September 1, 2026
Sync crash fix
0.4.0 crashed a few seconds after you switched sync on (oops). Fixed! Update both Macs to 0.4.1 before turning sync on; if you already turned it on in 0.4.0, your data is fine and it picks up where it left off.September 1, 2026
Cross-device sync
Bartleby now syncs between Macs. Turn it on in Settings → Sync and each machine will sync what you’ve read, archived, snoozed, and pinned, along with lists, drafts, and settings. We’re using iCloud for sync so as long as you’re signed into the same iCloud account on both machines, it should work seamlessly.Before turning sync on:- Update both machines to 0.4.0 first. Then turn it on on your primary machine, let the sync populate, then turn it on for the other.
- For now, messages you’ve scheduled to send later will send from the Mac that scheduled it to avoid duplicate sends; this means the machine with scheduled sends must be turned on during the scheduled time. In the future I’ll look into cloud solutions for this.
- Draft text will sync, but attachments will not yet.
Bug fixes:
- No more incorrect unread flags where you sent the last message. Tapbacks count as messages.
- Composer will shrink back down after sending long messages.
- Invisible ink messages hide again when you click a second time.
- Location sharing in a one-on-one chat says the name of the person sharing, instead of “Someone.”
- Conversations that once loaded empty could stay blank for good, this is fixed.
- Bug reports sent from the app now render properly on the Canny feedback board (please keep reporting bugs!).
August 31, 2026
First in-app update
Proof of concept for in-app updates. Also the? sheet now shows which version you’re running.August 31, 2026
Easy app updates
Bartleby now updates itself! From this build on, you can update directly in the app via the Bartleby menu with the option to automatically download and install updates moving forward.August 31, 2026
Ready for external testers
Bartleby is ready for external testing! With this version you can report a bug or request a feature without leaving the app:⌘K, through the help menu, or from the ? sheet. Version and debugging details are shared automatically.Bug fixes:
- Reporting sheet owns keyboard focus and you can use Tab / ⇧+Tab to move between fields.
- Composer now grows as you type.
- No more empty space held for link previews that won’t load.
- Onboarding copy fixes.
August 29, 2026
Lists, themes, and a build you can actually install
The first private alpha build of Bartleby. Bartleby reads the Messages history already on your Mac, adds the triage workflow Messages has never had, and sends through Messages itself.Initial core features:
Triage without touching the mouse.J and K move, E archives, H snoozes, P pins, C composes, and Z undoes whatever you just did. Return drops you into the composer on whichever conversation is selected. ? shows the whole map, and ⌘K opens a command palette that searches every thread when what you typed isn’t a command. This should all feel familiar to power users of other similar tools.Lists, so the inbox is organized the way you think. Group people and conversations however you like, pin the lists to the left rail, and give each one its own icon.Snooze that actually wakes. A snoozed conversation comes back at the time you chose (or the next time they text you, if you choose).Awkward message types render correctly. Edited messages say they were edited. Shared locations appear as locations. Group events — people joining, leaving, renaming the thread — show up instead of silently vanishing. Tapbacks float the conversation and summarize in the preview the way Messages does, rather than arriving as their own message. Voice memos play in place. Invisible Ink stays hidden until you click it.More in this release
- Themes, including a genuinely dark dark mode and Flexoki, plus five styles for pinned rows.
- Screening filters behind their own button, Messages-style.
- A contact panel that edits people and writes changes back to Contacts.
- Window retains size and location between app opens.
- Unknown numbers with unread texts get their own marker.
- First build signed with Developer ID, notarized and stapled.