Notes App Tips for iPhone and Mac
Apple's Notes app is more powerful than most people realize. Learn how to use it for checklists, locked notes, shared notes, document scanning.
4 min read · 5 steps · Checked April 2026
Step 1. Make a checklist note
Open Notes and start a new note (tap the pencil icon). Tap the checklist button (circle with a checkmark) in the formatting toolbar above the keyboard. Each new line becomes a checkbox item. Type your list. Tap any checkbox to mark it done. It moves to the completed section. Great for grocery or packing lists.
Quick Tip
Quick Tip: Ask Siri to "Add milk to my note" or "Add milk to my shopping list note" and Siri will add it to the note you specify without opening the app.
Step 2. Lock a note with Face ID
Press and hold any note in the notes list → tap "Lock Note." Set a passcode or use Face ID/Touch ID. The note content becomes hidden. It shows only the title until you unlock it. This is good for storing passwords, financial information, or personal details.
Quick Tip
Locked notes use a separate password from your phone passcode by default. You can change this in SettingsNotesPassword.
Step 3. Share a note for collaboration
Open any note → tap the person icon with a "+" at the top → tap "Add People." Enter the contact's email address or phone number. Choose whether they can make changes or view only. They receive a link to the note and can edit it from their own Notes app. Changes sync for everyone in seconds.
Step 4. Scan a document into a note
Open or start a new note. Tap the camera icon above the keyboard → "Scan Documents." Hold your phone camera over any paper document. The app detects its edges automatically and captures it. Scan multiple pages if needed. Tap "Save." The scanned PDF is embedded directly in your note.
Step 5. Use Quick Note on Mac
On your Mac, move your cursor to the very bottom-right corner of the screen. A yellow Quick Note window appears. Click it to start typing a note right away without opening the Notes app. The Quick Note syncs to your iPhone and is accessible in the Notes app under "Quick Notes."
Apple's Notes app comes pre-installed on every iPhone, iPad, and Mac — and most people only use it for basic text notes. But it has a surprising range of features that make it genuinely useful for organizing your life.
Key features worth knowing:
Checklists: Turn any note into a checklist with checkboxes. Great for grocery lists, to-do lists, and packing lists. Tap the checklist icon in the formatting bar to add checkboxes.
Locked Notes: Protect sensitive notes (passwords, PINs, personal info) with Face ID/Touch ID or a separate passcode. The note content is hidden until you unlock it.
Shared Notes: Share a note with family members and collaborate in real time. Great for a shared grocery list that everyone can edit from their own phones.
Document Scanner: Use your phone camera to scan paper documents and save them as PDFs right inside a note.
Tables and Headers: Organize notes with tables (like a simple spreadsheet) and section headers.
Tags: Add hashtags to notes (like #recipe or #travel) to organize them and quickly filter to see all notes with a tag.
Quick Notes on Mac: Hover in the bottom right corner of your Mac screen to open a small floating note instantly without opening the app — useful for jotting something down quickly.
Notes sync via iCloud, so anything you write on iPhone appears on your Mac and iPad automatically.
Official sources
- Apple Support — support.apple.com
- iPhone User Guide — support.apple.com
- AppleCare contact options — support.apple.com
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