The App Store is full of excellent third-party note apps. But if you are like me, you would prefer the inbuilt Apple Notes app on the iPhone and iPad. It has come a long way from being a dumping ground for my random musings to being a go-to for almost everything from formatting the text to sketching and collaborating with other people.

Yes! The Notes app does this and so much more. Are you ready to unlock the lesser-known highlights? Let me start from the basics and show you 28 tips and tricks to use the Notes app on your iPhone and iPad.

1. Create a new note

  1. Open the Notes app.
  2. Tap the compose button (a square box with a pen).
  3. Start typing.
  4. Pro Tip: Want to jot something quickly? From the Home Screen, long-press the Notes app icon and choose New Note. (see the right image below)

    Create a new note in apple notes app

2. Edit the iPhone note

  1. Open the Notes app, locate and tap the note you wish to edit.
  2. Tap anywhere in the open note and start editing.
  3. When finished, tap Done.

3. Delete notes on the iPhone

No longer need an entry?

  1. Open the Notes app and get inside the desired note.
  2. Tap the More icon (three dots inside a circle)
  3. Tap Delete.

    Delete Notes on iPhone

Other Ways to Delete Notes

Tip: From the Notes folder, you may also swipe right to left on a note and tap the red trash can icon (left image below). Alternatively, you may also long-press a note and choose Delete (right image below).

Delete Multiple Notes on iPhone

Pro Tip: To delete multiple notes from the notes folder, tap the More icon. Next, tap Select Notes, choose the entries you wish to get rid of, and finally tap Delete.

4. Recover deleted notes

We are only human, and sometimes you may accidentally delete a note. Well, worry not! You have 30 days (40 in rare cases) to retrieve it. Learn how to do that here.

5. Use tags in the iOS 15 Notes app

Tags offer a quick and effortless way to categorize and organize your notes. Using tags in the updated Notes app is straightforward. When you are creating a note, add the hashtag symbol and type the word. For example, #mango. It turns yellow, signifying the tag has been created.

Use tags in the iOS 15 Notes app

Go to the folders section and scroll down to the bottom to see all tags (Apple likes to call this Tag Browser). Tap one to see all the notes that have this tag. You may tap a combination of two or more tags to see notes that have all the chosen tags.

See all tags in Notes app in iOS 15

Extra info: Custom smart folders: Your iPhone can create custom smart folders and automatically puts qualifying notes in the folder based on the tags you use in your notes.

6. Quick Note on iPad in iPadOS 15

You can now create Quick Notes on your iPad and Mac, making it easier to note down information, address, contact info, links, and more in a tap. What’s more? The Quick Notes will sync across all your Apple devices with the same Apple ID, and you can view and edit them in the Notes app on your iOS 15-updated iPhone too.

Quick Notes on iPhone in iOS 15

7. Pin important notes on the iPhone

I have over a thousand notes. Sure, I can search to find the ones I need. But, pinning the most frequent once to the top is more efficient.

Pin important notes to top on iPhone

To pin a note, open the Notes app, and from the notes folder, swipe left to right on a note. Finally, tap the pin icon. Follow the same steps to unpin.

8. Use Siri to create a note

Siri, the inbuilt Apple’s voice assistant, lets you effortlessly create notes using your voice.

For this, summon Siri by pressing the Side button/Home button or saying ‘Hey Siri.’ Next, ask it something like ‘Make a note that my train for Delhi will arrive on platform number 6, and my coach will be placed near the escalator.‘

9. Create a note from other apps

Thanks to the Notes’ app icon in the iOS/iPadOS Share Sheet, you can easily create a note straight from other apps on your iPhone or iPad like Photos. Here’s how.

  1. Open some other app. I am using Flipkart.
  2. Tap the Share icon.
  3. Slide the horizontal row of app icons and tap Notes.
  4. Choose if you want to create a new note or save it to an existing one.
  5. Next, add the text as desired.
  6. Finally, tap Save.

    Create a note from other apps

Select Text from Safari and Add it to Notes

Pro Tip: From Safari, you can save the full article link with the article name (above steps). But you may also select text and tap Share. Next, choose Notes to create a note with only the selected text. It is handy if you wish to save parts of an article (say quotes or figures) to the notes app instead of the full article link.

10. Create a checklist

Have a grocery shopping list or a to-do list for the weekend? The Notes app makes it effortless to create checklists. Here’s how.

Create a checklist in Apple Notes App

Easiest way: From the Home Screen, long-press the Notes app icon and choose New Checklist. Now, type the first entry. Tap return on the keyboard to add more.

Alternatively, open the Notes app and tap the compose icon. From the top of the keyboard, tap on the checklist icon (circle with a tick) and start typing.

11. Format text in the Notes app

We can agree that long text without bold, italics, bullet points, etc., is monotonous to read. So here’s how to spice things up and make them easy-to-read.

  1. Open a note and select a word, sentence, or paragraph.
  2. Tap BIU and choose Bold, Italic, Underline.
  3. Want more tools? Tap Aa above the keyboard to use Title, Headings, Strikethrough, Bullet lists, Indents, etc.

    Format text in Notes app

You can also insert tables inside the Notes app.

Tip: If you want all your new notes to start with a Title and then Body, open the Settings app → Notes → New Notes Start With → choose the desired option.

12. Use different fonts in the Notes app

You are not limited to the default font while creating notes. Like Pages, Numbers, Twitter, Instagram, and a handful of other apps, the Notes app also supports third-party fonts. You can learn how to install and use them on your iPhone.

13. Change the paper style in the Notes app

By default, the notes app has a plain white background. If you wish, you have the option to use lines and grids. This is particularly helpful when you are using Apple Pencil on an iPad to handwrite something.

14. Add media (photos and videos) to the Notes app

Not just text, but you can add photos, videos, maps, hyperlinks, etc., to a note. Here’s how.

  1. Start creating a new note or edit an existing one.
  2. Tap the camera icon.
  3. Tap Choose Photo or Video or Take Photo or Video. For the screenshots below, I have selected the former.
  4. Select one or more files and tap Add.
  5. Finally, tap Done to save the note with the media.

    Add photos and videos to Notes app

Add Maps to Apple Notes

Note: To add maps, open Apple Maps, search for a place, swipe up a bit to reveal the Share button, and tap it. Finally, choose Notes and tap Save. You can do the same via Google Maps by tapping the share icon from the top right.

15. Scan documents using the Notes app

The steps to scan and add documents is similar to the above.

Scan documents using Notes app

Alternatively, you can also long-press the Notes app icon on the Home Screen and choose Scan Documents. Next, point the camera to a document and capture it. Adjust the corners and once you are satisfied, tap Keep Scan → Save.

16. See all attachments in one place

The Notes app makes it easy to view all the attachments in one place. For this:

  1. Open this app and make sure you are in the notes folder. (It can be iCloud, Notes, etc.)
  2. Tap the ‘three dots inside a circle‘ icon.
  3. Tap View Attachments.

    Tap three dots inside a circle icon and Tap View Attachments

  4. Now, tap a photo or video to view it.
  5. Optional: You may also tap Show in Note to go instantly to the original note of which this attachment is a part.

    Tap on a photo or video to view it

17. Lock confidential notes with a password

  1. Open a note and tap the three dots icon.
  2. Tap Lock. If this is your first time, you will have to set a password. Do that. You may also choose to use Face ID or Touch ID for ease.

    Lock notes with a password on iPhone

  3. Enter your notes lock password (or biometrics authentication), and tap the open lock icon at the top once you are done. The note will be password protected instantly.

    Enter Notes app Password and tap Open Lock Icon

18. Change from the list to thumbnail view

Change from list to thumbnail view for notes

By default, the notes are presented as a list. But if you fancy thumbnail view, tap the three dots icon once you are inside a notes folder. Next, tap View as Gallery.

19. Draw and sketch inside notes

  1. Start a new note or edit an existing one.
  2. Tap the ‘pen inside a circle‘ icon to see the drawing tools.
  3. Use the pen, pencil, thick brush, eraser, lasso, ruler, and different colors to create your sketch.
  4. To scroll while drawing, use two fingers.

    Draw and sketch inside notes app on iPhone and iPad

20. Search inside the Notes app

Search inside Notes app

Open the Notes app and swipe down to reveal the search bar. Choose an option from under ‘Suggested.’ Or, type your query to find the exact note you are looking for.

21. Sort notes by date or title

  1. Open the Settings app and tap Notes.
  2. Tap Sort Notes By.
  3. Choose one of the desired options.

    Sort notes by date or title

Tip: You may also do this from inside the Notes app by opening a notes folder and tapping the three dots icon.

22. Add notes shortcut to Control Center

  1. Open the Settings app and tap Control Center.
  2. Tap the green plus icon before Notes.
  3. Now, you will see the Notes app compose icon in the iPhone Control Center. Tap it to begin a new note instantly.

    Add notes shortcut to Control Center

23. Add notes to lockscreen

Have to jot something quickly without unlocking the iPhone? You can add the compose note icon to Control Center (explained above) and then choose to create a new note or resume adding to the last viewed one for a particular time. You can learn how to do this here.

24. Add the Notes app widget to the iPhone Home Screen

With iOS 14, you can now have the Notes app widgets on your iPhone Home Screen. This makes it instant to get inside your notes or view the initials.

25. Create folders and sub-folders to organize notes

  1. Open the Notes app and make sure you are on the ‘Folders’ screen.
  2. Tap the new folder icon at the bottom left. Choose a location, if asked.
  3. Enter the desired name and tap Save.
  4. Tap Edit or swipe right to left to move or delete the folder.
  5. Pro Tip: To create a subfolder, make two folders, and drag one over the other. (see the image on the right below)

    Create folders and sub-folders to organize notes

26. Add people to a note or notes folder for collaborative work

It is effortless to add your friends and family to collaborate and work together in Apple Notes. You can learn all about it here.

With iOS 15 Activity View, you can see what other members have added to the shared note in your absence. It gives you a summary of the new changes since you last viewed your shared note. Plus, you also see each collaborator’s day-to-day activity. To see details like which collaborator made the changes, the edit time & date, swipe right on the note.

Now, mentioning people is quick and offers a better collaborative experience. In iOS 15 Notes app, type the person’s name prefixed by the @ sign. For example, @Donald.

Tip: You can also learn how to hide alerts from shared notes.

27. Sync notes to iCloud, Google, etc.

You can choose to sync your notes to iCloud (default), Google, other services, have them offline on the device, or even have multiple accounts! For this:

  1. Go to Settings, scroll down, and tap Notes → Accounts.

    Open Setting app tap Notes then tap Accounts

  2. Tap iCloud → ensure the toggle for Notes is enabled.

    Tap iCloud and ensure toggle for Notes is On

  3. Go back and tap Gmail (if you have added). Now you may enable the toggle for Notes.

    Tap Gmail and enable Notes

  4. Go back to the previous screen, and enable “On My iPhone’ Account. Notes created inside this will stay only on this device and won’t sync with the cloud.

Note: I only use iCloud. But few of my colleagues use both Gmail and iCloud. According to your convenience, you can use whatever you like. Additionally, you can also change the default notes location (like iCloud, Gmail, locally on the device, etc.).

28. Save a note as a PDF on the iPhone or iPad

  1. Open a note inside the Notes app and tap the three dots icon.
  2. Tap Send a Copy.
  3. Tap Print.

    Tap on three dots icon and choose Send a Copy then Print

  4. Place two fingers on the Page 1 thumbnail and pinch out.
  5. Tap the share icon.
  6. Now, you can add it to Books, Save to Files, AirDrop, etc. The note will be saved or sent as a PDF file.

    Pinch out thumbnail and tap Share Icon to save or send note as PDF

Note: Inside a note, if you tap the three dots icon and tap Save to Files, a text note will be saved as a .txt file, and a sketch/drawing will be saved as a .png image file. If the note has both (text and sketch), they will be saved separately in the Files app as .txt and .png files.

Other Apple Notes app tips

Ready to take notes like a pro!

I believe the tips here helped you master note-taking on the iPhone and iPad. Next, it would be equally exciting to learn about some related blog,

Finally, if you have any additional tips that you would like to share (and include in this list), please share them in the comments section below!