knovis_icon_square
Knovis

Installation & First Launch

Knovis is a native desktop application for Windows and Mac. No account required, no cloud setup. Your data lives on your machine.

Installing Knovis

Windows

Download the installer from knovis.io and run it. The installer walks you through the setup and creates a Start Menu shortcut and an optional desktop shortcut. Knovis installs under Program Files, so Windows asks for administrator permission once during setup.

Mac

Download the DMG from knovis.io, open it, and drag Knovis to your Applications folder.

Note: Knovis for Mac is not yet signed with an Apple Developer certificate, so macOS blocks the first launch with a message that the app could not be opened. This is the standard warning for software Apple hasn't verified. It doesn't mean anything is wrong with your download, but it does mean you are choosing to trust the app yourself rather than relying on Apple's checks. Only do this for software from a source you trust, such as the official knovis.io download.

Option 1: System Settings. Try to open Knovis once and dismiss the blocked dialog. Then open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll to the Security section, and click Open Anyway next to the Knovis message. You'll authenticate once, and from then on Knovis opens normally.

Option 2: one line in Terminal. Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities) and run:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Knovis.app

When you download a file, macOS tags it with a "quarantine" flag, and that flag is what triggers the block on first launch. This command removes the flag from the Knovis app only; nothing else on your system is affected. It does the same thing as clicking Open Anyway: you are telling your Mac that you trust this app even though Apple hasn't verified it. You'll need to do this once per install, including after updating to a new version.

Updating Knovis

Knovis checks for a new version once a day when it starts (turn this off under Help → Auto-check for Updates on Startup if you prefer), or whenever you choose Help → Check for Updates. When a newer version is available, a blue banner appears across the top of the window showing the new version number. You can dismiss the banner and keep working; it returns the next time Knovis finds an update.

Windows

Click Install Now in the banner. Knovis closes and the Knovis updater opens (Windows asks for permission first, because Knovis lives under Program Files). The updater downloads only the files that changed, installs them, and reopens Knovis when it finishes. Your environments and items are untouched; they live in your Documents folder, not in the program folder.

Mac

Click Download Update in the banner. Your browser opens to download the new DMG and Knovis closes. When the download finishes, open the disk image and drag Knovis into Applications, choosing Replace when the Finder asks. Because a fresh download carries the quarantine flag again, repeat one of the two options above before the first launch of the new version.

There is no separate updater on the Mac, so downloading the latest DMG from knovis.io yourself and replacing the app in Applications does exactly the same thing as the banner.

Note: Mac copies of Knovis installed before July 2026 don't check for updates at all. If your copy never shows an update banner, download the current DMG once by hand; from then on Knovis will detect new versions on its own.

Where your data lives

Knovis stores everything in your Documents/Knovis Data/ folder. This includes:

  • .env files: your environments (canvas layouts)
  • .itm files: your items (the building blocks you place on the canvas)
  • .dtg files: DataTag templates (metadata field definitions)

These are ordinary files, so you can back them up, move them, or sync them with any tool you already use.

First launch

When you open Knovis for the first time, you'll see an empty canvas with a default background image. This is your first environment. You're ready to start placing items.

Tip: Before adding items, take a moment to explore the canvas. Pan by dragging the background, zoom with Ctrl + scroll wheel. Getting comfortable with navigation first makes everything else easier.

Creating your first item

Right-click anywhere on the canvas and choose New Item. The New Item dialog opens with fields for:

  • Label: the name that appears under the item on the canvas
  • Image: the thumbnail (you can drag an image in, paste a URL, or capture one automatically)
  • Target: what opens when you double-click the item, whether a file path, a web link, a media file, or another environment

Fill in at least a label and a target, click OK, and your item appears on the canvas. Double-click it to open the target.

Note: Items are saved independently of environments. When you place an item in an environment, you're creating a reference to it, not a copy. The same item can appear in multiple environments.
← Back Documentation Home