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Apple Notes can do more than hold plain text: you can filter notes across folders, search recordings, scan and sign paper documents, link related notes, and capture quick ideas on an iPad. These workflows use different devices and software versions, so check the requirements for each one.
How do I organize Notes with tags and Smart Folders?
Tags let you group notes by topic without relocating them. Add a tag such as #work or #shopping in a note, then find tagged notes in the Tags browser or make a Smart Folder to collect notes that match filters.
A Smart Folder is a saved view, not a new storage location: matching notes remain in their original folders. Apple says filters can match all or any of the selected tags and can also use dates, such as when a note was created or last edited. See Apple’s guide to tags and Smart Folders for the current steps.
- Use a tag when you want to label a note by subject, project, or context.
- Use a Smart Folder when you want a recurring view that combines tag or date criteria.
- On iPhone and iPad, tag names are continuous words; hyphens, numbers, and underscores are allowed.
There is one important restriction: locked notes cannot be tagged, and tagged notes cannot be locked.
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- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
Can Apple Notes record and transcribe audio?
On a supported iPhone, you can record audio in a note and work with its transcript: search it, add the transcript to the note, or copy it elsewhere. Apple’s iPhone guide specifies iPhone 12 or later and a supported device language: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, or Traditional Chinese. Follow Apple’s recording and transcription instructions for the controls available on your device.
Transcription and AI summarization are separate capabilities. Apple Intelligence can summarize a recording transcript only on eligible hardware and subject to additional language and region requirements; do not assume that a device able to transcribe audio can also generate an AI summary.
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- WHY IPAD — The 11-inch iPad is now more capable than ever with the superfast A16 chip, a stunning Liquid Retina display, advanced cameras, fast Wi-Fi, USB-C connector, and four gorgeous colors.* iPad delivers a powerful way to create, stay connected, and get things done.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
Can I scan and sign a document in Apple Notes?
Yes. On iPhone or iPad, open a note’s attachment menu and choose the document-scanning option. The camera can capture pages automatically or you can take each scan manually. Review the page boundaries, adjust them if needed, and add further pages before saving the scan in the note.
To sign the scanned document, open it in Markup and add a saved signature or create one there. This is useful for a receipt, form, or handout when you have the paper document with you; Apple’s scan-document guide describes the iPhone and iPad process.
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- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
How do I link one note to another?
Direct note-to-note links can connect a project overview to meeting notes, research, or a task list without turning those notes into folders. Apple documents this feature for iOS 17 and later.
- While editing a note, open the editing menu and choose Add Link.
- Search for the destination note by title and select it.
- Alternatively, type
>>in the note body and choose a result to create the link.
Apple’s Notes guide covers note linking alongside other iPhone Notes features.
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- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
How can I capture a Quick Note and write by hand on iPad?
On iPad, you can start a Quick Note from an app’s Share menu or swipe up from the bottom-right corner with Apple Pencil. It is a convenient way to jot something down while viewing another app, then return to the material later. Apple documents the Quick Note workflow in its iPad Notes guide.
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Notes also supports handwriting and drawing with Apple Pencil or a finger. Pencil is optional, not a requirement for Notes or for the other workflows in this guide. Which Pencil models work depends on the iPad and accessory model; check Apple’s compatibility information for your specific hardware before relying on the Pencil gesture.
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Which feature should I try first?
| What you want to do | Feature | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Find related notes across folders | Tags and Smart Folders | Tagged notes cannot be locked; tag naming on iPhone and iPad has formatting limits. |
| Capture a spoken discussion and find details later | Audio recording and transcription | iPhone 12 or later and one of Apple’s supported device languages are required; AI summaries have further eligibility rules. |
| Keep a paper document and signature with your notes | Scan and Markup | Uses the iPhone or iPad camera and Markup workflow. |
| Connect an overview with supporting notes | Note links | Apple documents note-to-note links for iOS 17 and later. |
| Jot an idea while using another iPad app | Quick Note and handwriting | The Pencil gesture and accessory compatibility depend on the iPad and Pencil model; handwriting can also use a finger. |
Apple’s iPhone and iPad Notes overview describes additional Notes capabilities. Availability and steps can vary with software version, device, language, and region.
Quick Recap
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