Who makes DoubleMemory, and why
Builds DoubleMemory independently, ships often, and writes about the journey on Substack.
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Why it exists
From the essay Why I created DoubleMemoryThe question
I kept pressing ⌘C twice, as if copying harder would make the text stick. So I asked: what if doing it on purpose actually saved what I copied, with no browser extension and no extra step?
The first prototypes
One afternoon I asked Claude for a prototype. It made three, in Python, JavaScript and Swift, and each one was just a list in the menu bar. That list is where DoubleMemory began.
Native, iCloud, local-first
Reading the clipboard meant a native Mac app, which also uses far fewer resources than a web app. The rest followed: sync through your own iCloud instead of a server I run, no sign-up, local-first storage, and a searchable board you can drive from the keyboard.
Milestones
Dated from the changelog and press mentions.- [date]LaunchDoubleMemory arrives on iPhone and iPadThe iOS app joins the Mac app, with share-sheet capture and the same iCloud library.
- May 23, 2025LaunchShow HNLaunched on Hacker News and stayed on the front page for two days.
- May 27, 2025PressTechCrunchNamed among the alternatives in its roundup when Pocket announced it was shutting down.
- 2025PressVVMac, issue 199Featured in the French Mac magazine. Its chief editor got on a call to help track down bugs.
- Sep 4, 2025ReleaseSaved searches, in 1.3.0A new way to organize: pin a search and it stays up to date, no folders needed.
- Jan 26, 2026ReleaseDoubleMemory 2.0, with Auto TagsNew saves get tagged from their content, with Apple Intelligence.
- Jun 1, 2026ReleaseImages with OCR, in 2.1.0Screenshots and photos join links and text, and the words inside them become searchable.
- [date]ReleaseDoubleMemory 3.0Listen, with Apple Intelligence adapting saved articles for the ear, plus Siri and Shortcuts and a new list view.
- With this siteLaunch3.1.0 and dbmA command line that gives local agents and scripts JSON access to your library.
- With this siteLaunchThe web appAdd, read and archive from any browser, signed in with an Apple Account, straight to your own iCloud.
How it stays alive
Default-alive, because it is local-first
Your library works without a server we run, so there is nothing of ours to switch off. You can export everything as JSON any time.
A free core
Capture and browsing stay free. With the data on your own devices, each new person costs close to nothing, so anyone can build a private library.
A subscription for real value, not bloat
The subscription pays for features that help you revisit and learn from what you saved, such as AI retrieval and organization or listening. If you cancel when it stops helping, the incentive is to keep it helpful, not to pile on extras.
Community
Discord
For conversationThe most active place to talk with the maker and other people who use it. Ask for features, share how you use it, or say what is getting in your way; requests there shape the roadmap.
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For updatesThe journey and what shipped, written by the maker on Substack. The same issues appear under Writing.
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The one-minute tour
Screenshots
All screenshots, full size
Creators and press can ask for a promo code
Write to hi@doublememory.com with where you publish, and the maker will set up a promo or referral code for your audience.
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