How to Organize Your Life With Apple Notes
If you have an iPhone, you already own one of the most underrated organizing tools out there: Apple Notes. It’s free, it syncs across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac through iCloud, and it’s simple enough that you’ll actually use it.
Here’s how to turn a messy pile of random notes into a system that helps you run your life.
Start with a few simple folders
Too many folders make it hard to decide where things go. Start with five or six broad ones, such as:
- Inbox: Quick thoughts and ideas you haven’t sorted yet.
- Home: Cleaning routines, maintenance notes, and household info.
- Lists: Groceries, packing lists, gift ideas, and books to read.
- Work: Meeting notes and project ideas.
- Personal: Goals, journaling, and health notes.
- Reference: Wi-Fi passwords for guests, measurements, and account instructions.
You can always add more later. Nested folders are available too, but keep it simple at first.
Use tags for flexible organizing
Type a hashtag, like #recipes or #travel, anywhere in a note to tag it. Tags let one note belong to several categories at once. Tap a tag in the Tags section of your folder list to see every note with that tag.
You can also create Smart Folders that automatically gather notes based on tags and other filters, like every note tagged #gifts, no matter which folder it’s in.
Pin what you use most
Swipe on a note to pin it to the top of its folder. Pin your grocery list, weekly plan, or anything you open daily so it’s always one tap away.
Use checklists for tasks and lists
Tap the checklist button to create checkboxes. They’re perfect for groceries, packing, and simple to-do lists. You can set checked items to move to the bottom automatically in the Notes settings, so what’s left stays at the top.
Capture ideas fast
The best system is the one that’s quick to use. A few ways to capture thoughts instantly:
- Add a Notes shortcut to your Control Center or Lock Screen.
- Ask Siri to “make a note.”
- On iPad or Mac, use Quick Note to jot something down from any app.
Everything can go into your Inbox folder first. Sort it once a week.
Scan documents and paper clutter
Notes has a built-in document scanner. In a note, tap the camera or attachment icon and choose Scan Documents. Use it for receipts, warranties, school forms, and kids’ artwork, then recycle the paper. Notes can search text in many scanned documents and images too.
Share lists with others
You can share a note or a whole folder with family or roommates. Everyone can add items, which makes shared grocery lists and household to-dos much easier.
Lock sensitive notes
For private information, you can lock individual notes with your device password or Face ID. For passwords and financial information, a dedicated password manager is still a safer choice.
Keep it tidy with a weekly sweep
Once a week, empty your Inbox folder: move notes to the right folder, add tags, or delete what you no longer need. Five minutes keeps the whole system useful.
Try this today: Create an Inbox folder and a Lists folder, then pin your most-used list to the top.