Do I Need a Second Brain? A Plain Way to Decide
A second brain is a central place for what you learn. Who benefits, who can skip it, and the smallest version to test before you build anything.
4 min read. Updated October 23, 2026.
Mapable: AI Notes & Journal for iPhone
Throw in a thought, a link or a TikTok. It files itself and answers when you ask.
Capture a thought, voice note, photo, screenshot, link or short video. Mapable files each one into a few topics drawn as a map, and you ask your notes in plain words to get an answer with the notes it came from.
Free to download. Plans and offers are shown in the store.
Available in English, French, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, German and Italian.
I dictate my thoughts on the go while walking and the app does a magical job: it sorts them, pulls out my to-do lists and even picks up my mood. A huge time saver!
What you get
Capture anything
Thoughts, voice notes, photos, screenshots and links. Share TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube videos from the share sheet and Mapable remembers what is inside, down to the moment. Dictate by voice in any text field.
It organizes itself
Each note lands in one of a few stable topics automatically. Your topics are drawn as a map, and related notes link up on their own. No folders and no tags to set up.
Ask your notes
Ask in plain words, like "where was that ramen place?", and get an answer in your language with the notes it came from.
Your day in one place
Today shows your calendar, todos and a note from a while ago. Mapable spots todos, dates, goals and habits inside your notes and suggests them, and nothing is added without your tap.
Evening check-in and weekly review
Note your mood with a few words in the evening, and get a weekly review of what grew this week, as a map you can share.
What early testers say
I dictate my thoughts on the go while walking and the app does a magical job: it sorts them, pulls out my to-do lists and even picks up my mood. A huge time saver!
No more jungle of loose notes. The automatic categorisation and theme detection work wonderfully.
Extracting tasks and key ideas from simple voice notes or messy notes is just impressive. An essential tool for creative minds.
Feedback from people who tried Mapable before launch. Names shortened.
Free, and what Pro adds
- Free
- Mapable is free to download, with daily and weekly allowances for notes, questions and videos.
- Pro
- Mapable Pro takes the limits off. Plans and offers are shown in the store.
Plans and offers can differ between the App Store and Google Play, and are shown in the store before you subscribe.
Start with a guide
Evergreen Notes Explained: A Before-and-After Example
What evergreen notes are, how they differ from transient notes and Zettelkasten, and a rewritten note step by step so you can write your first one today.
5 min read. Updated October 22, 2026.
PARA Method on iPhone: Set It Up in Apple Notes
Build PARA in the Notes app on your iPhone: four folders, an inbox, a weekly sort, plus when tags and Smart Folders help and the one conversion trap.
5 min read. Updated October 22, 2026.
Switch Note Taking System Without Losing Notes
Change your method or app without a weekend of copy-paste: make a safe copy, set a cutoff day, migrate notes as needed, and run a ten-note test first.
6 min read. Updated October 22, 2026.
Capture First, Organize Later: A Low-Friction Note System
Dump everything now, sort once a week. How a capture-first note system works, why filing at capture kills the habit, and how to stop the inbox piling up.
5 min read. Updated October 21, 2026.
How to Choose a Note-Taking System: A Decision Table
Pick a system by the job your notes do, your weekly time and where you capture. A decision table for Zettelkasten, PARA, Cornell and bullet journal.
5 min read. Updated October 21, 2026.
The Simplest Note-Taking System That Actually Sticks
A note-taking system small enough to survive a busy month: one inbox, ten minutes of sorting a week, and rules on what to leave out until you need it.
5 min read. Updated October 21, 2026.
Tags vs Folders for Notes: A Simple Rule to Decide
Folders give one clear home, tags give several labels. A simple rule for when to use each, how many tags is too many, and when search makes both optional.
4 min read. Updated October 21, 2026.
Weekly Review for Notes: A 10-Minute Routine That Works
A ten-minute weekly review for your notes: collect, sort, pick three, delete. Based on the GTD weekly review, with a checklist and a catch-up plan.
5 min read. Updated October 21, 2026.
Why Note-Taking Systems Fail, and the Fixes That Work
Six patterns that kill Zettelkasten, PARA and second brain setups by week three, each with a concrete fix, so your next system survives a busy month.
5 min read. Updated October 21, 2026.
Zettelkasten for Beginners: Start With Five Notes
Learn the Zettelkasten method from scratch: what a note holds, how to link, what Luhmann did, and a five-note starter exercise for paper or any app.
4 min read. Updated October 21, 2026.
Zettelkasten vs PARA: Which Note System Fits You?
Zettelkasten builds ideas, PARA organises action. See where each wins, what each costs per week, and how to pick one or run a light mix of both.
4 min read. Updated October 21, 2026.
Questions
What is Mapable?
Mapable is an AI notes and journal app that works as a second brain. You throw in a thought, a voice note, a screenshot, a link or a short video, and it files each one into a few topics and draws them as a map.
Do I need to set up folders or tags?
No. Every note lands in one of a few stable topics automatically, and related notes link up on their own.
Can I save TikToks, Reels and YouTube videos?
Yes. Share them to Mapable from the share sheet and it remembers what is inside, down to the moment, so you can ask about it later.
How do I find an old note?
Ask in plain words, like "where was that ramen place?". Mapable answers in your language and shows the notes it used.
Will it add todos on its own?
Mapable spots todos, dates, goals and habits inside your notes and suggests them. Nothing is added until you tap.
Which languages does Mapable speak?
English, French, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, German and Italian.
Is Mapable free?
Mapable is free to download, with daily and weekly allowances. Mapable Pro takes the limits off. Plans and offers are shown in the store before you subscribe.
Throw in a thought, a link or a TikTok. It files itself and answers when you ask.
Mapable is made by EASYTECH, an independent app studio in Annecy, France. Privacy policy · Terms of use. For iPhone.