Preview Version Now Available: Details
There has been a lot of interest in Drafts coming to the Mac, so I wanted to give a general update on plans and status of the project as well as a brief preview of what we’ve been working on. Some of the information below is still in flux and may change a little as things shape up, but I expect most of this to remain accurate.
Below is a brief preview video of some of the functionality in place so far…and an FAQ which attempts to address the most common questions about our plans and schedule. I will update this post periodically with new information.
Preview
A short video walkthrough show some of the main window operations in Drafts for Mac. Many user interface elements are still being work on, so the final product will likely vary a bit from this demo.
FAQ
Drafts for Mac? Finally.
Yes, Drafts is coming to the Mac. Much of the groundwork for this release was done while building the Drafts 5 update. We are now in the process of building the Mac user interface and Mac-specific features.
What can Drafts for Mac do?
The initial version of Drafts for Mac will support most of the same draft capture, editing and organization features of Drafts 5 on iOS and all drafts, tags, workspaces, versions, etc. will sync between versions.
The editor will support themes and all the same editing features, syntax highlighting and more.
True to its core, there will be quick-capture tools to easily popup up a window and start typing to start on all your text snippets and notes in Drafts as easily on Mac as you do on iOS.
What can Drafts for Mac NOT do?
The initial release of Drafts for Mac is focused on capture, editing and sync. It will not support actions initially. We do plan full action support for the app in the future – but many can benefit from the ability to create, edit and access all their drafts on both platforms in the meantime while we work to complete the somewhat more complex implementation of cross-platform action support.
Does Drafts for Mac use Marzipan or whatever Apple calls it?
No. Apple announced tools to run iOS apps on Mac coming next year. When those are available we will evaluate whether it makes sense to also incorporate them into the Drafts story, but we want a proper, native Mac experience for Drafts and will be delivering a proper, native Mac app to accomplish that goal.
When will it be released?
Too early to tell exactly. We will begin limited beta testing soon and hope to deliver a release near the end of 2018.
Will Drafts for Mac be a separate purchase?
Drafts for Mac is part of the Drafts family and will operate similar to the iOS version. It will be free to download and use basic features with more advanced features requiring a Drafts Pro subscription. A single pro subscription will cover use of those advanced features on any supported device - there will not be separate subscription required. So your subscription now is already supporting development and helping us get the Mac version out sooner.
What about Drafts for X?
We do not currently have plans for Drafts on platforms other than iOS, macOS and watchOS. Never say never, but these platforms are our focus for the time being.
How do I keep up with news?
If you want to keep up with progress and announcements, sign up for this Community site, or follow @draftsapp on Twitter or Facebook.
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