About MindNode

Every great idea starts with a single thought. And another. And a million more. Whether you’re sipping coffee or lying on a beach — MindNode helps you capture those ideas and turn them into a clear visual.

This user guide is for the classic MindNode app. Check out the section on MindNode Next here.

Requirements

MindNode for Mac requires a Mac running macOS Ventura 13.0 or later.

MindNode for iOS/iPadOS requires an iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 16.0 or later or an iPad running iPadOS 16.0 or later.

MindNode for Apple Watch requires an Apple Watch running watchOS 9.0 or later.

Languages

MindNode is localized in 15 languages: Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Thai.

Support

Check out our Support Articles and read the answers to the most common questions if you have any questions. You can also email us at support@mindnode.com.

Glossary

Node: a space where you can add text and images — each representing a thought, topic, or idea.

Node well: where you create a new node (represented by a + symbol).

Main node: the central idea or topic of your MindNode mind map.

Child node: a thought/idea that is connected to another one.

Sibling nodes: thoughts/ideas on the same branch at the same level.

Parent node: the initial thought/idea that connects sibling nodes.

Branch: a group of thoughts/ideas related to one another.

Connection: an alternative way of connecting thoughts/ideas on the same or different branches.

Canvas: the area outside nodes, the background, so to speak.

Stickers: visual illustrations you can add to your MindNode mind map to make things more fun.

Notes: a way to expand on your thoughts/ideas without them always being visible.

Tags: a way of making nodes (aka. thoughts and ideas) searchable, no matter where they are located on your MindNode mind map.

What is mind mapping?

Many ideas or projects start with a spark of inspiration or thought. Then another and a million more follow. Suddenly, your head is spinning, which is when it can get challenging to keep track and stay focused. Mind maps are a visual tool to untangle the idea knots in your head and gain visual clarity. And MindNode is a simple yet powerful tool based on this very concept. This User Guide will walk you through the idea of mind mapping and every step of creating a MindNode mind map from start to finish.

Mind mapping: this is how it works

Let's say you want to open up your own coffee shop. It's been on your mind for quite some time, but it's such a big move — you just don't know where to start. This is the perfect time to brainstorm and get clarity using a MindNode mind map. Every mind map begins with a central idea or topic, called the main node. You decide to name it "My Coffee Shop" — to make things a little more visually appealing, you could also add a coffee mug sticker.

Coffee is, of course, the first thing you think of, so you might go ahead and add that as a so-called child node. But, thinking of coffee, you might also want to serve milkshakes. And what about your family-favorite muffin recipe? That needs to go on the menu too.

Thinking about muffins, you just realized that many of your friends are now living plant-based, so having vegan options is a no-brainer. And based on your core values, it's pretty clear that you want to source fresh, organic coffee beans.

The MindNode mind map is starting to get a little busy. So, it's time to create a hierarchy. So you decide to group values and the menu into new branches.

Step by step, your mind map grows and takes shape. You continuously add new items and move things around. This aspect is the beauty of digital mind mapping: everything seems chaotic at first, but slowly it transforms into a clear visual.

When to use MindNode mind mapping?

There are endless use cases for MindNode mind mapping, and each one is as unique as you are. You can use it to create a new website, visualize and improve a process, or even plan your wedding. If you can think of it, you can MindNode it.

Step-by-step guide

Now that we've covered the basics, let's jump right in and help you get started with your first MindNode mind map on your device.

We'll start simple. You'll learn how to capture your thoughts by writing them down and connecting them. Next, we'll dive into features that will help you structure and re-organize them so that you can gain even more clarity. And last but not least, we'll talk about advanced features like optimizing your workflow, using gestures, and more.

You can follow the instructions on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad. MindNode works similarly on all devices, and if not — we'll point it out.

Your (first) thoughts

Go ahead and launch MindNode on your device. If you're launching MindNode for the first time, the app will guide you through a short onboarding flow.

Create a new file on your Mac by selecting File > New from the main menu. On iOS, tap the plus button in the browser tab.

MindNode will automatically create a new main node to get you started. Double-click or double-tap it to start adding text to it. Go ahead and add your first idea here. If you want to follow our example, type in "My Coffee Shop".

Should you want to add text in the following line of the node, press Option ⌥ + Enter.

You can end editing the text in the node by clicking or tapping on the canvas (outside the node) or pressing Enter on a hardware keyboard.

Next, we will create a new child node. On a Mac, use your cursor to hover over the main node and reveal the node well (a plus-shaped button next to the node). On iOS, the node well will automatically appear when a node is selected. You can select a node by clicking or tapping on it. Then, click or tap on the node well to create a new child node.

Continue brainstorming by adding new child nodes. Another way to do so is by pressing the Tab ⇥ key when a node is selected.

To create nodes at the same level, aka sibling nodes, press Enter with a node selected. On iOS, tapping Enter three times on the software keyboard creates a new sibling node, and tapping Space three times will create a new child node.

To add a node before a node — a parent node — press Shift ⇧ + Tab ⇥.

A new main node might be good for free-floating ideas or big topics. Press Shift ⇧ + Enter to
create one or click/tap on the canvas and select it from the context menu.

To delete a node, you can now press Backspace ← or select Delete Node from the action tab in the panel on iOS, or the context menu, which also deletes all child nodes. If you just want to remove that node press Option ⌥ + Backspace ← or select Delete Single Node from the action tab in the panel on iOS. Its child nodes will reconnect to the node before it.

Adding stickers

Working with stickers makes mind mapping a lot more fun, visually appealing and also means you can let your style and personality shine through. To add a sticker:

1. Go ahead and select a node.
2. Now, locate and select the Images icon in the toolbar at the top of the screen and choose Stickers (Mac) or select Images > Stickers from the action menu (circle with three dots) (iOS).
3. Scroll through the stickers or use the search bar to look for one you like.
4. If you want to keep the colors in your MindNode mind map more consistent, you can choose between colored or tinted stickers at the bottom of the sticker/image picker (Mac) or by tapping the drop icon at the top right (iOS). Tinted stickers will automatically match the color of the node you have selected.
5. Click or tap on a sticker to add it to your node.

Resize and delete stickers

To resize or delete a sticker, select the node, then tap/click the sticker. Square knobs will appear on the left and right sides of the sticker. By dragging these knobs, you can resize the sticker. You can also delete the sticker by right-clicking, opening the context menu, or pressing Backspace ←.

Adding emojis

Just like adding stickers adding emojis makes mind mapping a lot more fun, visually appealing and also means you can let your style and personality shine through. To add an emoji:

1. Go ahead and select a node.
2. Now, locate and select the Images button in the toolbar at the top of the screen (Mac) or the Images tab from the action menu (circle with three dots) (iOS) and select Emojis.
3. Scroll through the emojis or use the search bar to look for one you like.
4. Click or tap on an emoji to add it to your node.

Resize and delete emojis

To resize or delete an emoji, select a node, then tap/click the emoji. Square knobs will appear on the left and right sides of the emoji. By dragging these knobs, you can resize the emoji. You can also delete the emoji by right-clicking, opening the context menu, or pressing Backspace ←.

Adding photos

Images are also a great way of layering even more personality into your MindNode and giving more context and information at first glance. To add a photo:

1. Go ahead and select a node.
2. Open the image picker via the toolbar (Mac) or choose Photos under the Images tab from the action menu (circle with three dots) (iOS).
   On iOS, you can choose between taking a photo, opening your Photos, or opening your Files at the bottom of the Tab.
   On Mac, you can also use the Continuity Camera to import photos and scan files using your iPhone or iPad — a great feature to attach slides, e.g., when taking notes during a presentation. Open the context menu of the node you want to add the image to and select Import from iPad or iPhone.
3. Next, on iOS, tap the image you want. Then, drag the photo you want to add directly onto the node on your Mac. You can also drag and drop photos from anywhere else on all devices.

Resize and delete photos

Select the node to resize or delete an image, then tap/click the image. Square knobs will appear on the left and right sides. Dragging those will resize the image. You can delete the image via the context menu or by pressing Backspace ←.

To add a PDF as an image to a node, press Option ⌥ and drag & drop the PDF onto the node.

Got more to say?

On your Mac, you can edit images from within your file. Activate the Markup extension in the System Settings > Privacy & Security > Extensions > Actions. To use Markup on your image, select it, open the context menu, and choose Edit Image, which will open the image in a new window, where you can work on it. Once you’re done, click Done, and the changes will be added to your file.

On iOS, select a node with an image, choose Node > Quick Look from the action tab in the toolbar (circle with three dots), tap the pen icon in the upper/bottom right corner, and you can start with Markup. Again, tap Done once you're done. You can also add drawings to nodes — just choose the Add Drawing from the action tab without an image. The drawing will be saved as an image.

Side note:

Images are stored directly in the MindNode file. MindNode accepts all formats compatible with your operating system and imports them as PNGs.

Adding Sketches

Sometimes hand-written notes or sketches can help to visualize your thoughts and ideas even more and will add your very own personality to your mind map. To add sketches:

1. Go ahead and select a node.
2. Open the context menu using the Secondary click on your Trackpad (Mac) or click the Menu icon in the upper right corner next to the Sidebar (iOS).
3. Now, select Import from iPhone or iPad (Mac) or open Nodes (iPhone).
4. Click Add Sketch to add your own personalized notes or drawings.

Adding notes

Notes are a great way to add additional information to a node that you don’t need to see at first glance. Think of the node text as the title of your thought and the note as its description.

1. Go ahead and select a node.
2. On a Mac, open the right sidebar and select the notes tab. On iOS, open the panel and tap on the notes button.
3. Add text into the text field. A small note symbol will appear in your node as soon as you’re done. This symbol indicates that additional content is attached to this node, and if you tap/click it, you can open the note as a pop-up using the keyboard shortcut: Shift ⇧ + Command ⌘ + K.

Adding links

By this point, you'll have learned how to add more and more depth to your mind map. Links are a great way to take this process a step further.

1. As usual, first, go ahead and select a node.
2. Now, you can either type or copy/paste a link directly into the node title.
3. Or, if you want to hyperlink the text, you can select a node or a portion of the text and click Add Link from the Context menu (Mac) or go to the action menu (circle with three dots) > Node > Add Link (iOS).
   Keyboard shortcut: Command ⌘ + K.

Clicking/tapping a node with a link will bring up a pop-over. Clicking/tapping it will open the link.

Linking to other MindNode files

On your Mac, navigate to the menu bar and select Advanced > Copy Link for Opening Document. On iOS, tap and hold the file in MindNode to open the context menu, select Share, and now Copy Link for Opening Document. Then, paste the link wherever you need it.

On your Mac, you can also link to other files via drag & drop or by clicking the Link button in the notes pop-over. Nodes can only have one link to a file.

Keep in mind that the file is not imported into your MindNode file. Instead, an alias is added for the file pointing to its location on your hard drive. If you move the file, the link will not work anymore. Files are also not available to other users who share a MindNode file.

Adding tasks

A mind map can show your ideas and related tasks to achieve a specific goal. Here's how you can create tasks with MindNode.

1. Select the node that’s meant to be a task.
2. Now, locate and select the task icon (check box) in the toolbar (Mac) or choose Node > Add Task from the action menu (circle with three dots) (iOS).
   Keyboard shortcut: Shift ⇧ + Command ⌘ + T.

Only the nodes on the last level will become tasks.

If the selected node has multiple child nodes, these will turn into tasks, and the parent node will now show a progress indicator.

Complete tasks

Click/tap the circle on the node once the task is complete. If you click/tap the progress indicator of a parent node, you’ll get a clickable/tappable pop-over suggesting: Complete All Child Tasks. Keyboard shortcut: Control ⌃ + Command ⌘ + T.

A parent node can have both task children and non-task children.

Quick Entry

Another way to quickly capture your ideas in MindNode is by using Quick Entry. With this feature, you can start outlining your thoughts as a draft and transform them into an entire MindNode file.

Launching Quick Entry

On the Mac, you can access Quick Entry using the menu bar at the top of your screen by clicking the MindNode icon. If you don’t see it, you can activate the icon in MindNode's Preferences menu. (You can also record a keyboard shortcut, letting you open Quick Entry directly at any time.)

On iOS, you can access Quick Entry through the file manager — by tapping the lightning bolt icon in the upper right-hand corner of the Widget.

Capturing ideas using Quick Entry

Here’s how you can take notes in Quick Entry so that you can turn it into a mind map later:

1. Add your first idea (this will be the main node).
2. Hit Enter to capture your next thought; it will be added to the following indented line. Or in other words, you’ll create a child node. (To remove the indentation, hit Enter again.)
3. Use the toolbar button to indent/outdent or press Tab ⇥ (+ Shift ⇧)

You can add:

• Tasks, using the button in the toolbar, or using the text shortcut - []
• Tags, using the button in the toolbar or using the text shortcut # (MindNode can only detect your Tags when you write them at the end of your node title).
• Notes, using the button in the toolbar, or using the text shortcut --

You can also create a MindNode file by selecting the Create file button at the bottom of the screen (Mac)/top (iOS).

Once you’re ready to save your Quick Entry file as a draft:

• on Mac, open the drop-down menu to create a file and select Save Draft
• on iOS, tap Close in the upper left corner and go ahead and choose Save Draft.

Widget

In the spirit of capturing thoughts, the MindNode Widget gives you a quick way of creating new MindNode files. With our widget, you can open Quick Entry, access your recent files, and pinned files directly from the Home Screen on iOS and the Control Center on Mac.

To add the MindNode Widget on your iPhone or iPad, press and hold down on any app or Widget and select Edit Home Screen from the appearing context menu. Now tap the + button in the upper left corner of the screen and search for MindNode

To add the MindNode Widget on your Mac, open the Control Center by clicking on time and date in the upper right corner of the screen, scroll down, click on Edit Widget, and search for MindNode.

You can choose between the small, medium, and large Widgets.

• Small: one pinned or recently used MindNode file.
• Medium: + for new MindNode file, lightning bolt to open Quick Entry, and two pinned or recently used MindNode files.
• Large: + for new MindNode file, lightning bolt to open Quick Entry, two pinned or recently used MindNode files, and a list of recently used files.

Tap Add Widget and drag it to the position you want it to have on your Home Screen.

By default, the Widget will show your recently used files. However, you can also pin files to it.

1. For this, tap/click the Widget again.
2. Select one of the spots for Pinned Mind Maps (upper = left in Widget/lower = right in Widget).
3. Now you can search MindNode files from the list of recently used files. If you can’t find the file you want to pin, please open it in MindNode first, and then you’ll find it here.
4. On iOS, to end editing the Home Screen, tap Done in the upper right corner of your screen.
   On Mac, to end the editing of the Control Center, click Done in the lower right corner of the screen.

You've just learned the essential steps on how to get your thoughts into MindNode . So give it a try, and come back for more features below. Next, we’ll talk about how to organize, connect, and style your mind map.

Organize

Now that you’ve captured your thoughts, it's time to take a closer look. MindNode has plenty of features to rearrange and organize your ideas and thoughts so that you can gain even more clarity. Let’s dive right in.

Reconnecting nodes & navigating through a mind map

The great thing about digital mind mapping (rather than putting pen to paper) is that you can easily change and rearrange the structure and hierarchy — without starting from scratch. We like to call this reconnecting.

To reconnect nodes:

Click/tap and hold a node and start reconnecting.

While holding down, you can also drag the node on top of another node. Once you lift your finger, the node (and all of its child nodes) will attach to the new parent node and match the style. To keep the existing style of the node (and its child nodes), press Option ⌥ while dragging and dropping. You can also make this the default behavior by going to MindNode Preferences (Command ⌘ + , comma on Mac)/Settings (iOS) and deselecting Inherit style when reconnecting.

If you want to change the order of your nodes, you can drag a node to its new place relative to other existing nodes and release it there.

You can also do this by using the Command ⌘ + Arrow keys.

When you’ve selected a node, use the arrow keys to navigate/select another node.

To select multiple nodes at once, you can do one of the following:

• Click/tap the canvas and drag your mouse/finger across the nodes you want to select.
• Command ⌘ + click/tap: press down Command ⌘ and click/tap the nodes you want to select.
• Shift ⇧ + Arrow keys: press down Shift ⇧ and expand the selection via the Arrow keys.

You’ll see that the text in your nodes will be highlighted. Now, you can drag and drop or edit the selected nodes in whatever way you like.

To detach a node/whole branch, select the nodes you want to detach. Then right-click, and the context menu will open up on your Mac; on iOS, you can use the action menu (circle with three dots) in the toolbar. Now select Node > Detach. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Shift ⇧ + Command ⌘ + D.

Fold and unfold branches

When your structure gets more complex, it can be super helpful to hide parts of your mind map that you might not need to see right now but want to come back to later.

To fold and unfold branches, follow these steps:

1. First, go ahead and select the last parent node you want to see.
2. On your Mac or iPad with the mouse or pointer, press Option ⌥ and hover over the node well, and an icon with arrow will appear. Once you’ve decided where you want to fold, go ahead and click. You’ll now see that once the branch is folded, there’ll also be a fold indicator next to the node that lets you unfold the branch again.
   On iOS, you can fold or unfold a node via the context menu or select Fold/Unfold from the action menu (icon with three dots) in the toolbar.
3. Also, feel free to use the keyboard shortcut for folding & unfolding: Option ⌥ + . period.

Folding and unfolding are also very helpful when presenting a MindNode to others, and you just want to focus on discussing a specific area.

Connections

Creating connections

So far, we've only worked with a branch structure, but sometimes you might want to connect thoughts in different parts of the mind map. To do this, you can create a connection line between two otherwise unrelated nodes. Here's how:

1. Select a node you want to start a connection from.
2. On your Mac, locate the connection icon (a curved line with an arrow) on the Toolbar and click on it.
   On iOS, tap on the selected node again to bring up the context menu, and select Connect or select Node > Connect from the action menu (circle with three dots) in the toolbar. Keyboard shortcut: Command ⌘ + L.
3. Click or tap on another node to create a connection between these nodes.
4. Double-tap/click the connection to add a connection title or select Edit Title from the context menu or action menu in the panel on iOS.
5. Alternatively, with the mouse or pointer on your Mac or iPad, you can hold Shift ⇧ and drag the cursor from one node to another to create a connection.

Editing connections

1. Tap/click a connection to select it.
2. Grab the waypoint in the middle of the connection and drag it to give it the curve you need for your mind map.
3. To straighten the connection, double-click/tap the waypoint.

From the connection's context menu, you can choose Show Start Node (Control ⌃ + Command ⌘ + L)/Show End Node (Shift ⇧ + Command ⌘ + L) to help you navigate your mind map.

Hiding connections

You can also hide all cross-connections if you want a clear overview of the hierarchical order with fewer distractions. To do this:

1. On your Mac, in the main menu on top of your screen, open View > Hide Connections.
   On iOS, in the action menu, select Hide Connections.
2. Keyboard shortcut: Control ⌃ + Option ⌥ + Command ⌘ + L.

Make them reappear using the same method.

If you close a file with hidden cross-connections and reopen it, the cross-connections will also appear again.

Tags

Another way you can show non-hierarchical relationships between nodes is by using tags. They help you categorize your ideas and add more context to your thoughts.

Create & edit tags

To create tags:

• On your Mac, open the right sidebar in the top right-hand corner and select the tags tab (tag icon); now click the + in the upper left corner.
• On iOS, open the panel in the top right-hand corner and select the tags tab (tag icon); now tap the + in the lower-left corner.

Now you can start typing the tag's name you'd like to create.

To change the color of the tag, tap/click the color right next to the tag's name. You can also edit the color of existing tags the same way.

To edit the name of an existing tag:

• On iOS, swipe right on the tag and tap Edit.
• On your Mac, right-click the tag and select Rename.

To delete a tag:

• On iOS, swipe left and tap Delete.
• On your Mac, right-click on a tag and select Delete.

Apply & remove tags

Now that you have created tags, you can add them to existing nodes. Go ahead and:

1. Select a node by clicking on it.
2. Then tap/double-click a tag in the Tags tab of the panel (iOS)/Tags sidebar (Mac).

You can remove a tag from a node the same way. Another way to remove a tag from a node is to select the node, then tap/click the colored circle that indicates the tag. A pop-up will appear; on your Mac, you can hover over the tag's name and remove it by clicking the (–) icon; on iOS, you can delete the tag by swiping left over it.

Styles

Now that you've captured and organized your thoughts, it's time to start making your MindNode more visually appealing and add that personal touch by switching up styles.

On your Mac, you can use the Styles (brush icon) and the Themes (colour palette icon) tab located in the sidebar. Anything you change here will always apply to the nodes you've selected.

Styling single nodes

First, let's take a look at how you can style one single node:

Once you've selected your favorite style in the Styles tab, you have the option to apply it either to just the currently selected node (which happens automatically) or also to your child nodes, sibling nodes, entire mind map, or nodes on the same level.

They're in the main menu at the top of the screen on your Mac under Format > Apply Style To.

When you reconnect a node, you'll find that it will inherit the style of the new parent node by default. If you want to keep its existing formatting (and that of its child nodes), go ahead and press Option ⌥ while reconnecting. You can also make this the default behavior if you go into MindNode Preferences (Mac) and deselect Inherit style when reconnecting.

Styles: shapes & borders

You can now play around with your nodes' shapes and borders — turn them into colored clouds, hexagons, and much, much more.

Start by selecting a node or multiple nodes.

In the Styles tab (brush icon) and Shape, you can choose whether you’d like your node shape to be: Line, Embedded, Rectangle, Rounded, Pill, Cloud, Hexagon, or Octagon.

Here you can also choose the background color of your node.

The node width adjusts to the length of the node text, with a maximum of around 320pt.

If you prefer to define your own node width:

You can check Manual Width on your Mac. You can deselect Shrink node width to fit content in the Preferences to change the default.

On iOS, you can change the width using the stepper or long-press the width and enter the chosen width.

You can also change the node's border, including line type, thickness, and color.

Branches & connections

You can change the style of a branch or a connection by selecting the node it's attached to.

For the branch, you can change:

• Line type
• Color
• Thickness. MindNode will automatically select this by default. You can move the slider to choose your own branch thickness. You can select everything by clicking and dragging across the entire MindNode mind map. If you adjust the width on the slider now, it will be applied to the whole mind map.

For connections, you can choose:

• Start- and end-point styles
• Line style
• Thickness
• Line color. The connection title background will have the same color as the connection.

Text

In the Font section, you can change the look of the text in the node title or the connection label, including its:

• Type
• Appearance (i.e., italic, bold, underlined, strike-through, and so on)
• Size
• Color
• Positioning

Image positioning

MindNode will place your images above the node title by default.

By choosing one of the four options in the sidebar/panel you can, however, change the image position to:

• Underneath the title
• In front of the title
• Behind the title

MindNode mind map styling

Now that we've talked about styling individual nodes let’s move on to styling the entire MindNode mind map.

Layouts

The most important thing to watch out for when it comes to the readability of your MindNode is bound to be the layout. How you arrange your info determines how easy it is to understand. Here's how you can easily change the layout:

• Choose between two Branch Types; Rounded and Angular.
• For the layout of a mind map, you can select either the horizontal (left and/or right) layout, the vertical (top and/or down) layout, or the compact layout (e.g. for organizational charts).

You can apply these layout styles individually for each main node.

Helpful actions while determining the layout of your mind map include Balance Mind Map and Move All Node Left/Right or Top/Bottom, which you can find in the Action tab > Organize (iOS)/Main menu > Node > Organize (Mac). The next choice is between:

• Smart Layout (default): this setting automatically arranges your nodes in a compact, easy-to-read way.
• Manual Layout: If you want to decide how your nodes will be set up on the screen, you can go ahead and select > Manual in the sidebar. This setting gives you more freedom to move the nodes around in whatever way you like. However, MindNode will still shift your nodes slightly, so they don't overlap. If you'd like to override this, too, you can deselect it in the Preferences/Settings by unchecking the option Prevent node collisions in manual layout.

On your Mac, you can activate MindNode's Smart Layout algorithm for just one branch by selecting the parent node and going to Node > Organize > Layout Children. Keyboard shortcut: Option ⌥ + Command ⌘ + R (also works on an iPad with an external keyboard).

On iOS, you find'll the same under the action menu (circle with three dots) > Organize > Layout Children.

Canvas

The canvas, essentially, is the background behind your mind map. You can change its color at the very bottom of the Styles sidebar (Mac)/Styles tab in the panel (iOS).

Themes

To make creating visually appealing mind maps as easy as possible, MindNode Next comes with a bunch of themes for your MindNodes Next files.

To apply a theme to your file, double-click/tap it in the Themes sidebar (Mac)/tab of the panel (iOS). To apply a theme on your visionOS

The last used theme gets synced via iCloud between MindNode Next on macOS, iOS and VisionOS.

Discover and dive deeper

By this point, you have captured, organized, and styled your thoughts and ideas. Now, we'll show you some of MindNode's even more advanced features, which can help you dive deeper into your ideas and thoughts.

Outline

Different thoughts need different perspectives. So while mind maps create a great visual of a topic or idea, it can sometimes be helpful to see it more linearly — like a list — which is why we've integrated outlining.

You can view the outline by clicking on the View icon in the top left-hand corner of your Toolbar.

How the mind map translates into the outline: The first level child nodes of the mind map are arranged clockwise around the main node. They’ll be listed in the outline following this pattern. Each level of child nodes after that follows a top-down logic.

Nodes folded in your mind map will be folded in your outline and vice versa.

Tasks are shown to the right of the nodes in the Outline in their current state of completion. You can also toggle them there.

Notes are marked with the same symbol you’ll find on your map. Clicking/tapping the notes symbol opens the pop-up.

Stickers and images are shown in the outline as a symbol. Clicking/tapping them will open a quick view of them.

You can also use the outline on full screen. To do so, click/tap the button in the upper-right corner of the Outline sidebar/panel with the two arrows. This way, you’ll only see the Outline without the distraction of the canvas, which can be a great way to focus. Then, go back to the sidebar view by clicking on the inverted arrows.

Show tags if you want more context, and show content indicators if you want more information about what the node contains by enabling it on the right side of the filter bar at the top (iOS)/bottom (Mac) of the outline.

Selecting & organizing nodes in the outline

If you want to rearrange the structure of the outline, here is how you do it:

• To select a node in the outline, click/tap on it once. Selecting a node in the outline will also select that node on the canvas.
• You can use the up and down arrow keys to navigate the outline. For example, press Shift ⇧ + up/down arrow key to select more than one node.
• Pressing the down arrow next to the node's name will fold its child nodes. Once you've done this, the arrow will turn to the right.
• Press the arrow (now pointing to the right) again to unfold the nodes' child nodes.
• Delete a node by pressing Backspace, also deleting its child nodes.
• To remove a node and reconnect its child nodes to the above parent node, press Option ⌥ + Backspace.
• To change the order of your nodes in the outline, you can drag them to their new position relative to other existing nodes and release them there.
• To rearrange child nodes, you can use Command ⌘ + up/down or left/right arrow keys to move them around.

Editing nodes in the outline

You can now, of course, also edit and change the content of your outline:

• Click/tap directly onto the node title in the outline or press Command ⌘ + Enter ⏎ to edit a node.
• To add a line break within a node, press Option ⌥ + Enter ⏎.
• Split a node into two by pressing Enter ⏎.
• Or, if you want to merge two neighboring nodes, press Backspace at the beginning of the second node.
• To create a new node on the same level, press Shift ⇧ + Enter ⏎ or just Enter ⏎ at the end of a node.
• You can delete a node while text editing by pressing Command ⌘ + Backspace.
• To end the editing, click somewhere outside the node title or press Esc.

Tag highlighting

With MindNode's tag-highlight mode, you can focus on specific tags and discover how certain thoughts and ideas connect. Highlighted tags will highlight the relevant nodes while fading the rest into the background.

To highlight nodes that have a specific tag, tap/click the highlight icon (eye) next to it in the tags tab of the panel (iOS)/sidebar (Mac).

End highlighting by tapping/clicking the eye icon again.

It also works directly on the node; when you click on the tag, a pop-up appears — hover over it, and the eye icon will appear. You can now click on the eye icon to highlight/undo highlight.

If you highlight more than one tag, MindNode will display all the tags in unison. But if you only want to see the tags that intersect with each other, tap the Focus icon in the toolbar on iOS (dot with four arrows pointing towards it) or click on the icon with two intersecting circles in the top right-hand of the Tags' sidebar on Mac. Now select Intersect.

Focus Mode

Focus Mode helps you work in an even more focused way. You can fade out all the branches, except for the one you are working on right now — great if you’re working on vast and extensive mind maps, that can get a little overwhelming sometimes. Another fantastic way to use Focus Mode is when you’re presenting to others, and you want to go through the MindNode mind map step by step.

Enter Focus Mode by clicking the icon in the toolbar (dot with four arrows pointing towards it).

Keyboard shortcut: Shift ⇧ + Command ⌘ + F.

If you want to change the area of focus, you can click/tap the faded out node you want to focus on next and select Refocus from the menu that appears. You can also navigate with the arrow keys and press enter on the node you want to refocus on.

Search and filter

Sometimes finding things (again) isn't easy, which is why you can use the search and filter functions in MindNode to find what you’re looking for in seconds.

• Go ahead and use the filter bar at the top (iOS)/bottom (Mac) of the outline to search for specific words. You can also search the MindNode mind map via Command ⌘ + F on your Mac.
• Or, use the filter options on the right side of the filter bar to show only open tasks, tags, and contents — especially useful if you want to use your MindNode mind map as a task list to work through.

Settings & Devices

Now that we have all the controls covered let's talk about how you can speed up your workflow. In this section, you'll learn about how to navigate through Settings in MindNode, customize the appearance to your preferences by adding and removing features you (not so) often use, and connect MindNode to Apple Watch or Apple Pencil and Mouse pointer. You'll also be led through several touch gestures which is a very intuitive way to improve your workflow as well.

Settings

Now let's dive a little deeper into Settings & Preferences, where you can set up your MindNode in even more detail.

iOS Settings

Go ahead and tap on the gear icon in the upper right corner to open the MindNode Settings.

Here, you can:

• View your subscription status
• Open release notes under What's New
• Open the MindNode User Guide
• Get support
• Subscribe to the newsletter
• View MindNode tips
• Write a review on the App Store
• See the team behind MindNode under Credits

Select Settings

• Under Node, you can toggle on/off:
  Active links
  Prevent Collisions — for manual layout
  Inherit Style — for reconnecting nodes

• Then you can enable or disable these Smart Text Shortcuts:
  Tasks: -[]
  Tags: #tagname
  Notes: node title -- notes

• If you enable Show Edit Menu, you'll always see the context menu when you've selected a node.

• Auto Rename New files will automatically give your file the name of the main node.

• Under Appearance, you can choose whether you want MindNode's user interface to be:
  The same as your System setting
  Light
  Dark
  Based on the Theme

• You can also choose between six different App Icons for MindNode.

Mac Settings

In the main menu on the top of your screen, go ahead and click on MindNode.

Select Preferences or use the shortcut Command ⌘ + , comma to open MindNode's Preferences.

The Preferences window has four tabs:

1. General, where you can change basic settings.
2. Shortcuts, where you can change specific keyboard shortcuts.
3. License, where you can see your subscription status.
4. MindNode ID, where you can log in to access your subscription from devices that do not use iCloud.

In General, you can find different default options for MindNode's behavior:

Quick Entry: You can choose to launch it at login and record a global shortcut to launch it at any time.

Appearance: You can set the app's appearance the same as you set it in System Preferences or always light or dark.

Default Node Behavior: Configure the default behavior for:

• Node sizing
• Preventing node collisions in Manual Layout
• Style inheritance
• Enabling or disabling Smart Text Shortcuts:
  Tasks: -[]
  Tags: #tagname
  Notes: node title -- notes

Default file Format: You can select the default file format of MindNode to be a package (default) or a single file. We recommend choosing a package if you store your files in iCloud Drive and a single file if you use any other storage provider.

In Shortcuts, you can set your shortcut options for some of the shortcuts you use more often. There's also an option to restore the default settings.

Under License, you can see the status of your subscription (including the remaining days), restore purchases, and manage your subscription.

Under MindNode ID, you will see an option to sign in or create an account that will allow you to access your MindNode Plus subscription on all of your devices, if iCloud is not available.

How to set it up:

Start setting up MindNode ID on the device you used to subscribe to MindNode Plus.

On Mac:

1. Open the MindNode Preferences 
2. Go to the MindNode ID tab
3. Click on the 'Create Account' button
4. Now sign up either using Apple or your email address

On iOS:

1. Open the Settings in MindNode 
2. Select MindNode ID 
3. Tap the 'Create Account' button
4. Now sign up either using Apple or your email address

To enable MindNode Plus on your other devices: 

On Mac:

1. Open the MindNode Preferences 
2. Go to the MindNode ID tab
3. Click on the 'Sign In' button
4. Sign in with your account

On iOS:

1. Open the Settings in MindNode 
2. Select MindNode ID 
3. Tap the 'Create Account' button
4. Sign in with your account
   

What MindNode ID is not:

• It's not a storage location for your MindNode files.
• It doesn't allow you to share your files with other users.
• It's no additional service for users who have MindNode activated through Setapp.

Styling the App Icon

To change the appearance of the App Icon showing in the Finder of your Mac please follow these steps:

1. Open Finder then Applications and locate MindNode
2. Control-click on it and choose “Get Info” (⌘I)

3. Drag one of the icons fron the Settings panel onto the app icon in the Info panel (top-left corner)

4. You may need to enter your Mac’s password

5. Quit and relaunch MindNode 

Toolbar Customization

You may find yourself using some actions more often than others or might have some favorites. MindNode allows you to drag them onto your toolbar and make them easier to access. To customize your toolbar on your Mac navigate to View and select "Customise Toolbar...". On your iPad search for the action menu (circle with three dots) and tap on "Customize Toolbar".

Storage location and sync

To make sure you store your files exactly where you want them, you can go ahead and set up a default storage location. If you're using MindNode on multiple devices, you can even keep your files up to date across all your devices by syncing them with iCloud. For the MindNode Plus subscription to work on all your devices, you'll have to enable iCloud.

iCloud Drive

Here’s how you can set your MindNode files to store and sync on your iCloud drive automatically:

In your Mac's System Preferences:

1. Go ahead and click on your Apple ID.
2. Make sure iCloud Drive is checked.
3. Now go to Options and make sure that MindNode is also checked.

In your iPhone/iPad's Settings:

1. Tap on your Apple ID account.
2. Select iCloud.
3. Make sure iCloud Drive is toggled on.
4. There, make sure MindNode is toggled on.
5. Next, go back to the first screen of the Settings app, scroll down until you find MindNode, and under file Storage select iCloud Drive.

When saving a new file, make sure to save it in the MindNode folder inside iCloud Drive. All changes you save will now be saved to iCloud Drive and available on your connected devices.

Other services

The great news is, you can also use third-party storage providers like Dropbox or Box to save your files. But there are a couple of things you'll have to set up and/or keep in mind to ensure you can save your MindNode as a supported file.

• On iOS, if you set one of these third parties as a storage location under MindNode in the Settings app, MindNode will automatically save your files in a compatible format.
• On your Mac, go ahead and open up the MindNode main menu at the top of your screen by clicking on MindNode, then go to Preferences. In General, under Default file Format, select Single File. Now MindNode will save your files as single files in the future. To change the file format of existing MindNode files, please go to File in the MindNode main menu at the top of your screen. There under Advanced > Change File Format > choose Single File.

Your subscription status (active, elapsed, etc.) will be synced to other devices via iCloud (tied to Apple ID). Unfortunately, this isn't possible if you're using another cloud service.

Please also check this Apple support article on how to use third-party cloud apps in the Files app: https://support.apple.com/en-us/102238

Apple Watch

In order to add MindNode to your Apple Watch, you have to have it installed on your iPhone/iPad. There open the Watch app and make sure to install MindNode to your watch. Then you can either launch the watch app from the list of apps on your Apple Watch or add it to your chosen Watch Face as a complication.

Your Apple Watch will load up to 10 of the files you recently opened on your iPhone. Under the entry Sorted By at the top of the document picker on the watch, you can choose whether your files should be sorted by Title (alphabetically) or by Date (last opened). There you can also Reload your files.

Tap on a file in the Apple Watch app to open it as an outline. You can scroll through it by swiping with your finger or by using the crown on your Apple Watch. You can fold and unfold Branches by tapping on the folding indicator just like you would on your iPhone/iPad. If you tap an image you can Quick Look it. At the top of the outline or by long pressing the screen, you'll find an entry called Viewing under which you can select the options to Show only open tasks, Show notes, Show images, Show tags, and Show content indicators.

Apple Pencil + Mouse Pointer

The Apple Pencil does everything a finger does, and more:

• Tap and hold a finger on the canvas + drag the Pencil to start a rubber band selection.
• Drag a node without any hold delay.
• Select node with a tap.

Scribble: You can hand-write directly into a node title's text field, and the Scribble feature will convert it into text.

NOTE: Currently, Scribble is only available in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Chinese.

Pointer interactions:

• Click and drag to start rubber band multi-select.
• 2-finger pan to scroll the canvas.
• 2-finger to pinch and zoom.
• 2-finger + click/tap to open the edit menu.

Gestures

Touch gestures are such a hidden gem that frequently go overlooked. But using them can make building and creating a MindNode that much more intuitive.

Gestures on Mac

• Create a new main node: Force touch (firmly press down) on the canvas (this will only work on Magic Trackpad 2)
• Bring up the note popup: Force touch (firmly press down) on a node (this will only work on Magic Trackpad 2)
• Change the new node well into the folding indicator: Press Option ⌥ and hover the mouse over the node’s well
• Change the node style to match the bottom one: Select "Inherit Style" in the Preferences and press & drag a node on top of another
• Import a PDF as an image: Drag & drop a PDF onto a node whilst pressing Option ⌥
• Create a cross-connection: Press Shift ⇧ and click & drag from one node to another
• Extend selection in the Outline: Press Shift ⇧ and click

Gestures on iOS & iPadOS

• Multi-select nodes and connections: Tap & hold the canvas with one finger and tap on nodes & connections with another
• Multi-select via rubber-band selection: Tap & hold the canvas with one finger for half a second and start dragging
• Undo: Three-finger-swipe left
• Redo: Three-finger-swipe right
• Show the undo/redo menu: 3-finger tap
• Zoom: 2-finger pinch
• Detach a node from its parent node: Drag & hold
• Change the indentation level in Quick Entry: When a line is selected, swipe left or right
• Close the inspector on the iPhone: Swipe down on the inspector
• See a note's preview: Tap & hold the notes icon in the panel
• Open the "Apply Style" actions: Tap & hold the style icon in the panel
• Lock the viewport: Tap & hold the external screen icon
• Select a node or cross-connection: Single tap on a node or cross-connection
• Show edit menu: With a second tap on the selected object. Or by taping the canvas
• Selects the image/text of a node: With a third tap on the image/text
• Starts text editing: Double-tap the node title
• Clear the selection: Tap on the canvas
• Scroll the canvas: Tap and immediately drag the canvas
• Move a node: Tap, hold, and drag it
• Select a whole subtree: Tap and hold a node with child nodes (without moving your finger)
• Create nodes: Press the node well and drag it. Or tap the node well
• Toggle the task state: Tap on the task indicator of a (un)selected node
• Reset/straighten a connection: Double-tap its waypoint knob
• Add a title to a connection: Double-tap the connection line
• Edit the title of a connection: Double-tap it
• Move/reattach a connection to another node: Drag connection waypoint
• Automatically resize the node width: By double-tapping on the nodes' resize knob (upper right corner)

Share

We’re pretty sure that MindNode is not the only app you use to capture your ideas and bring them to life, which is why we’ve also made it easy for you to share your mind maps with your colleagues or export and upload them to other apps.

Here's a list of all the file formats MindNode can import from and/or export to:

Import + Export

• FreeMind - supported by most mind-mapping apps.
• OPML - supported by most outlining and many mind mapping apps.
• CSV - supported by spreadsheet apps.
• TXT - plain text, supported by all text editors.
• RTF - Rich Text Format, supported by most text editors.
• TaskPaper - plain text to-do lists.
• Markdown - supported by Markdown editors.Markdown with images
• TextBundle & TextPack
• MindNode Single File format

Import only

• Mindjet MindManager
• XMind + XMind Zen
• iThoughts

Export only

• DOCX - for Word on Mac.
• PNG images
• PDF

Import

Maybe you’ve started your project in another app or received a file from someone in your team. You can easily open and continue working on these files by importing them into MindNode. Here's how:

• On Mac, there are multiple ways you can open a file that has a compatible format in MindNode. One is to import it from the Open dialog via the File menu on top of the screen. Then, go to the File menu and choose Open, or press Command ⌘ + O. Another is right-clicking the file and then selecting Open With > MindNode from the context menu. Or, drag the file onto the MindNode icon in the Dock.
• On iOS, to import a document in a compatible format, navigate to its storage location via the document manager in MindNode. On an iPad, you do this by opening the sidebar via the button in the upper left corner. On an iPhone, go to the Browse tab, and tap the arrow in the upper left corner until you get to the locations. Keep in mind that the app of the third-party cloud storage you might be using also needs to be installed on your device for some locations.

Different formats

This section will detail the different file formats when importing.

MindNode

The newest version of MindNode is able to open all previous MindNode file formats.

FreeMind

MindNode can import other mind mapping formats like the FreeMind format, which most other mind mapping apps support. You can also open Mindjet MindManager, XMind, XMind Zen, and iThoughts files through MindNode.

OPML

MindNode can import and export OPML files supported by most outlining apps.

Markdown

MindNode can import Markdown files with images (.textbundle) or without images (.md).

Format those files as follows for them to look good in MindNode:

• Node titles are headings prefixed with the corresponding number of # in front of them for each level.
• Notes are text below those headings.
• Tags look like this: #tagname (using the #CamelCaseHashtag format).
• Tasks look like this: - [ ] task.

Text

There are several different text file formats MindNode can import. Following you can find the more details on the import:

Plain text (.txt):

• Tags look like this: #tagname (using the #CamelCaseHashtag format).
• Tasks look like this: - [ ] task name.

Rich Text (.rtf)

• Preserves text attributes like font, size, color, etc.
• Tags look like this: #tagname (using the CamelCaseHashtag format).
• Open tasks use ◦.
• Finished tasks use ✓.

CSV

• Header with levels.
• Or header with levels and tags.
• Then, node titles.
• Tasks look like this: - [ ] task name.
• Tags are in a separate column at the end called "tags". In that column, multiple tags are separated by commas.

TaskPaper

Taskpaper files are plain text to-do lists.

• Every line in TaskPaper is a task.
• Finished tasks use @done syntax.
• Unfinished tasks have no syntax.
• Tags look like this: @tags(tag name) (TaskPaper uses the CamelCaseHashtag format for tags, but with @ instead of as the hashtag).
  

Export

On Mac, to export a document, go ahead and click on Export To in the File menu and select your preferred file format. After you've adjusted the settings in the export window then open click the Export… button. Now you can choose where to save your exported document to. You can also share your document directly via Mail, Messages, or AirDrop by clicking the Send a Copy button located between the Cancel and Export... button in the bottom right corner.

On iOS, to export a document, it depends on whether you're using an iPad or an iPhone.

On the iPhone, tap the action button in the toolbar (it's the circle with the three dots), from the drop-down menu select File and then Export. Now select the file format you want to export to and adjust the settings. Next, tap on "Send to app..." and choose the app you want to send it to.

On the iPad, tap the document name and from the drop-down menu select Export. Now select the file format you want to export to and adjust the settings. Next, tap on "Send to app..." and choose the app you want to send it to.

Different formats

As listed before MindNode can export a bunch of different document formats. Here we'll learn a bit more about them and how they handle different features in MindNode.

MindNode File format

Firstly, you can export a MindNode document in different MindNode file format versions. If you have an older device running an older version of MindNode, this legacy export option ensures the compatibility of your file and the legacy app.

Note that this means newer features won't be included in the file.

FreeMind

Next, MindNode can export the FreeMind format, which is supported by most other mind-mapping apps.

However, keep in mind that FreeMind, iThoughts, and older versions of MindNode do not support tags, for example, which might be true for other features as well.

OPML

MindNode can also export OPML files which are supported by most outlining apps.

The special thing about OPML files is that they do not retain text formatting when being exported. Instead, tags are added to OPML files in the #CamelCase Hashtag format at the end of each node title.

Markdown

Then, MindNode can export Markdown files (.md), and it can also images in export (.textbundle).

In those files:

• Node titles are headings prefixed with the corresponding number of # in front of them for each level.
• Notes are text below those headings.
• Tags look like this: #tagname (using the #CamelCase Hashtag format).
• Tasks look like this: - [ ] task name.

Text

Also, there are several different text file formats MindNode can export. Here is what is special about them when exporting:

Plain text (.txt):

• Does not preserve text attributes such as font, size, colour, etc.
• Tags look like this: #tagname (using the #CamelCase Hashtag format).
• Tasks look like this: - [ ] task name.
• Notes are just more text, so they are basically the same as node titles. This is why it’s impossible to import notes, as they don’t have special syntax.

Rich Text (.rtf)

• Preserves text attributes like font, size, color, etc.
• Tags look like this: #tagname (using the #CamelCase Hashtag format).
• Open tasks use ◦.
• Finished tasks use ✓.

CSV

• Header with levels.
• Or header with levels and tags.
• Then, node titles.
• Tasks look like this: - [ ] task name.
• Tags are in a separate column at the end called "tags". In that column, multiple tags are separated by commas.

Note: Notes and images are discarded when exporting.

TaskPaper

Taskpaper files are plain text to-do lists.

• Every line in TaskPaper is a task.
• Finished tasks use @done syntax.
• Unfinished tasks have no syntax.
• Tags look like this: @tags(tagname) (TaskPaper uses the CamelCaseHashtag format for tags, but with @ instead of as the hashtag).
• Notes are included, but images are discarded when exporting.

Microsoft Word .docx (Mac only)

• Preserves text attributes like font, size, color, etc.
• Tags look like this: #tagname (using the #CamelCase Hashtag format).
• Open tasks use ◦.
• Finished tasks use ✓.

Something to keep in mind regarding tags: when exporting, the tags are added after each node's title. For example, an exported line may look like this: "This is the node title #Tag1 #Tag2".

PDF

You can choose whether you want to export the mind map or the outline for those files. You can then again choose whether notes and/or tags should be included in the outline.

Images

Images will create a PNG file of your mind map. For those files, you can choose whether you want the background to be transparent or not.

Tasks

Once you have completed your project planning, you might wish to use your tasks as a list. From MindNode, you can share your tasks with Apple's Reminders, Things or OmniFocus.

The title of the list will be the name of your Document. When you check items as complete in either Reminders or MindNode, the completion will be synchronized across both. To update your list with new tasks you have added, or change task titles, export the list again. New items will be added, and titles will be updated.

A note regarding limitations:

1. Deleting items in Reminders or your MindNode document will not delete the items in your MindNode file. Only task completion will be in sync. The same goes for editing task titles; they will not be synchronized.
2. Only tasks will appear in the Reminders list, not their parent nodes. The branch path will be added to the task above the note imported from MindNode.

Sharing to Things, OmniFocus and TaskPaper will create a new list for you. However, these do not update automatically with changes you make to your MindNode file.

Tags in task lists:

• Reminders: Tags are added as a comma-separated list in the notes field of each reminder.
• OmniFocus: Uses the TaskPaper format for export.
• Things: Please note that Things only imports tags you have previously added in Things manually. Also, Things only supports tags in To-Dos, not in Headings. That means only nodes with child nodes in MindNode will have their tags exported to Things.

Sharing

To share a MindNode file via Mail, Messages, or AirDrop to another device on Mac, click the share button in the top right corner of your document window. From there, you can also share to Notes, Reminders, Things 3, and Omnifocus if you have those.

On iOS, you find these options by tapping and holding down on a file and selecting Share from the context menu.

A new message will be opened in Mail and Messages and the file added as an attachment.

Different formats

This section will detail the different file formats when importing and exporting.

MindNode

The MindNode export option allows you to export a single file MindNode document.

If you have an older device running an older version of MindNode, there is also a legacy export option, which ensures the compatibility of the file and the legacy app. In this case, make sure to switch it on in the export options. Just keep in mind that this means newer features won't be included in the file.

FreeMind

MindNode can import and export other mind mapping formats like the FreeMind format, which most other mind mapping apps support. You can also open Mindjet MindManager, XMind, XMind Zen, and iThoughts files through MindNode. However, keep in mind that FreeMind, iThoughts, and older versions of MindNode do not support tags, which might be true for other features.

OPML

MindNode can import and export OPML files supported by most outlining apps. However, it is worth keeping in mind that OPML files do not retain text formatting when being exported. Instead, tags are added to OPML files in the #CamelCaseHashtag format at the end of each node title.

Markdown

MindNode can import and export Markdown files with images (.textbundle) or without images (.md). In those files:

• Node titles are headings prefixed with the corresponding number of # in front of them for each level.
• Notes are text below those headings.
• Tags look like this: #tagname (using the #CamelCaseHashtag format).
• Tasks look like this: - [ ] task.

Text

There are several different text file formats MindNode can import and export:

Plain text (.txt):

• Doesn’t preserve text attributes such as font, size, color, etc.
• Tags look like this: #tagname (using the #CamelCaseHashtag format).
• Tasks look like this: - [ ] task name.
• Notes are just more text, so they are basically the same as node titles, which is why it’s impossible to import notes as they don’t have special syntax.

Rich Text (.rtf)

• Preserves text attributes like font, size, color, etc.
• Tags look like this: #tagname (using the CamelCaseHashtag format).
• Open tasks use ◦.
• Finished tasks use ✓.

CSV

• Header with levels.
• Or header with levels and tags.
• Then, node titles.
• Tasks look like this: - [ ] task name.
• Tags are in a separate column at the end called "tags". In that column, multiple tags are separated by commas.

Note: Notes and images are discarded when exporting.

TaskPaper

Taskpaper files are plain text to-do lists.

• Every line in TaskPaper is a task.
• Finished tasks use @done syntax.
• Unfinished tasks have no syntax.
• Tags look like this: @tags(tagname) (TaskPaper uses the CamelCaseHashtag format for tags, but with @ instead of as the hashtag).
• Notes are included, but images are discarded when exporting.

Microsoft Word .docx (export and Mac only)

• Preserves text attributes like font, size, color, etc.
• Tags look like this: #tagname (using the #CamelCaseHashtag format).
• Open tasks use ◦.
• Finished tasks use ✓.

Something to keep in mind regarding tags: when exporting, the tags are added after each node's title. For example, an exported line may look like this: "This is the node title #Tag1 #Tag2". When importing, any tags in a line are added to the imported node, and trailing tags are dropped from the node title. For example, “This is an #Important node #Awesome” will be imported as a node with the title "This is an #Important node" and the tags "Important" and "Awesome".

PDF

PDFs can only be exported. You can choose whether you want to export the mind map or the outline for those files. You can then again choose whether notes and/or tags should be included in the outline.

Images

Images can only be exported, which will create a PNG file of your mind map. For those files, you can choose whether you want the background to be transparent or not.

Tasks

Once you have completed your project planning, you might wish to use your tasks as a list. In MindNode, you can integrate Reminders for tasks and share them with Things and OmniFocus. You can also import and export TaskPaper documents into MindNode.

In the Share menu, you will find the option to export to Reminders, which will create a new list in the Reminders app. The title of the list will be the name of your Document. When you check items as complete in either Reminders or MindNode, the completion will be synchronized across both. To update your list with new tasks you have added, or change task titles, export the list again. New items will be added, and titles will be updated.

A note regarding limitations:

1. Deleting items in Reminders or your MindNode document will not delete the items in your MindNode file. Only task completion will be in sync. The same goes for editing task titles, they will not be synchronized.
2. Only tasks will appear in the Reminders list, not their parent nodes. The branch path will be added to the task above the note imported from MindNode.

Sharing to Things, OmniFocus and TaskPaper will create a new list for you. However, these do not update automatically with changes you make to your MindNode file.

Tags in task lists:

• Reminders: Tags are added as a comma-separated list in the notes field of each reminder.
• OmniFocus: Uses the TaskPaper format for export.
• Things: Please note that Things only imports tags you have previously added in Things manually. Also, Things only supports tags in To-Dos, not in Headings. That means only nodes with child nodes in MindNode will have their tags exported to Things.

Print

On Mac, there are several options you have when it comes to printing your MindNode document (in addition to your usual print settings). In the Print dialog, click Show Details in the bottom right corner. From the drop-down menu, select MindNode.

• First, you can decide to print your document either as a mind map or outline. When you’re printing the mind map, you can choose to scale your map or fit it onto one page. If you go for the former option, your document may be printed on several pages, depending on the size of your map.
• You can also select to print your canvas or print each mind map onto a separate page.
• When printing an outline, you can choose whether to include or not include the notes and tags.
• Furthermore, you can unfold all nodes or print with the currently folded nodes on your canvas folded in the print-out.
• Below the Mind Map or Outline selection, you can print in either Full color or Grayscale.
• You can also decide whether to print the canvas background or save ink by not doing so.
• More options include: adding the filename, date in the header, and page number at the bottom — page numbers are included in the format Page 1 of 10, and the filename is included on the top left of your page the date on the top right.

On iOS, to print your mind map, tap the action button (circle with three dots) in the toolbar. Select File and tap Print. Choose your printer. Tapping on the information button will show you information about your printer. You can now select the number of copies you want to print, change the orientation, and if you wish to print in black and white or color.

Pro-User / Automation

Using Apple Script on the Mac and the Shortcuts App on iOS & macOS or URL Schemes on both platforms, you can automate specific recurrent tasks and make MindNode part of a larger workflow. However, automation requires advanced knowledge and is only recommended for power users.

Apple Script

Apple Script allows you to write scripts that batch export documents in all supported formats. We are currently supporting the following export types via Apple Script:

• MindNode
• MindNode's Single File Format - FreeMind
• OPML
• CSV
• TaskPaper
• PlainText
• RichText
• Markdown
• DocX
• PDF
• PNG

For example, we created a script to take all OPML files from a folder and exported them as PDFs.

Siri Shortcuts

Siri Shortcuts allows the triggering of actions in MindNode using a Siri phrase to build complex workflows using Apple’s Shortcuts app.

Sample Workflows:

• Set a 10-minute timer, turn on Do not disturb, and launch MindNode's Quick Entry Mode; after the 10-minute timer, turn Do not disturb back off
• Export the last opened document and send it as an iMessage

Launch Quick Entry

Launches MindNode directly into the QuickEntry mode with a blank canvas.

Launch Quick Entry with Contents of Clipboard

Launch MindNode’s Quick Entry mode prefilled with the text from your clipboard.

Create New Document

Creates a new document in the default storage location. Usually, this is the MindNode iCloud Drive folder. Now the URL to the newly created document is put onto the clipboard. You can change the default storage location in the Settings app under MindNode.

Create New Document with Contents of Clipboard

Creates a new document in the default storage location and imports the clipboard contents. MindNode will try to detect what data is on the clipboard automatically. Now the URL to the newly created document is put onto the clipboard.

Supported formats are:

• CSV
• Markdown - OPML
• TaskPaper - FreeMind - PlainText
• RichText

Export last Opened Document

Exports the last opened document using the default export format. The format can be changed in MindNode on the Share Panel. On completion, the shortcut will open a share sheet to select how you want to share the exported document.

Export last Opened Document to Clipboard

Exports the last opened document using the default export format. The format can be changed in MindNode on the Share Panel. On completion, the exported document will be copied to the clipboard.

Export Document Identified by URL-Scheme

Exports the document identified by a URL on the clipboard, using the default export format. The format can be changed in MindNode on the Share Panel. On completion, the shortcut will open a share sheet to select how you want to share the exported document. This shortcut requires a URL that points to a MindNode document on the clipboard. You can create this URL in the document picker by tapping and holding on to a MindNode file and selecting "Copy Link for Opening Document" from the "Share" menu.

Export Document Identified by URL-Scheme to Clipboard

Exports the document identified by a URL on the clipboard, using the default export format. The format can be changed in MindNode on the Share Panel. On completion, the exported document will be copied to the clipboard. This shortcut requires a URL that points to a MindNode document on the clipboard. You can create this URL in the document picker by tapping and holding on a MindNode file and selecting "Copy Link for Opening Document" from the "Share" menu.

URL Schemes

URL schemes are specially formatted URLs that automatically perform actions in MindNode and other apps. On iOS, using Apple's Shortcuts app, actions can be combined into a complex workflow that accomplishes all sorts of tasks.

All URL Schemes start with mindnode:// followed by an action. If you don't provide an action, MindNode is simply launched.

Usage:

Launch MindNode

Usage:

Create Document

This action creates a new document in the default storage location. Usually, this is the MindNode iCloud Drive folder. You can change the default storage location in the Settings app under MindNode.

Usage:

Open Document

Using the open action, you can open an existing document. Open supports several parameters that will help point to the correct document, and we recommend you use the feature in MindNode to create the URL automatically:

• iOS: In the document picker, tap and hold on a MindNode file for a moment. Select "Share" from the context menu and choose "Copy Link for Opening Document" to copy it to the clipboard.
• Mac: With a document open, navigate to the menu bar, click on "File" > "Advanced" and select "Copy Link for Opening Document" to copy it to the clipboard. You can now paste this URL into a text or URL field, and triggering it will automatically open the MindNode file.

Name & Path Parameter:

name: Name of the document. If your document name contains spaces, you need to replace them with %20.

path: This is an optional parameter only needed if the document is in a subfolder. MindNode tries to find the document in the iCloud Drive folder or the MindNode "On my iPhone/iPad" folder.

Usage:

URL & Bookmark

URL: A URL to the document. The URL needs to point to a document in MindNode's iCloud container. Otherwise, the system won't grant permission to access the document.

bookmark: An optional parameter only used when you use the built-in action to create a "File URL Scheme."

Usage:

Export Document

You can export a document using several supported export formats with this action. Parameters:

Name, path, URL, bookmarkData: Please see the open action for a detailed description format: A supported export format. See the list below.

Export Formats:

• PNG (format='png' or 'img' or 'image')
• PDF (format='pdf')
• PlainText (format='txt' or 'text' or 'plaintext')
• RichText (format='rtf' or 'richtext')
• MarkDown (format='markdown' or 'mdown' or 'md') * OPML (format='opml')
• Freemind (format='freemind')
• TaskPaper (format='taskpaper')
• TextPack (format='textpack')
• MindNode Legacy (format='mindnodelegacy')

Usage:

Import Document

Imports a document using one of the supported import formats. Parameters:

Format: A supported export format. See list below.

Name: This is an optional parameter. It will be used as the title for the document.

Content: This is an optional parameter. When it's provided, it will be imported into the document. Otherwise, we will look at the clipboard for the data.

Import Formats:

• CSV (format='csv')
• PlainText (format='txt' or 'text' or 'plaintext')
• RichText (format='rtf' or 'richtext')
• MarkDown (format='markdown' or 'mdown' or 'md') * OPML (format='opml')
• Freemind (format='freemind')
• TaskPaper (format='taskpaper')

Usage:

Launch Quick Entry

Launches Quick Entry and adds the provided text as the content. Parameters:

Mac: mindnodequickentry://quickEntry?text='text?'&clearExisting='false?'

Text: This is an optional parameter. The text is added to the current Quick Entry contents.

clearExisting: This is an optional parameter. When set to true, existing Quick Entry content will be deleted and - if provided - replaced by the content provided in the text parameter.

Usage:

Open Preferences

Usage:

Change the App Icon

In order to change the App Icon replace "iconName" with one of the following values: “Default”, “1", “2”, “3", “4”, “5", “Dark”, “VolumeLicense” or “Colorful”.

Welcome to MindNode Next

MindNode Next is our new Apple Vision Pro app. It is a brand-new version of MindNode built for the new age of spatial computing and collaboration. MindNode Next is built on a new foundation that allows for conflict-free syncing of documents. Now with MindNode Next documents are managed directly in MindNode itself using iCloud and are no longer stored in files on disk or third-party storage locations.

Requirements

MindNode Next requires a Vision Pro running visionOS 1.0 or later.

Languages

MindNode Next is currently available in Chinese Simplified and Traditional, English, French, German, and Japanese.

Support

Check out our Support Articles and read the answers to the most common questions if you have any questions. You can also email us at support@mindnode.com.

For general questions on how to use Apple Vision Pro you can find its user guide here.

New Document Picker

With MindNode Next all your documents are now stored directly in iCloud. If iCloud is not available the documents will be stored on your device.

You can access your MindNode Next documents from the newly designed document picker.

The sidebar on the left has three categories:

• All Documents - well, the name speaks for itself.
• Shared - here you can find all documents in which you collaborate with others.
• Recents - which is where all documents you interacted with in the last 14 days live.

When you first start MindNode Next or don't have any documents, the document picker will give you the options to Create Document (which starts a new mind map), Start Brainstorming (which brings you to the immersive brainstorming mode), or Add Sample Documents (which add 4 mind map documents we created for you to explore).

You can also find the buttons to start a new mind map or to start brainstorming at the top of the document picker.

There you'll also find the option to switch between Gallery or List view for your documents. As well as determine the Sort by option (Name, Last Viewed, or Last Modified).

Furthermore, you can find the MindNode Next settings at the top of the document picker.

Here you can see your subscription status as well as Manage your Subscription, Get Support, Open the User Guide, and Show the Onboarding again. Under More… there are further options that customer support might need for you to access, with Review on the App Store you can do just that, and under Credits, you can see who works on MindNode Next.

Lastly, with Select enabled, you can select multiple documents at once. If you delete a document there is no way to get it back.

The Search field can be used to search documents by title.

Long tap on a document and you can choose Open in New Window, Rename, or Delete. Again if you delete a document there is no way to get it back.

Immersive Brainstorming

Immersive brainstorming allows you to collect all your thoughts as colorful pills that float freely in the space around you. You can literally grab your thoughts, move them around, and even attach related ones together to build groups. When you are ready, convert everything into a mind map and start exploring all aspects of your original idea.

Enter immersive brainstorming by tapping the 🧠 button at the top of the document picker.

A cloud will appear in front of you where you can start to enter your thoughts in the text field in its middle. Tip: Use dictation to get your ideas flowing even faster.

By pressing Return on the keyboard or tapping the Add Idea button you release the idea into the space around you.

Add as many ideas as you want to. Tap and drag them to position them wherever you need them to be in the room surrounding you. When you drag an idea close to another you'll notice the color change. Once this happens you can release the pill you are dragging and it will connect itself to the other idea, creating a stack of related ideas. Drag away an idea from the stack to remove it. Or drag the whole stack by grabbing the idea at the top.

By tapping on an existing idea you'll open the inspector which allows you to change the color of the pill as well as give you the option to delete this idea.

If you tap the x button in the cloud to exit immersive brainstorming, you'll return to the document picker. Once you tap the 🧠 button at the top of the document picker again, you'll be back with your ideas that stayed at exactly the positions you placed them in.

Tap the action button (circle with three dots) on the right of the cloud and get the option to delete all your ideas or to convert them into a mind map with the share button.

Mind Mapping

MindNode Next on Apple Vision Pro supports all essential aspects of mind mapping.

Create new ideas using our unique node-well, attach one of our hand-crafted stickers, fold ideas, or turn them into tasks.
A new inspector opens right next to your nodes, directly on the canvas. You can quickly change the styling right where you are without losing context.

Import

At the moment it is possible to import classic MindNode documents into MindNode Next. For this open the Files app, navigate to the file you want to open in MindNode Next, and double-tap it. This will open it in MindNode Next.

Export

Currently, the only export option is PDF. Support for MindNode Classic documents will be added shortly. To export a PDF copy open a mind map, tap the name of the mind map at the top, and then tap Export as PDF.

On the window that opens up select the storage location you'd like for the PDF, if you want give it a new name at the bottom, and then select Move in the top right corner to save it.

Share

With MindNode Next you can now also share your documents with others to collaborate on them. Changes are saved in iCloud, so everyone with access to the mind map sees the latest version whenever they open it.

Everyone you share with must be signed in to iCloud with their Apple ID to edit or view the mind map.

For this:

1. Open a board, tap the name of the mind map at the top, then tap Share.
2. Choose who can access the board, the level of access you want them to have, and how you want to send it.
3. To make changes to sharing settings or copy the link after you start sharing, tap the collaboration button in the bottom ornament, then tap Manage Shared Document.

If you stop sharing, the board no longer appears on the devices of the other participants, but you still have access to it. You can also remove yourself from boards that others have shared with you.

Enjoy MindNode!

That's a wrap on the complete MindNode User Guide. We hope it has helped you discover and master your mind-mapping skills and bring your ideas to life. Got feedback? Drop us a line at support@mindnode.com — we'd be happy to hear from you.