Episode #133 August 9, 2026 - Notes App

We will be taking a look at the Notes app today, and while its name may suggest that it is a type of a scratchpad application for jotting down quick ideas with simple formatting, and certainly you can use it in that way, the Notes app has evolved to contain quite a bit more of functionality over the years.

In addition to text, you can add formatting to your notes, such as attributes like bold and italics and underlining.

You can add text as headings, which then enables you to collapse and expand the text under those headings in an outline style format.

You can make checklists, which you can then dynamically mark as complete as you finish items on those checklists.

You can record audio into your note.

You can add videos and photos.

You can also insert formulas so you can perform calculations on the go without needing an internet connection like you might with performing them with a Google search.

You can enter and graph mathematical equations.

equations.

You can scan text and documents.

You can add content from other external applications.

For example, you can add some PDFs from the Files app or you can add some web pages from Safari.

If you have some vision, you can also insert... handwriting and drawings.

So there's quite a bit that you can do in an actual note.

You can also, of course, you can search your notes.

You can organize your notes with folders.

You can organize them with tags.

You can also create smart folders based on criteria you specify, such as a certain tag or a specified date range.

And then notes will automatically appear in those folders based on the criteria that you set.

You can also share your notes

with others.

You can share a copy of a note and you can also, if the other person or people are also using iCloud, you can also collaborate with others on a note, meaning that you are both working on changes to that note.

You can lock notes that have more secure content, and then you would need to either use your iPhone unlocking methods, your passcode, face ID, and so on.

Or you can set a separate password for notes only in order to open those notes.

And so there is quite a lot that you are now able to do, as I hope you are able to understand through this overview, through this app.