudest this week.

One habit worth forming

Write the note badly and move on. Search works on meaning, so a rough note with the right ideas in it will still come back later. Tidy notes are nice, findable notes are useful.

Try It While the Guide Is Open

Grape is free to install and needs no account, so you can follow along in the real app.