Owl 1.8 - Markdown Shortcuts and Code Formatting

March 4, 2026

Owl 1.8 brings Markdown shortcuts, code formatting, dividers, and more to your writing experience.

If you're familiar with Markdown, you'll feel right at home. You can now format text as you type using Markdown-style shortcuts: type - or * at the start of a line to create a list, # for headings, **text** for bold, and more. A complete list of shortcuts and customization options is available in the new Text Shortcuts tab in app settings, so you can tailor the experience to your liking.

This update also introduces code formatting. Add code blocks or inline code to your notes, rendered with a monospaced font and distinct background so they stand out from the rest of your text. You can apply code formatting using the toolbar button, context menu, menu bar, keyboard shortcuts, or Markdown shortcuts.

Another addition is dividers, which let you visually separate sections of a note. Insert them from the menu bar, context menu, with the keyboard shortcut (⌥⌘S), or by typing --- at the start of a line.

Finally, there's a new Paste and Match Style option in the Edit menu (⇧⌥⌘V) that pastes copied text without its original formatting, matching the style at the insertion point.

You can find the full list of changes here.

Owl 1.8 is available on the Mac App Store.

— Daniel