Popular note-taking app Bear received an update on Thursday across Mac and iOS that adds a number of notable features to the Evernote rival.

The biggest change to Bear is the ability to sketch on iOS. Users can now add sketches to their notes using a finger or stylus. Sketches are drawn on a separate open canvas, which includes pencil and marker tools similar to Apple Notes, with each pencil coming in three sizes and a range of colors.

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Next, Bear has taken cues from the new API in iOS 10.3 that enables apps to use custom icons. Bear supports eight different themes, and now each one has an accompanying icon so that Bear's appearance on the Home screen optionally matches the selected theme.

Bear 1.2 also brings VoiceOver support, to aid blind and visually impaired notetakers. Elsewhere, a Bear Notes sticker pack has been included for use in iMessages.

Lastly, Bear has been translated for three new languages: Korean, Russian, and Brazilian Portugese. Bear 1.2 is free and offers a $1.49 monthly or $14.99 annual subscription model for Pro features. Bear is available to download on the App Store for iPad and iPhone [Direct Link], as well as on the Mac App Store [Direct Link].

Top Rated Comments

farewelwilliams Avatar
farewelwilliams
108 months ago
that pricing still makes 0 sense. i've been telling the author to change the pricing model. i'd gladly pay $30 for a Mac version and $10 for an iOS version then deliver major new versions every 1-2 years. hell, i bought things 3 for iphone, ipad, and mac and didn't think twice about it.

I just don't want to be tied down paying perpetually for this app.

also if the author isn't using cloudkit (why would you rather run your own servers anyways if you're not going to make a PC/Android version?), i rather not be storing my notes with his servers.

it's a shame that there's a really a good app that's ruined by a stupid subscription model.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleInLVX Avatar
AppleInLVX
108 months ago
Seriously, they can take their subscription for a long walk off a short pier. ESPECIALLY when Ulysses easily kicks the sh-- out of this software in every way that matters and doesn't have any stupid pricing ransom to use your own content.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
netsped Avatar
netsped
108 months ago
As others have stated, paying a monthly fee to be able to use iCloud to sync between Apple devices makes no sense at all. Having iCloud sync is part of the Apple ecosystem and it should be free in any app on the App Store. They should make the note linking or multiple levels of tags their "pro" features and not iCloud sync.

Anyway, for what I would use the app the stock Notes app does the same and it syncs between my Apple devices.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ck2875 Avatar
ck2875
108 months ago
that pricing still makes 0 sense. i've been telling the author to change the pricing model. i'd gladly pay $30 for a Mac version and $10 for an iOS version then deliver major new versions every 1-2 years. hell, i bought things 3 for iphone, ipad, and mac and didn't think twice about it.

I just don't want to be tied down paying perpetually for this app.

also if the author isn't using cloudkit (why would you rather run your own servers anyways if you're not going to make a PC/Android version?), i rather not be storing my notes with his servers.

it's a shame that there's a really a good app that's ruined by a stupid subscription model.
I came to the comments section to say literally this. I just blew $65 on the Things 3 suite. I happily paid $25 for Ulysses for iOS & $45 for macOS. I would pay it again in 1-2 years if they asked. Would that $70 cover 4.5 years of Bear? Sure. But I will never pay for an in-app subscription.

Do subscriptions mean a developer will stay in business? Not if I'm the only person who buys a subscription, and if that's the case I don't want to be without a fully functional app if one of these startups goes out of business (or gets bought out). Particularly with Bear, it's pretty crappy of the dev to prevent people from using built in service like iCloud sync in an effort to peddle their subscription.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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