Why Cupola asks for Full Disk Access

The first time you open Cupola's Notes tab, it may ask for Full Disk Access. Here's why, and how to grant it.

Why Notes needs it

Calendars and Reminders have an official way for apps to ask permission and read your data. Apple Notes doesn't: there's no sanctioned API for an app like Cupola to read your notes directly. Without Full Disk Access, Cupola falls back to Limited Notes mode, working through Notes' automation interface instead, which is slower and can't always verify the note format. With Full Disk Access granted, Cupola reads NoteStore.sqlite, Notes' own database on your Mac, directly, which is faster and more reliable.

Full Disk Access only affects reading. Pinning a note from Cupola also needs Notes' own native write path, which only works once Full Disk Access is on.

What it reads

Full Disk Access lets Cupola open Notes' database file to read your notes, folders and checklists. It's used for Notes only; it isn't what Cupola uses for Calendars or Reminders, which are granted separately.

How to grant it

macOS doesn't let any app request Full Disk Access on its own: it can only be granted by hand in System Settings. Cupola's welcome tour walks you through this with an in-app guide, or you can do it anytime:

1. Open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Full Disk Access.
2. Find Cupola in the list and switch it on. If it's not listed yet, drag the Cupola app icon into the list (the welcome tour's Full Disk Access screen has a Cupola icon built in just for this).
3. Return to Cupola. It checks for the grant on its own, no need to relaunch it, though macOS occasionally only applies the change after Cupola restarts, in which case Cupola offers to restart itself and picks the tour back up right where you left it.

Without it

Cupola still works without Full Disk Access: Notes just runs in Limited mode, which is slower and shows a banner suggesting you grant access for faster search. Calendars and Reminders aren't affected either way.

Revoking it

Go to System Settings › Privacy & Security › Full Disk Access and switch Cupola's toggle off. Cupola's Settings › Permissions page shows Full Disk Access's current status too, with a note that revoking means Notes drops back to Limited mode until you turn it on again. Like granting it, a revoke only takes effect after Cupola restarts.

See also: Permissions Cupola asks for.