Transcription
Now, the lie that's being told is that Apple Notes is lacking features and that it's very limited. That may be true when you're looking at the earlier versions, but it's definitely not as limited now as some people claim. While there are still a few key features missing, Apple has made sure that it's good enough to do all the typical things you're looking for on a notetaking app without distractions. Productivity is about doing less, not more. It's about being clear and focused, and the last thing you would want is to get distracted by all the fancy features that you're not even using.
If you're just a casual user who prefers simplicity, you can skip using Evernote, Notion, OneNote, or any other complex note-taking app. With the correct techniques, tips, and tricks, you can master the Notes app and bring your note-taking to the next level. Here's how.
The first feature I'm going to talk about is scan text in the Notes app. You can use the camera to quickly scan text in documents. All you need to do is to position the iPhone so that the text appears within the camera frame, drag or use grab points to select text, then tap insert. Scanning text is a much simpler option compared to retyping or copying and pasting it.
But what if you're using your iPhone? Obviously, you can't just use the camera to scan the text on your iPhone screen. Well, for that, you have something called QuickNote. I was recently amazed by this feature when I discovered the mind-blowing things it can do. For starters, the QuickNote feature allows users to open a floating note window to take quick notes. While this might not seem that useful, I can assure you that it's quite the opposite. Here is how you can use the QuickNote feature and why it is worth using.
You can access QuickNote using Control Center, the Share Sheet, and the Share menu. To access QuickNote using the Control Center, open the Settings app on your iPhone and navigate to Control Center. Scroll down and tap the plus button next to QuickNote to add it to the Control Center, and then scroll to the top and make sure that the toggle next to "Access within apps" is turned on. To use QuickNote, swipe down from the top right to access the Control Center and tap the QuickNote button. You will see a new window where you can now quickly make notes.
And now comes the more powerful option, the Share Sheet option, and here's how it works. Open Safari or any other app that lets you access the Share Sheet and tap on the share button. Scroll down to the bottom and tap the "Edit Actions" button. Find the QuickNote action and tap on the green plus button to add it. Tap on "Done" to save changes. You can now share a web page or an image with QuickNote.
What's more, you can also share a piece of text, and it will automatically create a link back to the original text, which you can use in the future for reference. Here is how it works. Open an app like Safari, highlight the text, and tap on the right arrow until you see the new QuickNote button. Tap on it, and it will open a new QuickNote with the selected text.
And here's how to access your QuickNotes. Once you've created a new QuickNote, open the Notes app and tap on the folders button in the top left corner. You then tap on the QuickNotes folder to access your QuickNotes. Now that you've learned how to use this handy feature, you can take quick notes anywhere on the iPhone, no matter what app you're using. So instead of launching the Notes app to create a new note, you can pull down the Control Center and use the QuickNote button to quickly write down your thoughts.
But how do you organize and declutter notes when you want to clean them up? This brings me to the next point. Formatting Apple Notes is better than you realize. When it comes to formatting, one of the main reasons I stopped using Apple Notes was because of the limited formatting options. It took Apple rather too long to improve this, but they have done exactly that. Apple Notes is now packed with all kinds of features, including syncing between all your devices. I will show you all the hidden features, tricks, and tips to help you master this note-taking app.
By default, when you start typing in Apple Notes, the first line is automatically converted to a note's title. You can then hit enter to start writing the note. Now, click on the format button to access all the formatting options. You can convert the typed content into headings, subheadings, body, mono, styled, and list options. For macOS users, a hidden feature most people don't know about is that you can select text and hit the Command + or Command - button to increase or decrease the size of text.
Apple Notes also offers a checklist button to convert your list of items into a checklist. The feature is helpful when creating shopping or packing lists. When using the checklist feature, you can open the Apple Notes settings page to enable automatic sorting of the checked items. When you enable this feature, the checked items will automatically move to the bottom of the list.
You can also create and edit tables when you need a comprehensive chart of data. All you need to do is to tap the table button on the lower left of the note panel. It looks like a rectangle made of smaller rectangles. Enter the information you'd like to add to your table and tap another cell when you want to add information to it. You can also tap enter on the keyboard to move to the next cell automatically.
You can also instantly translate any text you'd like. Simply choose the text, swipe the menu until you find the translate button, tap on it, and select the language you prefer. The coolest thing is that it automatically replaces the word to the translated version.
Surprisingly, Apple Notes offers in-depth organization options that allow us to organize and retrieve our notes as fast as possible. There's a folder structure that lets you categorize your notes within folders. You can also easily move a folder onto another folder to create nested folders. This feature is very helpful when it comes to managing projects within Apple Notes.
While folders are great, a more efficient way to organize your notes is by using tags and smart folders. Adding multiple tags to a note allows for greater flexibility in note organization. To see a note with a specific tag, simply click on the tag name under the tag section. You can also create smart folders that automatically pull notes containing those tags.
Now, here's where Apple Notes really starts to shine. Apple Notes truly stands out when it comes to adding links to other notes and even linking to other apps. While browsing the internet on your Mac, you have the option to tap on the link button in Apple Notes to bring in the link of the tab you are currently viewing. The link will be added in a visually appealing card layout.
You can also highlight text on a web page and send it to Notes. It will save the exact quote you highlighted in your notes. The best part is that clicking on the quote will instantly take you to the exact spot on the web page where the quote is located. In addition to web pages, this can also be done with other supported apps. For example, you have the option to simply drag an email from the Mail app and add it directly to a note. This means that if you want to make notes about an email, you can attach it to the Notes app to provide context.
If you wish to have instant access to your most important notes, you can make use of the Pinned Notes feature to pin the note to the top. All you need to do is to swipe on a note from right to left or right-click on it and choose the "Pin Note" option. Want to know a brilliant way to use pinned notes? Here's an example. You can make the most of this feature by combining it with note linking. This way, you can create a table of contents note that includes links to all your other notes. It's a fast way to get an overview of all your notes.
Apple Notes also allows you to lock notes that contain sensitive information using Touch ID on Mac or Face ID on iPhone. No one will be able to access your notes without your finger or face to unlock the device. Also, knowing that Apple values data privacy, I feel more confident using their platform as one of the safest ways to keep my notes secure.
Apple Notes supports all kinds of media files, such as audio files, photos, videos, and PDFs. So if you want to take notes from a video, just drag the video into the note, and that's it. You'll have a video player ready to go. You can also easily drag recordings from the Voice Memos app and play them right in the Notes app. This means that if you use the Voice Memos app to record your meetings or lectures, you can seamlessly take notes without the hassle of switching between multiple apps.
The Apple Notes app comes pre-installed on all Apple devices like Mac, MacBook, iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. So whenever you buy any of these devices, you'll automatically have the Apple Notes app ready to use. There's no need for any extra downloads. Plus, it's pretty handy as it syncs seamlessly across all of your other Apple devices. All you need to do is set up your new Apple device and log into your iCloud account. Then you have the option to begin making notes directly on the Apple Notes app, which will be accessible on your other devices as well. For example, you can write down a note on your iPhone, make changes to it on your iPad, and add videos to it from your MacBook. It's a simple process, and all your activities will be synchronized across all your devices.
This reminds me of another function with Apple Notes. You can very easily collaborate on notes with your friends and family. Simply create a note, click on the three dots in the top right corner, and choose "Share Note." From there, you can customize the share options to allow viewing only or enable editing. You can share an invitation through Messages, Mail, or even social media. Once the receiver accepts the invitation, they can make changes to your note. You can also share an entire folder with your team and work in a much more efficient way. After you've sent the invitation, you can still change the access mode, and you can also revoke access and stop sharing whenever necessary.
This is another handy feature in Apple Notes that allows you to easily search for text within your notes. This feature works specifically within notes on your iPhone. But on a MacBook, you can search across all notes. When there are multiple search results, this feature will highlight each one so you can manage them easily. After you find the search result that you want, you have the option to edit, copy, delete, or use it for other purposes.
What works for me might not work for you. Apple Notes does enough for all my needs, but it might not be enough for power users who need all kinds of complex functionalities.