# Moe Memos: Native iOS Client for the Self-Hosted Memos Platform > Moe Memos is a free Swift app for iPhone and iPad that connects to a self-hosted memos server or keeps notes entirely on-device, with no data collection and no account required. **mudkipme/MoeMemos** — An app to help you capture thoughts and ideas - Repository: https://github.com/mudkipme/MoeMemos - Website: https://memos.moe - Stars: 894 · Forks: 80 - Language: Swift - License: MPL-2.0 - Published: 2026-09-10 · Updated: 2026-09-10 · Language: en - Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/mudkipme-moememos ## What Moe Memos Solves for Memos Users on iOS The memos project is a self-hosted, Twitter-like scratchpad server. Moe Memos is a third-party iOS client for it, developed independently from the server project. The two projects share no affiliation. The core problem Moe Memos addresses is the lack of a native iOS interface for memos. A web browser works on iOS, but it cannot cache entries for offline reading and writing, cannot integrate with the iOS share sheet, and cannot display a progress graph tracking daily activity. Moe Memos fills those gaps as a fully offline-capable native app written in Swift and SwiftUI. The app targets two distinct audiences. The first is engineers or hobbyists who already run a memos server on their own hardware or a VPS and want a polished iOS client. The second is people who want a frictionless private note-taker with no server at all: local on-device storage is a first-class option, not an afterthought, and notes written locally stay on the device unless the user explicitly adds a server connection. ## Two Storage Modes: Local and Server-Synced Moe Memos offers two distinct storage backends, selectable at setup. In local mode, all data lives on the device using the app's private storage, with no network traffic and no dependency on any running service. This mode works fully offline from the start. In server mode, the app connects to a self-hosted memos instance. According to the README, the current version is compatible with Memos 0.21.0 and Memos 0.27.0 through 0.31.0. The app syncs data when a connection is available and queues writes when offline, pushing them once connectivity returns. The README does not document how conflicts are resolved when the same memo is edited on two devices while offline. That is a gap to investigate before relying on multi-device sync in environments where connectivity is intermittent. ## API Version Constraints and the Mortis Compatibility Layer Memos releases new versions that can introduce breaking API changes. Moe Memos currently supports the API used by Memos 0.21.0 and by the 0.27.0-to-0.31.0 range. If your memos server runs a version higher than 0.31.0, connecting Moe Memos directly will not work. The README recommends using Mortis, a separate proxy maintained by the same developer, to translate newer Memos API calls back to the 0.21.0 format that Moe Memos understands. The workflow is to deploy Mortis in front of the newer server, then re-login in Moe Memos pointing at the Mortis endpoint. This is a meaningful operational cost. Running a memos server already requires infrastructure; adding a compatibility proxy adds another service to maintain, another port to expose, and another dependency to keep updated. Users on memos 0.32.0 or later who do not want to run Mortis have no direct path to Moe Memos at this time. ## Installing Moe Memos on iPhone and iPad Moe Memos is available on the App Store for free. iOS 18 or higher is required. The App Store listing is at apps.apple.com/app/moe-memos/id1643902185. A TestFlight beta channel is also available for users who want pre-release builds. For developers who want to inspect or modify the source, the README says the app can be built with Xcode and run on a physical device. The repository is organized under MoeMemos/, with app intents in MoeMemosAppIntents/, a share extension in MoeMemosShareExtension/, and widgets in MoeMemosWidgets/. Supporting packages live under Packages/. The README states that Moe Memos keeps its dependency count minimal, favoring modern Swift and Apple platform APIs such as SwiftUI and async/await over third-party libraries. The README does not list the specific package dependencies, so the full dependency surface must be reviewed in the Xcode project file directly. ## Feature Set: Offline, Media, and iOS-Native Capabilities Beyond basic note capture, Moe Memos includes extended Markdown support for formatting, a file upload path for images, videos, and other attachments, and tags for organizing memos. The app supports pinning individual memos and a text search function. A progress graph tracks daily memo activity, giving a calendar-style view of writing frequency. The app supports Dark Mode, Dynamic Type for accessibility, and Liquid Glass, which the README notes as a supported visual style. iPhone and iPad are both supported, with iPad multitasking (Split View and Slide Over) available. The app's privacy stance is explicit: the README states there is no data collection. Because Moe Memos does not phone home to any third-party server, and local-mode data never leaves the device, it is well-suited to users with strict privacy requirements. Server-mode data goes only to the user's own memos instance. ## Where Moe Memos Falls Short The iOS-only architecture is the clearest limitation. There is no Android version, and there is no web or desktop client in this repository. Users who switch between iOS and Android cannot rely on Moe Memos as their only interface. The memos API version constraint described above is a real friction point. Any memos server upgrade past 0.31.0 breaks the connection until the user either pins the server at the last supported version or deploys Mortis. The README does not specify how quickly Moe Memos updates to support new memos API versions, so the gap could be persistent. Multi-account support is not mentioned in the README, so it is unclear whether the app can connect to multiple memos instances simultaneously. Users with separate personal and work memos servers should verify this before committing. Finally, the app requires iOS 18. Devices stuck on iOS 17 or older cannot install it. ## Maintenance Record and Licence Terms The repository saw three releases in 2026 before the current date: 2.0.2 in February, 2.0.4 in April, and 2.0.5 in July. The last push to the repository was on 2026-09-26, two days before this writing. The project is actively maintained. Moe Memos is licensed under Mozilla Public License 2.0 (MPL-2.0). The README draws an important practical boundary: the open-source licence does not prevent someone from renaming and repackaging the app for distribution, but doing so would violate App Store Review Guidelines 4.1. The licence allows building meaningfully differentiated apps based on the code, but not rebranded clones submitted to the same store. ## Conclusion Moe Memos suits iOS users who run or plan to run a self-hosted memos server, or who want a private note-taking app that never phones home. The iOS 18 floor rules it out for older devices. Anyone running a memos instance newer than 0.31.0 must first deploy the Mortis proxy and re-authenticate before Moe Memos will connect. Android users have no path to this client at all. The MPL-2.0 licence allows redistribution but not repackaging for the App Store under a different name without violating App Store Review Guidelines 4.1. ## FAQ ### Is the Moe Memos app free? Yes. The README states that Moe Memos is available on the App Store for free, and iOS 18 or higher is required. ### What is a good Moe Memos alternative? The memos project's own web interface is the closest alternative, running in any iOS browser, though it lacks offline caching and native iOS integration. Mortis is a companion proxy rather than an alternative client, used to extend Moe Memos compatibility with newer server versions. ### Does Moe Memos work without a server? Yes. The README states that Moe Memos supports local on-device storage with no server required, and that the app is fully functional offline. ## Sources - [License: MPL-2.0](https://github.com/mudkipme/MoeMemos/blob/main/LICENSE) - [mudkipme/MoeMemos on GitHub](https://github.com/mudkipme/MoeMemos) - [Project website](https://memos.moe) - [README](https://github.com/mudkipme/MoeMemos/blob/main/README.md) - [Releases](https://github.com/mudkipme/MoeMemos/releases) --- Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/mudkipme-moememos