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

Feedback Pulse

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

 

Share positive feedback  ·  Share negative feedback

Status: active release
Latest release: v0.5.8 Platform target: macOS 26 (Tahoe) compatible with macOS Sequoia Apple Silicon: tested / Intel: not tested Last updated (README): 2026-03-29 for latest release v0.5.8

Start Here

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

Start in 60s (Source Build)

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.

For	Not For
Fast native editing across macOS, iOS, iPadOS	Full IDE workflows with deep refactoring/debugger stacks
Markdown writing and script/config edits with highlighting	Teams that require complete Intel Mac validation today
Users who want low overhead and quick file access	Users expecting full desktop-IDE parity on iPhone

Table of Contents

Start Here · Release Channels · Download Metrics · Project Documentation · Features · Release Spotlight · Platform Matrix
Roadmap (Near Term) · Troubleshooting · FAQ · Changelog · Contributing Quickstart · Support & Feedback

Release Channels

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

Download Metrics

Release Download + Traffic Trend

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

## Project Documentation

• Release history: CHANGELOG.md
• Contributing guide: CONTRIBUTING.md
• Privacy: PRIVACY.md
• Security policy: SECURITY.md
• Release checklists: release/ — TestFlight & App Store preflight docs

What's New in v0.5.8

• Huge files now open with faster first content through deferred, chunked installation.
• Large-file sessions stay more responsive while the rest of the document continues loading.
• Large-file open modes remain directly controllable through the active session workflow.
• The huge-file open path now better preserves final content correctness after deferred installation completes.

Who Is This For?

Best For	Why Neon Vision Editor
Quick note takers	Fast native startup and low UI overhead for quick edits
Markdown-focused writers	Clean editing with quick preview workflows on Apple devices
Developers editing scripts/config files	Syntax highlighting + fast file navigation without full IDE complexity

Why This Instead of a Full IDE?

Advantage	What It Means
Faster startup	Lower overhead for short edit sessions
Focused surface	Editor-first workflow without project-system bloat
Native Apple behavior	Consistent experience on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS

Download

Prebuilt binaries are available on GitHub Releases.

Channel	Best For	Download	Release Track	Notes
Stable	Direct notarized builds and fastest stable updates	GitHub Releases	v0.5.8	Apple Silicon tested, Intel not fully validated
Store	Apple-managed installs and updates	Neon Vision Editor on the App Store	App Store	Automatic Store delivery/update flow
Beta	Testing upcoming changes before stable	TestFlight Invite	TestFlight	Early access builds for feedback

Install

Quick install (curl)

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"

Homebrew

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

Gatekeeper (macOS 26 Tahoe)

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.

Features

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

• 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.

Navigation & Workflow

• Quick Open (Cmd+P), project sidebar navigation, and recursive project tree rendering.
• Project quick actions (Expand All / Collapse All) and supported-files-only filter.
• Cross-platform Save As… and Close All Tabs with confirmation.

Preview, Platform, and Safety

• 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.

Customization & Diagnostics

• 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.

Release Spotlight

Spotlight for v0.5.8: A performance-focused release that pushes huge-file opening onto a deferred, chunked path so first content appears faster and long documents stay responsive while loading finishes.

Create polished share images directly from your selected code.

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

• 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.

Architecture At A Glance

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.

Architecture principles

• 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.

Platform Matrix

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

Shared Across All Platforms

• 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.

Platform-Specific Differences

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.

Trust & Reliability Signals

• 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

Platform Gallery

• 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

macOS

General editing workflow on macOS

Wide editing workspace with tabs and status bar context

iPad

Project navigation and editing workflow on iPad

Markdown preview workflow in the editor context

iPhone

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

Release Flow (Completed + Upcoming)

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

Roadmap (Near Term)

Now (v0.5.8)

• incremental loading for huge files with deferred first paint, chunked installation, and clearer large-file session behavior.
  Tracking: #28

Next (v0.5.9 - v0.5.10)

• follow-up platform polish and release hardening.
• remote-session follow-up beyond the current macOS-only read-only preview scope.

Later (v0.6.0)

• native side-by-side diff view.
  Tracking: Milestone 0.6.0 · #33

Known Issues

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

Troubleshooting

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.

Configuration

• 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)

FAQ

• 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.

Keyboard Shortcuts

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

Changelog

Latest stable: v0.5.8 (2026-03-28)

Recent Releases (At a glance)

Version	Date	Highlights	Fixes	Breaking changes	Migration
v0.5.8	2026-03-28	Deferred huge-file opening so first content appears sooner; chunked large-file installation that continues in the background after initial paint; retained active large-file open-mode controls for Standard, Deferred, and Plain Text sessions	huge-file first-paint stalls caused by single-pass text installation; large-file handoff instability while chunks continue installing; deferred completion correctness so final editor content still matches the source file	None noted	None required
v0.5.7	2026-03-26	Completed the project-file index snapshot flow so project refreshes can reuse unchanged entries while continuing to feed Quick Open and Find in Files; Completed iPad Vim-mode integration with a dedicated Settings toggle, shared persistence, and visible mode-state reporting on iPad; Expanded the Code Snapshot composer with a Custom layout mode, better cross-platform sizing behavior, and cleaner control grouping	iPhone Markdown preview layout so title, controls, and export action read cleanly in a centered vertical flow; iPhone Markdown PDF export so the file exporter is presented from the active preview sheet instead of silently failing behind it; macOS and iPad Markdown preview control layout so template, PDF mode, and actions sit in a centered, platform-appropriate grouping	None noted	None required
v0.5.6	2026-03-17	Safe Mode startup recovery with repeated-failure detection, blank-document launch fallback, a dedicated startup explanation, and a Normal Next Launch recovery action; a background project file index for larger folders and wired it into Quick Open, Find in Files, and project refresh flows; Markdown preview PDF export with paginated and one-page output modes; an iPad hardware-keyboard Vim MVP with core normal-mode navigation/editing commands and shared mode-state reporting	Safe Mode so a successful launch clears recovery state and normal restarts no longer re-enter Safe Mode unnecessarily; Markdown PDF export clipping so long preview content is captured more reliably across page transitions and document endings; theme-formatting updates so editor styling refreshes immediately without requiring a theme switch	None noted	None required

• Full release history: CHANGELOG.md
• Latest release: v0.5.8
• Compare recent changes: v0.5.7...v0.5.8

Known Limitations

• 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 & Security

• 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.

Release Integrity

• Tag: v0.5.8
• Tagged commit: pending local release tag
• Verify local tag target:

git rev-parse --verify v0.5.8

• 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

Release Policy

• 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.

Requirements

App Runtime

• macOS 26 (Tahoe)
• Apple Silicon recommended

Build Requirements

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

Build from source

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"

Contributing Quickstart

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

Support & Feedback

• Feedback pulse (top): Positive + Negative
• 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

Support Neon Vision Editor

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

Creator Sites

• Discussions categories: Ideas | Q&A | Showcase

Git hooks

To auto-increment Xcode CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION on every commit:

scripts/install_git_hooks.sh

License

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