Getting started
Niv is free. It runs on macOS today; other platforms have a waitlist on niv.md.
Download
On macOS (13 or later):
Go to niv.md and choose Download for macOS.
Open the downloaded file and drag Niv to your Applications folder.
Open Niv.
The first open
The first open is one short flow. You see it once; after that, Niv opens straight to your notes.
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Welcome to Niv. Choose Get started.
Pick a folder. Choose Select a folder and pick the folder your notes live in. Any folder with Markdown files works, and the links between them keep working. You can also pick an empty folder and start fresh.
Sign in to sync. Sign in with Google, GitHub or an email code. Or choose Continue offline for now: the app works fully without an account, and you can sign in later. See Signing in.
Choose a Space. If you signed in, pick a Space to sync this folder with, or make a new one with New Space. Sync here connects the folder to a Space you're in; Create & sync makes a new one. Later skips this step. See Spaces.
Signing in is only needed for sync, working with other people and publishing.
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If your folder is in iCloud Drive or Dropbox
When the folder you pick is inside iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive or another sync app, Niv tells you. Those apps can create copies like "Name 2" or bring an older version back. For a folder you sync with a Space, Niv recommends a folder outside them. Choose Choose another folder, or Not now to keep the one you picked.
Switching folders
On macOS, these are in the File menu:
File › Open Space… opens another folder.
File › Open Recent lists folders you opened before.
File › Close Space (⌘⇧W) closes the folder and brings you back to the start.
On macOS, you can also open a folder or a Markdown file from Finder: select it, then choose Open in Niv in Finder's Services menu. A Markdown file outside your folder opens on its own. Niv edits it where it is, with no sync or history.