Open Scattered · Local-only version · 简体中文
Scattered is a minimalist, local-first canvas for freely arranging and connecting notes—built for Pencil, touch, and mouse. Write a note, move it anywhere, connect it only when useful, and keep thinking.
There is no account requirement, template, or forced hierarchy. By default, boards stay in the current browser and remain available offline after the app has been loaded once. On the recommended hosted version, connecting Google Drive once on each device can optionally keep the workspace in sync; each Google account has its own isolated workspace. The GitHub Pages version keeps cloud integration disabled for a strictly local-only experience.
You can use Scattered directly in a browser, but installing the web app gives it its own icon and standalone window without requiring an App Store download.
- Chrome on Windows, macOS, or Linux: open Scattered, then choose More → Cast, save, and share → Install page as app. Some Chrome versions also show an install icon in the address bar. Chrome instructions
- Chrome on Android: choose More → Install and create shortcut → Install. Chrome Android instructions
- Safari on iPhone or iPad: choose Share → Add to Home Screen, turn on Open as Web App, then tap Add. Apple iPhone instructions · Apple iPad instructions
- Create and edit notes with a double-click or double-tap
- Move notes freely and resize long notes
- Connect notes, cycle arrow direction, and label connections; drag a connector onto empty canvas to create the next linked note
- Lasso, marquee-select, or long-press to select multiple notes
- Move, recolor, duplicate, connect, disconnect, or delete a selection together
- Keep multiple local boards and switch between them from the Scattered mark
- Optionally sync the whole workspace through the user's own Google Drive, without creating a Scattered account
- Clear the current board without changing its title, or delete the board itself—both actions keep a local recovery copy
- Undo a clear immediately or restore a recovery copy after clearing, importing over, or deleting
- Search note text and jump between matches
- Undo, redo, fit the whole board into view, and switch between light and dark modes
- Export the current canvas as editable JSON, SVG, or Mermaid Markdown
Scattered uses the same model across devices, with controls adapted to each input style:
| Input | Selection and navigation | Fast actions |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Pencil + touch | Lasso with Pencil; pan and pinch with fingers | Use the visual selection bar; write in notes and search with Scribble |
| Touch only | Long-press a note to enter multi-select; drag to pan and pinch to zoom | Use the visual selection bar and top-right menu |
| Keyboard + mouse | Shift-click or drag a marquee; hold Space and drag to pan | N creates; Enter/F2 edits; Space/Shift+Space selects; arrows move; L starts a connection; Cmd/Ctrl + A/C/V/D/F/Z |
Boards, recovery copies, and preferences are stored locally in the browser. Scattered works fully without an account or network connection. Clearing site data or browser storage can remove local boards, so export important canvases as JSON when moving them to another browser or device.
When optional Google Drive sync is enabled and the user connects it, workspace snapshots go directly from the browser to that user's hidden Drive app-data folder. The first connected account claims any previously unsynced local workspace. Connecting a different account switches the browser to that account's separate local workspace instead of merging or copying the previous account's boards. Disconnecting removes the credential but keeps that account's local workspace available offline. The small authorization broker has no content database and does not receive note text or board structure.
Cloudflare Web Analytics is enabled for basic traffic measurement. Scattered's application code does not send note text, board structure, or exported files to an analytics service.
See the public About and Privacy pages for the hosted service.
- JSON preserves the current editable canvas. Importing it replaces the current canvas and keeps a local recovery copy; older workspace backup files remain supported and add their canvases to the local list.
- SVG exports the complete board as a lightweight vector image, automatically fitted to its content.
- Mermaid Markdown turns notes and connections into a diagram that can be used in Markdown documents and AI-assisted workflows.
On browsers that support file sharing, export opens the system share sheet; elsewhere it downloads the file directly.
Scattered is designed for modern browsers on iPadOS, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. The current release is tested most heavily on iPad with Apple Pencil and desktop Chromium browsers. Android, Windows, and other modern browsers are supported targets, but the full device-and-browser matrix is still growing.
The visual interface stays icon-first. Accessible names, canvas status, keyboard controls, and focus handling are available in English or Simplified Chinese according to the browser language.
npm startOpen http://localhost:4173, then run the regression checks with:
npm testOptional Drive sync is disabled when sync-config.js has no broker URL. Deployment and security setup are documented in docs/google-drive-sync.md.
Scattered is inspired by Scapple, a tool I have loved for years. I wanted its freeform note-and-connection flow in a web app that feels natural with Apple Pencil while remaining useful on other devices, so I built this independent project.
Scattered is not affiliated with Scapple or Literature & Latte.
Scattered is open source under the MIT License. Issues and focused pull requests are welcome; see CONTRIBUTING.md.