Apple Notes is a feature-rich note-taking answer and should you use a Mac, iPhone, or iPad you should utilize it at no cost. Switching is comparatively easy, however there are some things to remember particularly should you use non-Apple gadgets like Home windows PCs or an Android smartphone.
Why Use Apple Notes?
Other than utilizing Apple gadgets just like the iPhone or Mac, some of the compelling causes for utilizing Apple Notes is that it’s utterly free. Notes are saved in iCloud and sync between Apple devices, and are additionally accessible through the net at iCloud.com. They may depend towards your iCloud storage limit, of which you get 5GB at no cost, however since notes are principally comprised of textual content they take up little or no area.
That is completely different from other note-taking services like Evernote or Bear which both restrict the variety of gadgets linked to a free account or require a premium subscription to entry the function in any respect. There are different advantages to paying for these providers, however should you solely want a easy note-taking answer Apple Notes could be the higher selection.
Notes is a straightforward app nevertheless it doesn’t skimp on the options most customers would use each day. There’s help for file attachments, embeds for media like images and maps, observe sharing and collaboration, and a few security measures to maintain your Notes hidden from prying eyes. You possibly can format text, create checklists, draw tables, and scribble or spotlight utilizing your finger or stylus.
The app stops in need of the power-user strategy taken by OneNote (which is great, and in addition free to make use of). It’s additionally lots sooner and usually extra nice to make use of than Evernote (which nonetheless lacks a native Apple Silicon model in November 2021). You get extra flexibility and options than you do with a minimalist answer like Simplenote.
There’s additionally deep integration with Apple’s Spotlight search on Mac, iOS, and iPadOS. In case you are utilizing the app on one in all Apple’s tablets you possibly can count on full help for handwriting and other scribblings with your Apple Pencil too. PDF and picture attachments embrace help for OCR (optical character recognition) so you possibly can find text in images by looking out as you’ll another observe. You may as well convert your handwriting to textual content due to the identical OCR engine.
RELATED: How to Copy Text From a Picture on iPhone
Issues to Take into account Earlier than Switching
In the event you want a severe note-taking answer like OneNote or Evernote, Apple Notes may not be sufficient. There’s no dictation function as per OneNote, neither is there the deep integration with different platforms that Evernote gives. You possibly can solely sync through iCloud, and retaining your Apple devices updated with the latest version of macOS, iOS, and iPadOS is integral to retaining Notes working because it ought to.
Apple Notes can be a really Apple-centric platform. That is value contemplating should you want a note-taking answer for platforms like Home windows or Android. There’s no native model of Apple Notes for these gadgets, so that you’re stuck using the web version instead (which is usable, however a far cry from a local app).
Apple Notes additionally gives little in the best way of export choices, which implies it’s a bit tough to get issues out of the ecosystem when you’ve used it for some time. You possibly can export every observe individually to separate PDF files, however that’s laborious. Third-party apps like Exporter and Notes Exporter fill the hole right here, however there’s no native approach to do that in Apple’s app.
iCloud is one other consideration. In case your Notes assortment balloons then you definitely’ll must be ready to pay for iCloud storage should you don’t already accomplish that. An extra 50GB is just $0.99 per 30 days, nevertheless it’s value retaining in thoughts.
Lastly, switching to Apple Notes from an current platform like Evernote or OneNote is far simpler on a Mac. On an iPhone, your choices are restricted and require that you just export your notes to the Files app or e-mail your self recordsdata and import them that approach. Some apps like Evernote don’t can help you export greater than a single observe at a time on cellular, so utilizing a Mac will make your life a lot simpler.
Shifting Your Notes to Apple Notes
We advocate utilizing a Mac to do that. An iPhone can be utilized to import Evernote ENEX recordsdata, however different file varieties can be added to notes as attachments slightly than imported as textual content.
Apple Notes can import Evernote ENEX (particular person notes and notebooks) on each Mac and iPhone or iPad. On a Mac you ca can even import TXT, RTF, RTFD, and HTML recordsdata as new notes through the File > Import to Notes possibility.
Having help for the Evernote ENEX format is a good instrument to have at your disposal. If you wish to switch from OneNote to Apple Notes, you should utilize Evernote to import your notes from OneNote, then export these notes from Evernote within the ENEX format. This lets you import OneNote knowledge to Apple Notes, utilizing Evernote as middleware.
The Apple Notes equal of Evernote notebooks are folders, so one straightforward method to preserve your group construction is to export your Evernote notebooks one after the other. To do that, launch Evernote for Mac and choose the pocket book you wish to export. Hit Command+A or Edit > Choose All adopted by File > Export Notes.
Select the ENEX format and save your file (give it a reputation you’ll affiliate with that pocket book). Now head to Apple Notes and click on File > Import to Notes. Your notes can be imported and positioned in a folder referred to as “Imported Notes” full with knowledge like when your observe was first created.
Now you can right-click (or Management+click on) the folder and choose “Rename” and provides it a reputation that displays your unique pocket book. Do that as many instances as you want for all your notebooks, ensuring to alter the identify of the “Imported Notes” folder every time to keep up order.
To import ENEX recordsdata on an iPhone or iPad, add the file to your iCloud Drive and entry it with recordsdata, or e-mail it to an e-mail account you’ve entry to in your iPhone. Faucet on the file to open it adopted by Share > Notes. Faucet “Import Notes” to finish the operation. You’ll have an “Imported Notes” folder now you can rename.
Organizing Issues With Apple Notes
There are two principal methods of organizing issues in Apple Notes: folders and tags. Folders create straightforward dividing traces between various kinds of notes. For instance, you possibly can maintain all work-related notes in a “Work” folder, excluding private issues totally.
Tags are completely different in that they can be utilized to seek out issues throughout completely different folders, and be used to arrange sensible folders based mostly on tags. So for instance it’s straightforward to seek out all your receipts, each private and work-related, by tagging them with the #receipt tag. You can arrange a wise folder to filter by the identical tag, which might record all matching notes no matter which folder they’re in.
Folders and tags are listed on the “residence” display screen of the Notes app for iPhone and iPad, and within the sidebar of the Mac app. You possibly can faucet or click on on a folder or a observe to filter content material. You possibly can transfer a observe from one folder to a different utilizing the “Extra” context menu on each platforms (accessible through the “…” ellipsis icon on cellular gadgets, and right-click menu on a Mac).
Tags have to be added to the physique of a observe utilizing the hashtag format (together with observe title). Tags have to be one steady phrase, and in order for you a number of phrases you’ll want to make use of dashes or underscores. You possibly can choose a number of notes on iPhone (Extra > Choose Notes) and Mac (Command+click on) then apply current tags utilizing the “Tags” button on cellular or the right-click menu on a Mac.
Create a wise folder utilizing the “New Folder” button and choose “New Sensible Folder” then enter the tag you wish to use to filter your notes.
Further Options You Ought to Be Utilizing
Apple Notes is made helpful by means of some extra options that some note-taking apps both don’t have or put behind a paywall. On cellular gadgets just like the iPhone or iPad, Notes might be used as document scanner. Create a brand new observe, faucet on the digital camera icon, then select the “Scan Paperwork” icon. You possibly can sketch utilizing the “pen” icon too.
You possibly can name on these features from the Mac app by clicking on the “Picture” icon, however you’ll want to finish the motion in your cellular gadget.
One other helpful function is the power to lock notes. On a cellular gadget faucet on a observe then use the Extra > Lock possibility. You’ll have the ability to unlock notes with a password (generally known as your Notes password, which is about up the primary time you lock one thing) or Contact ID/Face ID should you’ve set it up.
On a Mac, there’s a devoted “Lock” button within the prime row of icons whereas viewing a observe. Your password might be set beneath Notes > Preferences, or you possibly can use Touch ID in case your Mac has a fingerprint scanner. The password will sync through iCloud, and you may’t get better it should you neglect it (however you possibly can create a new one, then discard your outdated locked notes).
Collaboration options are additionally current, and you may add others to your observe utilizing the “Share This Be aware With Others” button that seems in each variations of the app whereas enhancing a observe. Anybody you add will obtain an invite to collaborate and might use the cellular, Mac, or internet variations of Apple Notes to take action.
You possibly can even share entire folders beneath Edit > Extra > Share Folder on a cellular gadget or just by right-clicking a folder on a Mac and selecting “Share This Folder” to offer one other occasion entry to any notes inside.
RELATED: How to Collaborate on Notes in macOS
Give Apple Notes a Shot
If you will get over being locked into one other aspect of Apple’s ecosystem, there’s lots to like about Apple Notes. Whereas it doesn’t fairly match the do-everything nature of OneNote, it’s arguably extra usable for informal customers who don’t want Microsoft Workplace ranges of performance.
However there’s extra! On iPhone or iPad you possibly can embed and quickly create notes, take notes using handwriting, and draw perfect shapes.