Help

Answers to the questions people ask most. Still stuck? Open an issue on GitHub or email hello@readdown.app.

• I press spacebar on a .md file and nothing happens (or it shows raw text). What's wrong?

  The Quick Look extension needs to be enabled. Open System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions, scroll to Quick Look, click ℹ︎, and switch Readdown on. Then relaunch Readdown to reset the Quick Look cache. See the setup steps for screenshots.

• Spacebar preview stopped working after I uninstalled another markdown app. How do I fix it?

  macOS needs to re-discover which extension handles markdown files. Quit and reopen Readdown. It automatically refreshes the Quick Look registry on launch. If that doesn't help, restart your Mac. Still stuck? Re-enable the extension manually: System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions → Quick Look → ℹ︎, then toggle Readdown off and back on.

• Which file types can Readdown open?

  .md .markdown .mdown .mkd. All standard Markdown extensions. UTF-8, UTF-16, and Latin-1 encodings are detected automatically.

• How does syntax highlighting work?

  Code blocks with a language name on the opening fence (e.g. python, swift, json) are highlighted using that language. Blocks without a language are auto-detected from 19 common languages. For best results, always specify the language.

• Does Readdown support Mermaid diagrams?

  Yes. Use mermaid as the language on a fenced code block and it renders as a diagram. Flowcharts, sequence diagrams, pie charts, and more. Works fully offline.

• Can I edit files in Readdown?

  No. Readdown is read-only by design. It never modifies your files. Use your favorite editor to write, Readdown to read.

• How do I search within a document?

  Press ⌘F (or Edit → Find…) to open the find bar. ⌘G jumps to the next match, ⇧⌘G to the previous, Esc closes it. The match counter shows your position (“3 of 17”).

• How do I make Readdown my default markdown app?

  Readdown asks on first launch. You can also right-click any .md file in Finder → Get Info → Open With → select Readdown → Change All.

• I clicked "Set as Default" but .md files still open in another app. What do I do?

  Update macOS to 26.4+ or set Readdown as default manually: right-click any .md file in Finder → Get Info → Open With → Readdown → Change All.

• Does Readdown update automatically?

  Yes. Readdown checks for updates in the background via Sparkle. You can also check manually from Readdown → Check for Updates.

• Can I install Readdown with Homebrew?

  Yes. In Terminal, run brew install --cask nataliarsand/tap/readdown. Readdown keeps itself up to date, so you never need brew upgrade for it.

• How do I report a bug or request a feature?

  Open an issue on GitHub, or use Help → Send Feedback in the app.

• Is Readdown free? Does supporting unlock anything?

  Readdown is free, with no ads and no account. Supporting is voluntary and doesn't unlock or change anything in the app; it helps keep Readdown free and independent.

• How do I manage or cancel my monthly or yearly support?

  On the support page, choose Manage or cancel and enter the email you used at checkout. Stripe sends you a link to update your card or cancel. Support stops at the end of the period you've paid for.

• What will I see on my bank statement?

  EIXODSGN* READDOWN. Payments go to Eixo Design, Natalia's studio in Amsterdam.

• How do I get my name on (or off) the thanks wall?

  At checkout, choose Yes, add me and type the name to show. Names are added by hand, so it can take a few days. To change or remove yours, email hello@readdown.app.