Glass Notes - Transparent Notes App for Windows

Glass Notes (GlassNotes) is a lightweight, open-source desktop notes app for Windows 10/11. It keeps notes in a customizable transparent window and combines free-form notes with an interactive to-do list. Glass Notes is built with WPF and .NET 10.

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Features

• Always On Top - Keep your notes visible while working in other applications
• Customizable Appearance - Choose between light and dark themes
• Adjustable Transparency - Set the perfect opacity level (10%-100%)
• Hide Notes - Quickly toggle the visibility of all your notes to declutter your workspace
• Multiple Notes - Create and manage multiple notes with quick switching
• Interactive To-Do Lists - Press Enter to add a bulleted item; complete, pin, or delete items; completed items move to the bottom with strikethrough
• Keyboard Editing - Press Backspace on an empty to-do item to remove it
• Custom Typography - Choose the font family and size for notes and to-do items
• Launch at Sign-In - Optionally start Glass Notes when you sign in to Windows
• Auto-Save - Your notes are automatically saved every 3 seconds
• Clean, Modern Interface - Built with Windows Fluent Design principles
• Lightweight & Fast - Minimal resource usage, instant startup
• Resizable Windows - Adjust size and position to fit your workflow

Requirements

• Windows 10 (version 1809 or later) or Windows 11
• To build from source: .NET 10.0 SDK
• The self-contained Windows x64 publish does not require a separate .NET runtime installation

Building from Source

Prerequisites

• .NET 10.0 SDK

Build Instructions

1. Clone or download this repository
2. Open a terminal in the project directory
3. Run the following commands:

cd GlassNotes
dotnet restore
dotnet build

Run the Application

dotnet run

Or build a release version:

dotnet build --configuration Release

The executable will be in: bin\Release\net10.0-windows\GlassNotes.exe.

To create a self-contained single-file Windows x64 executable:

dotnet publish .\GlassNotes.csproj -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained true `
  -p:PublishSingleFile=true -p:PublishReadyToRun=true `
  -p:IncludeNativeLibrariesForSelfExtract=true `
  -p:DebugType=None -p:DebugSymbols=false -o .\publish-single-exe

The output folder contains a single GlassNotes.exe that can run on compatible Windows x64 computers without installing the .NET runtime.

Usage

Basic Controls

• Drag the title bar to move the window
• Hide/Show Notes by clicking the eye icon or pressing Ctrl + Shift + Z
• Click the gear icon to open settings
• Click New to create a new note
• Add to-dos with the plus button in the bottom toolbar, or press Enter at the end of a to-do
• Complete, pin, or delete a to-do using the actions shown when hovering over its row
• Press Backspace in an empty to-do row to remove it
• Type directly in the note or to-do area - changes auto-save

Settings

• Opacity: Adjust window transparency (10%-100%)
• Font Size: Change text size (10-24pt)
• Font Family: Choose the typeface for note and to-do text
• Theme: Switch between Light and Dark modes
• Always on Top: Toggle whether window stays above other windows
• Launch at Sign-In: Start the app automatically for the current Windows user

Data Storage

Notes and settings are stored in:

%APPDATA%\GlassNotes\
├── Notes\           # Individual note files (.json)
└── settings.json    # Application settings

Technology Stack

• Framework: WPF with .NET 10
• MVVM: CommunityToolkit.Mvvm
• Data: Newtonsoft.Json for persistence
• Design: Windows Fluent Design with Acrylic effects

Project Structure

GlassNotes/
├── Models/              # Data models (Note, AppSettings)
├── ViewModels/          # MVVM view models
├── Services/            # Business logic (NoteService, SettingsService)
├── Helpers/             # Utility classes (WindowBlurHelper, ThemeHelper)
├── Resources/
│   ├── Themes/         # Light and Dark theme definitions
│   └── Styles/         # Control styles (buttons, textboxes, etc.)
├── Controls/           # Custom user controls
└── Assets/             # Icons and images

License

This project is open-source and licensed under the MIT License.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to submit issues and pull requests.