Neon Vision Editor

A native editor for markdown, notes, and code across macOS, iPhone, and iPad.

Minimal by design. Quick edits, fast file access, no IDE bloat.

Download: GitHub Releases · App Store · TestFlight

Status: active release
Latest release: v0.6.3 Platform target: macOS 26 (Tahoe) compatible with macOS Sequoia Apple Silicon: tested / Intel: not tested Last updated (README): 2026-04-29 for latest release v0.6.3

• Jump: Install | Features | Contributing
• Quick install: GitHub Releases, App Store, TestFlight
• Need help quickly: Troubleshooting | FAQ | Known Issues

1. git clone https://github.com/h3pdesign/Neon-Vision-Editor.git
2. cd Neon-Vision-Editor
3. xcodebuild -project "Neon Vision Editor.xcodeproj" -scheme "Neon Vision Editor" -destination 'platform=macOS,name=My Mac' build
4. open "Neon Vision Editor.xcodeproj" and run, then use Cmd+P for Quick Open.

Start Here · Release Channels · Core Workflows · Download Metrics · Project Documentation · Features

Release Spotlight · Platform Matrix · Roadmap (Near Term) · Troubleshooting · FAQ · Changelog · Contributing Quickstart · Support & Feedback

Channel	Best for	Delivery
	Direct notarized builds and fastest stable updates	GitHub Releases
	Apple-managed install/update flow	App Store
	Early testing of upcoming changes	TestFlight

Release Download + Traffic Trend

Styled line chart shows per-release totals with 14-day traffic counters for clones and views.

• Native Diff Workflows: Compare the current tab against disk or compare two open tabs in the new side-by-side diff view.
• Toolbar Help: A new responsive help section explains every toolbar symbol and adapts across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
• iPhone/iPad Toolbar Access: More actions are available in compact scrollable toolbars, with Toolbar Help pinned next to Settings on iPad.
• Markdown PDF Export: Paginated exports now include complete text content, and one-page exports use tighter margins with flexible page length.
• iPhone Project Sidebar Fixes: Open File, Open Folder, and New File actions now present the expected dialogs and create tabs correctly.
• Markdown and File Handling: Improved Markdown detection/highlighting, .bak plain-text support, and dotfile handling such as .zshrc.
• Themes and Support Messaging: Added the AMOLED Neon theme and refined App Store support-price loading states.

Prebuilt binaries are available on GitHub Releases.

Install the latest release directly:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/h3pdesign/Neon-Vision-Editor/main/scripts/install.sh | sh

Install without admin password prompts (user-local app folder):

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/h3pdesign/Neon-Vision-Editor/main/scripts/install.sh | sh -s -- --appdir "$HOME/Applications"

brew tap h3pdesign/tap
brew install --cask neon-vision-editor

Tap repository: h3pdesign/homebrew-tap

If Homebrew asks for an admin password, it is usually because casks install into /Applications. Use this to avoid that:

brew install --cask --appdir="$HOME/Applications" neon-vision-editor

If macOS blocks first launch:

1. Open System Settings.
2. Go to Privacy & Security.
3. In Security, find the blocked app message.
4. Click Open Anyway.
5. Confirm the dialog.

_{Project Sidebar keeps file-tree actions close. Markdown Preview keeps style and export in one toolbar flow. Quick Open keeps file navigation immediate.}

Neon Vision Editor keeps the surface minimal and focuses on fast writing/coding workflows. Platform-specific availability is tracked in the Platform Matrix section below.

Editing Core

Navigation & Preview

Platform, Output & Customization

Safety & Privacy

• Fast loading for regular and large text files with tabbed editing.
• Broad syntax highlighting (including TeX/LaTeX), inline completion with Tab-to-accept, and regex Find/Replace with Replace All.
• Optional Vim workflow support and starter templates for common languages.

• Quick Open (Cmd+P), project sidebar navigation, and recursive project tree rendering.
• Project quick actions (Expand All / Collapse All) and supported-files-only filter.
• Native side-by-side diff view for Compare with Disk and Compare Open Tabs workflows, with change navigation.
• Cross-platform Save As… and Close All Tabs with confirmation.

• Native Markdown preview templates on macOS/iOS/iPadOS plus iPhone bottom-sheet preview.
• .svg file support via XML mode and bracket helper on all platforms.
• Unsupported-file open/import safety guards and session restore for previously opened project folder.

• Built-in theme collection: Dracula, One Dark Pro, Nord, Tokyo Night, Gruvbox, and Neon Glow.
• Grouped settings, optional StoreKit support flow, and AI Activity Log diagnostics on macOS.

• Create polished share images directly from selected code.
• Toolbar button: click in the top toolbar (Create Code Snapshot).
• Selection menu: right-click selected text and choose Create Code Snapshot.
• Composer controls: choose appearance, background, frame style, line numbers, and padding.
• Export: use Share to generate a PNG snapshot and share/save it.

_{Styled export preview for social sharing, changelogs, and issue discussions.}

flowchart LR
  Mac["Platform: macOS shell (SwiftUI + AppKit bridges)"]
  IOS["Platform: iOS/iPadOS shell (SwiftUI + UIKit bridges)"]
  ACT["App Layer: user actions (toolbar/menu/shortcuts)"]
  VM["App Layer: EditorViewModel (@MainActor state owner)"]
  CMD["App Layer: command reducers (Flux-style mutations)"]
  IO["Core: file I/O + load/sanitize pipeline"]
  HL["Core: syntax highlighting + runtime limits"]
  FIND["Core: find/replace + selection engine"]
  PREV["Core: markdown preview renderer"]
  SAFE["Core: unsupported-file safety guards"]
  STORE["Infra: tabs + session restore store"]
  PREFS["Infra: settings + persistence"]
  SEC["Infra: SecureTokenStore (Keychain)"]
  UPD["Infra: release update manager"]

  Mac --> ACT
  IOS --> ACT
  ACT --> VM
  VM --> CMD
  CMD --> STORE
  VM --> IO
  VM --> HL
  VM --> FIND
  VM --> PREV
  VM --> SAFE
  VM --> PREFS
  VM --> UPD
  PREFS --> STORE
  IO --> STORE
  VM --> SEC

  classDef platform stroke:#2563EB,stroke-width:3px,fill:transparent,font-family:ui-monospace\, SFMono-Regular\, Menlo\, Monaco\, Consolas\, Liberation Mono\, monospace,font-size:13px;
  classDef app stroke:#059669,stroke-width:3px,fill:transparent,font-family:ui-monospace\, SFMono-Regular\, Menlo\, Monaco\, Consolas\, Liberation Mono\, monospace,font-size:13px;
  classDef core stroke:#EA580C,stroke-width:3px,fill:transparent,font-family:ui-monospace\, SFMono-Regular\, Menlo\, Monaco\, Consolas\, Liberation Mono\, monospace,font-size:13px;
  classDef infra stroke:#9333EA,stroke-width:3px,fill:transparent,font-family:ui-monospace\, SFMono-Regular\, Menlo\, Monaco\, Consolas\, Liberation Mono\, monospace,font-size:13px;

  class Mac,IOS platform;
  class ACT,VM,CMD app;
  class IO,HL,FIND,PREV,SAFE core;
  class STORE,PREFS,SEC,UPD infra;

  linkStyle 0,1 stroke:#2563EB,stroke-width:2px;
  linkStyle 2,3 stroke:#059669,stroke-width:2px;
  linkStyle 5,6,7,8,9,13 stroke:#EA580C,stroke-width:2px;
  linkStyle 4,10,11,12,14 stroke:#9333EA,stroke-width:2px;

• EditorViewModel is the single UI-facing orchestration point per window/scene.
• Commands mutate editor state predictably; session/tabs persist through store services.
• File access and parsing stay off the main thread; UI state changes stay on the main thread.
• Platform shells stay thin and route interactions into shared app/core services.
• Security-sensitive credentials remain in Keychain (SecureTokenStore), not plain prefs.
• Color key in diagram: blue = platform shell, green = app orchestration, orange = core services, purple = infrastructure.

• Keep UI mutations on the main thread (@MainActor) and heavy work off the UI thread.
• Keep window/scene state isolated to avoid accidental cross-window coupling.
• Keep security defaults strict: tokens in Keychain, no telemetry by default.
• Keep platform wrappers thin and push shared behavior into common services.

Most editor features are shared across macOS, iOS, and iPadOS.

• Fast text editing with syntax highlighting.
• Markdown preview templates (Default, Docs, Article, Compact).
• Project sidebar with supported-files filter.
• Unsupported-file safety alerts.
• SVG (.svg) support via XML mode.
• Close All Tabs with confirmation.
• Bracket helper and grouped Settings cards.

Capability	macOS	iOS	iPadOS	Notes
Quick Open Cmd+P				iOS needs a hardware keyboard for shortcut-driven flow.
Bracket Helper				Same behavior across platforms; only the UI surface differs.
Markdown Preview				Interaction adapts to screen size and platform input model.

• Notarized release pipeline: release-notarized.yml
• Pre-release verification gate: pre-release-ci.yml
• Security scanning: CodeQL workflow
• Homebrew cask sync: update-cask.yml

More release integrity details: Release Integrity

• macOS
• iPad
• iPhone
• Source image index for docs: docs/images/README.md
• App Store gallery: Neon Vision Editor on App Store
• Latest release assets: GitHub Releases

General editing workflow on macOS

Wide editing workspace with tabs and status bar context

Project navigation and editing workflow on iPad

Markdown preview workflow in the editor context

Editing workflow with syntax highlighting and accessory bar	Overflow menu actions in the editor workflow
Markdown preview sheet with template, PDF mode, and export action	Theme color editing on iPhone

_{Click to open full-size SVG and zoom. In full view, each card links to release notes or the roadmap hub.}

• completed native diff workflows, responsive Toolbar Help, Markdown PDF export fixes, compact iPhone/iPad toolbar parity, and App Store/TestFlight release copy. Tracking: Release v0.6.3

• quality release focused on long Markdown PDF export coverage, mobile toolbar/sidebar parity, compact layout accessibility, README roadmap correctness, and release QA hardening. Tracking: #89, #90, #91, #92, #93

• larger workflow expansion after the 0.6.4 quality baseline is verified.

• Open known issues (live filter): label:known-issue

1. App blocked on first launch: use Gatekeeper steps above in Privacy & Security.
2. Markdown preview not visible: ensure you are on macOS or iPadOS (not available on iPhone).
3. Shortcut not working on iOS: connect a hardware keyboard for shortcut-based flows like Cmd+P.
4. Sidebar/layout feels cramped on iPad: switch orientation or close side panels before preview.
5. Settings feel off after updates: quit/relaunch app and verify current release version in Settings.

• Theme and appearance: Settings > Designs
• Editor behavior (font, line height, wrapping, snippets): Settings > Editor
• Startup/session behavior: Settings > Allgemein/General
• Support and purchase options: Settings > Mehr/More (platform-dependent)

• Does Neon Vision Editor support Intel Macs?
  Intel is currently not fully validated. If you can help test, see Help wanted: Intel Mac test coverage.
• Can I use it offline?
  Yes for core editing; network is only needed for optional external services (for example selected AI providers).
• Do I need AI enabled to use the editor?
  No. Core editing, navigation, and preview features work without AI.
• Where are tokens stored?
  In Keychain via SecureTokenStore, not in UserDefaults.

All shortcuts use Cmd (⌘). iPad/iOS require a hardware keyboard.

Shortcut Action Platforms Cmd+N New Window Cmd+T New Tab Cmd+O Open File Cmd+Shift+O Open Folder Cmd+S Save Cmd+Shift+S Save As... Cmd+W Close Tab	Shortcut Action Platforms Cmd+X Cut Cmd+C Copy Cmd+V Paste Cmd+A Select All Cmd+Z Undo Cmd+Shift+Z Redo Cmd+D Add Next Match
Shortcut Action Platforms Cmd+Option+S Toggle Sidebar Cmd+Shift+D Brain Dump Mode	Shortcut Action Platforms Cmd+F Find & Replace Cmd+G Find Next Cmd+Shift+F Find in Files
Shortcut Action Platforms Cmd+P Quick Open Cmd+D Add next match Cmd+Shift+V Toggle Vim Mode	Shortcut Action Platforms Cmd+Shift+G Suggest Code Cmd+Shift+L AI Activity Log Cmd+Shift+U Inspect whitespace at caret

Latest stable: v0.6.3 (2026-04-28)

• Full release history: CHANGELOG.md
• Latest release: v0.6.3
• Compare recent changes: v0.6.2...v0.6.3

• Intel Mac support is not fully validated yet.
• Vim mode is intentionally lightweight, not full Vim emulation.
• iPhone and iPad workflows still offer a smaller feature set than macOS.

• Privacy policy: PRIVACY.md.
• API keys are stored in Keychain (SecureTokenStore), not UserDefaults.
• Network traffic uses HTTPS.
• No telemetry.
• External AI requests only occur when code completion is enabled and a provider is selected.
• Security policy and reporting details: SECURITY.md.
• New repository commits are SSH-signed; older historical commits may still predate commit signing.
• Local SSH-signature verification in this clone can use the repo-scoped .git_allowed_signers file.

• Tag: v0.6.3
• Tagged commit: 161e7fc
• Verify local tag target:

git rev-parse --verify v0.6.3

• Verify downloaded artifact checksum locally:

shasum -a 256 <downloaded-file>

• Verify local SSH commit signatures in this clone:

git config --local gpg.ssh.allowedSignersFile .git_allowed_signers
git log --show-signature -1

• Stable: tagged GitHub releases intended for daily use.
• Beta: TestFlight builds may include in-progress UX and platform polish.
• Cadence: fixes/polish can ship between minor tags, with summary notes mirrored in README and CHANGELOG.md.

• macOS 26 (Tahoe)
• Apple Silicon recommended

• Xcode with the macOS 26 toolchain
• iOS and iPadOS simulator runtimes installed in Xcode for cross-platform verification

If you already completed the Start in 60s (Source Build), you can open and run directly from Xcode.

git clone https://github.com/h3pdesign/Neon-Vision-Editor.git
cd Neon-Vision-Editor
open "Neon Vision Editor.xcodeproj"

Contributor guide: CONTRIBUTING.md

1. Fork the repo and create a focused branch.
2. Implement the smallest safe diff for your change.
3. Build on macOS first.
4. Run cross-platform verification script.
5. Open a PR with screenshots for UI changes and a short risk note.
6. Link to related issue/milestone and call out user-visible impact.

git clone https://github.com/h3pdesign/Neon-Vision-Editor.git
cd Neon-Vision-Editor
xcodebuild -project "Neon Vision Editor.xcodeproj" -scheme "Neon Vision Editor" -destination 'platform=macOS,name=My Mac' build

Lock-safe cross-platform verification (sequential macOS + iOS Simulator + iPad Simulator):

scripts/ci/build_platform_matrix.sh

Share what works well and what should improve for both the app and the README.

Share positive feedback  ·  Share negative feedback

• Questions and ideas: GitHub Discussions
• Project board (Now / Next / Later): Neon Vision Editor Roadmap
• Known issues: Known Issues Hub #50
• Contributor entry points: good first issue | help wanted
• Issue filters: enhancement | known-issue | regression

Keep it free, sustainable, and improving.

• Neon Vision Editor will always stay free to use.

• No subscriptions and no paywalls.

• Keeping the app alive still has real costs: Apple Developer Program fee, maintenance, updates, and long-term support.

• Optional Support Tip (Consumable): $4.99 and can be purchased multiple times.

• Your support helps cover Apple developer fees, bug fixes and updates, future improvements and features, and long-term support.

• Thank you for helping keep Neon Vision Editor free for everyone.

• In-app support tip: Settings > Mehr/More (platform-dependent)

• External support: Patreon

• h3p apps portal for docs, setup guides, and release workflows: >h3p apps

• External support: PayPal

• Discussions categories: Ideas | Q&A | Showcase

To auto-increment Xcode CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION on every commit:

scripts/install_git_hooks.sh

Neon Vision Editor is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE.