uvim

uvim brings Vim's modal editing to the text fields of other Mac apps. A menu bar app reads and edits the focused field through Accessibility, so Normal, Insert and Visual modes work in apps such as TextEdit and Notes. It is for people who already think in Vim keys and want them outside a Vim window.

It needs macOS 14 or later and the Accessibility permission, which it asks for at first launch. Each release is signed with a Developer ID and notarized, so macOS asks only its usual one-time confirmation for an app downloaded from the Internet. It checks for updates through Sparkle, asking first, and Homebrew also updates it. Its log and beliefs file record the apps and websites you use.