About
Notes is Apple's note-taking app for capturing quick thoughts, longer documents, checklists, images, web links, scanned documents, handwritten notes, and sketches. It syncs across devices via iCloud, so your notes are always accessible. You can lock sensitive data, search text within handwriting and scanned documents, link notes together, organize with folders and tags, and collaborate on shared notes with activity tracking. Features include audio recording and transcription, document scanning, text formatting, tables, sketching with Apple Pencil on iPad, and access from Apple Watch.
Highlights
- Scan paper documents with built-in scanner and search text within scanned images
- Record and transcribe audio directly into notes
- Lock sensitive notes with security protection
- Sketch with Apple Pencil on iPad using multiple brush styles and colors
- Collaborate on shared notes and folders with activity tracking
- Search handwriting, text, and document content across all notes
Best for
Anyone using Apple devices who needs to capture and organize notes, sketches, checklists, and documents in one place. Teams collaborating on shared notes benefit from mention notifications and activity summaries. Users managing sensitive information can lock individual notes.
At a glance
Notes is rated 4.9 out of 5 from 466,136 ratings and is available on iOS — all free to download.
It is developed by Apple.
Screenshots
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Notes free?
- Yes — Notes is free to download on iOS.
- What platforms is Notes available on?
- Notes is available on iOS.
- What is Notes?
- Notes is Apple's note-taking app for capturing quick thoughts, checklists, images, web links, scanned documents, handwritten notes, and sketches. It syncs across all your devices via iCloud and supports collaboration on shared notes.
- Can you search handwriting in Notes?
- Yes. Notes lets you search for text in your handwriting, scanned documents, and photos like receipts or bills.
- Does Notes support sketching?
- Yes. You can use your finger or Apple Pencil on a compatible iPad to sketch directly in a note or inline PDF, choosing from multiple brush styles, colors, lines, and grids.
- Can multiple people edit notes together?
- Yes. You can collaborate on entire shared folders or specific shared notes, mention friends to notify them, and view a day-to-day activity summary of what each collaborator added.
- What are the alternatives to Notes?
- Notes is similar to Today App: To-Do Lists & Notes, Reminders, Subjects — school planner, and Obsidian - Connected Notes. Browse related apps by tag: note taking, productivity, and collaboration.