What platforms does Nemos support?

Nemos is intentionally Apple-only. Here's the platform support, the reasoning, and the roadmap.

Currently supported (2026):

• iPhone: iOS 17+. iOS 26 unlocks the full Apple Foundation Models features.
• iPad: iPadOS 17+. Optimized for both portrait and landscape. Apple Pencil first-class support.
• Apple Watch: watchOS 10+. Capture-focused — voice notes, complication shortcuts, quick view of recent items.
• Mac: macOS 14+ (Sonoma) on Apple Silicon. Runs as a Catalyst app (iPad app on Mac, not a native AppKit app — yet).
• Vision Pro: visionOS 1+. Spatial view of captured content. Beta feature.

Not supported (and why):

• Android: not on roadmap. The on-device AI architecture relies on Apple Foundation Models, which don't exist on Android. Building an Android version would require switching to cloud AI, which breaks our privacy commitment.
• Windows: not on roadmap. Similar reasoning + Mac Catalyst already covers desktop users.
• Web: not on roadmap. CloudKit doesn't expose a web API for end-user-readable content; we'd have to build a separate sync infrastructure.
• Linux: not planned.

The intentional limitation:

By staying Apple-only, we get to:

• Use Apple Foundation Models for AI (on-device, private).
• Use CloudKit for sync (E2E encrypted, free, reliable).
• Use Apple's frameworks for everything: Vision, Speech, NaturalLanguage, AppIntents, ActivityKit, WidgetKit.
• Ship deeper integrations (Apple Watch complications, Live Activities, Lock Screen widgets, Action Button, Spotlight, Siri Shortcuts, Focus modes, Handoff).
• Maintain a small team and fast release velocity.

A cross-platform Nemos would mean cloud AI, weaker privacy, slower releases, and a generic experience on every platform. We chose deep-and-narrow over wide-and-shallow.

iCloud requirements:

Since Nemos syncs via CloudKit, you need:

• An iCloud account (free, included with any Apple device).
• iCloud Drive enabled (Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud).
• Nemos enabled for iCloud (Settings → Apps → Nemos → Sync with iCloud).

The free 5 GB iCloud tier is enough for Nemos — we only sync metadata and index, not full-resolution images, so a typical user's iCloud footprint stays under 100 MB even with thousands of items.

Family Sharing:

Nemos supports Apple's Family Sharing for both the free and Pro tier. If one family member buys Pro, up to 5 others can use Pro for free.

Updates:

Nemos ships on the App Store, and new versions arrive through App Store updates.

The 2026 device test matrix:

We test every release on:

• iPhone 15 Pro (lead device)
• iPhone 13 (baseline performance)
• iPhone SE 3rd gen (low-end target)
• iPad Pro M2 11" (iPad lead)
• iPad mini 7
• MacBook Air M2
• Apple Watch Series 9 (watch lead)
• Apple Watch SE
• Vision Pro

If you have an older device (iPhone 12 or earlier), Nemos still works but some on-device AI features (semantic search, Foundation Model summaries) require iOS 26 + A17 Pro or later.

The compatibility cliff:

iOS 26 + Apple Foundation Models requires A17 Pro or later (iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, etc.). On older devices, Nemos falls back to non-AI features. This isn't a Nemos decision; it's Apple's hardware requirement.

Roadmap:

Next: the Mac app (in development).

2027+: not planned to expand beyond Apple platforms.

Bottom line: Apple ecosystem only, by design. If you're not on Apple devices, Nemos isn't the right tool. If you are, the deep integration is the point.

Why this question gets asked so often

Cross-platform support is the single most-debated decision for indie productivity apps. The "what platforms does X support?" question reflects a real coordination problem — users with mixed-device families (iPhone + Windows laptop, MacBook + Android phone) want one app for everything. The 2024 Apple-vs-everything competitive landscape sharpened this question: Apple's APIs (Foundation Models, CloudKit, AppIntents, ActivityKit) are uniquely capable, so iPhone-first apps can be 10x better on Apple than they would be on Android, but at the cost of leaving non-Apple users behind. Notion's "works everywhere" strategy gets it 50M users; Obsidian's "local-first, every platform" strategy gets it 1.5M paying users. Apple-only apps like Things, Bear, and Reeder serve smaller but deeply loyal audiences. The question matters because users who pick an Apple-only app and later switch to Android face migration friction.

The deeper story

The deep-and-narrow vs wide-and-shallow choice is one of the most consequential decisions an app makes. Wide-and-shallow apps (Notion, Evernote, Google Docs) reach more users but can't use platform-specific APIs deeply — they end up running on a JavaScript-based renderer (Electron, React Native) that achieves portability at the cost of native feel and battery life. Deep-and-narrow apps (Bear, Things, Day One, Reeder) ship native code per platform and use platform-specific APIs aggressively. The 2024 Apple Intelligence + Foundation Models + AppIntents stack is exclusive to Apple and adds capabilities no cross-platform app can replicate. The Tiago Forte BASB framework acknowledges this tension: most users do their actual capture on one device family (their phone), so deep integration on that one platform matters more than universal availability. Nemos's bet is that for capture-heavy iPhone users, Apple-only deep integration is a feature, not a limitation.

Edge cases and gotchas

• iCloud account requirement: every Nemos user needs an iCloud account. Free, but required.
• Family Sharing: works for entitlements but doesn't share notes between family members.
• Mac: the Mac app is in development and not yet released; the Safari and Chrome extensions save from a Mac today.
• iOS 17 fallback for older iPhones: works but on-device AI features require iOS 26 + A17 Pro+.
• iPad Stage Manager: optimized for both stage manager and standard multitasking modes.
• Universal Control + Sidecar: notes sync across devices but cursor handoff is between Macs.

What competitors say

Notion runs everywhere via Electron + React Native — works but feels heavy. Obsidian runs everywhere via Electron and a separate mobile build — works well, niche audience. Bear is Apple-only (similar choice to Nemos). Things is Apple-only. Day One is Apple-only. Reeder is Apple-only. GoodNotes is iPad-first, expanding. Notability is similar. Apple Notes is Apple-only by definition. Roam is web-first with iOS app. Mem is web + iOS. Capacities is web + iOS + Mac. Tana is web-first. Logseq is local-first, all platforms via Electron. Joplin is local-first, all platforms via Electron. Standard Notes is everywhere via React Native. Nemos's choice (Apple-only) is closer to Bear and Things — high-investment Apple-native experience over broad platform reach.

The 2026 verdict

Pick Apple-only apps if you're committed to Apple devices and value deep integration over portability. The strategic risk is real: if you switch to Android or get a Windows work computer, you're stuck. Mitigation: ensure the app supports Markdown export so you can migrate if needed. The strategic reward: Apple-only apps in 2026 can use APIs (Foundation Models, AppIntents, ActivityKit) that cross-platform apps simply can't. For users firmly in the Apple ecosystem (estimated 750M iPhone users plus 200M iPad users worldwide), the deep integration is genuinely worth the platform lock-in. For users who switch platforms regularly, cross-platform tools like Obsidian or Notion are safer choices.