Wow, this is awesome and so useful. Notes is something I definitely use on the regular, just for quick things, but I leave notes hanging around and it gets so disorganized. Now I've got some ideas to clean them up and keep it that way moving forward. Thanks Gary.
Hi Gary, As a new user of Apple products (iPhone 15 Pro since December 2023 and iPad Pro for the past 10 days), I have found them amazing. However, after fifty years of working with Microsoft products, I do face some difficulties adapting. Despite this, I find the quality of Apple products to be much higher, so I spend a lot of time learning. The Apple Notes app is particularly important to me, and your professional explanations have been very helpful, especially for a true beginner like me.
What a great tutorial! It’s amazing how much relevant content you put into a short video, yet deliver it a way that doesn’t feel rushed. Now I’m off to organize my Notes…
Gary, this is crazy.... I am a Notes user (switched from "Things") and you still manage to teach me stuff.... The Home page Notes at the end is brilliant, never thought of this and am using it right now
Notes is one of Apple's better apps from recent systems. Before they came out with it, I used TextEdit. Had TextEdit documents all over the place. I knew where about half of them were. Well done on today's video.
Waow! Thanks a lot Gary. This video literally transformed the way my wife and I use notes (we share them between our icloud accounts). Tags are super powerful!
Yet another great video about a built in Mac feature! Yet again, even tho I have been using a Mac for years, I learned several new things about the venerable Notes app. Thank You Gary!
On important notes, I make a duplicate then lock the copy. But am going to replay this video a few times to improve my understanding. Thank you very much
@@macmost When having a long note, if I inadvertently delete or change something. No way to get it back, except from memory. At least in pages I can save, then when am done, delete the extra ones. Out of about > 300 notes, only a few are copied and locked this way.
@@Flash1857 Maybe check out th-cam.com/video/Sfp-Gmk1xO4/w-d-xo.html for other ways to "backup" notes that would work better than having lots of duplicates.
@@macmost The one thing holding me back from using apple notes exclusively is not being able to web clip from firefox, I save a lot of web pages and articles.
Gary, another fine video, as usual. What you have done in this video is to explain "how Apple Notes can organize notes". That's fine. The next step would be to create a video that explains different ways to use Apple Notes organization functions. I've watched many TH-cam videos on organizing with Apple Notes. Based on them, plus my own experimenting over the last 5-6 years, I've only identified 5 different ways to structure a set of. folders. That are: * By Topics (Art, Equipment / Parts, Family, Food, Investing, Medical, Politics, etc.) * By Life Roles (Business Owner, Employee, Son, Spouse, Father, Tutor, Chef, Volunteer, Etc.) * By Tiago Forte’s PARA Method (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive) * By Type of Note (Articles, images, instructions, invoices, maps, receipts, etc.) * By Days of the Week (Monday, Tuesday, etc.) Would you consider doing such a video?
Great Video!!! I thought I was a master at using Apple Notes, but I learned a few new things from your video. I have several hundred notes and one issue I have found is the search feature is a bit clumsy in the results that it provides; even if I’m searching for a single word that occurs in the title I have found the search results might place the note I’m looking for far down on the list of results.
Your video once again helped me improve my Notes immediately. I realized what I was not doing, what I was not applying and now my notes are much easier to read/follow. I do have a question because I am still baffled: I have a Notes folder - Movies and subfolders underneath to represent the year. Why is the Movies folder showing a ZERO but all the subfolders have a number associated with however many notes are in the subfolder? Am I missing a feature?
These are great! Except for adding links to other notes. Unfortunately if I add a link in a note on my MacBook and then try to use it on my iPhone, it's always yellow text on a white background. That's pretty impossible to read. That makes this feature unusable for me. As far as I know, there's no way to change hyperlink colors in iOS, only in OS. If there's a way to pester Apple into making that available I will certainly try. Love this channel and the videos!
In my opinion Apple notes is getting better but still lacking a basic functionality to import pdfs or ppts and annotate them on iPad. They added functionality last year to import pdfs but it’s left to right scrolling instead of vertical as available in OneNote. Also adding the recorded video or audio syncing as you write with pencil for note taking would be better. Enlighten me if I am missing something. Great video as always . I am curious if I put tag will new note auto move to the Smart Folder ?
Hi Gary. Great tutorial as usual! I have some notes that are very long. Fairly easy to get to the beginning or end using Command + Up/Down arrow. How do I do the same thing on my iPhone? Also, on my iMac, Shift + Tab in a bulleted list, takes the current point to the higher level. How do I do that on the iPhone? Thanks!!
To go to the top of a note (or almost any scrolling area) just tap at the top of the screen, like near the time. To get to the bottom, the only quick way is a fast swipe up and let it fly. To indent in a list, tap the format button at the top of the keyboard (Aa) and there are two buttons there to indent and outdent.
182 / 5 000 I marked #iCloud the notes in the cloud that I want to make accessible on the iPhone, MacBook and MacMini. And with #MMini, the notes that are only on the HD of the Mac Mini
I'm typing the >> in notes but not getting the drop down menu, Apple Notes version 4.11 - I got it, it needs a space before the >> otherwise it doesn't work. You can't type it directly after the word then, you need a space first.
Hey Gary, so you now when you delete a tag it says, it can not be undone. Well I deleted the tag that said home and now the Edit Tag Icon on the tool bar no longer is clickable. Like someone how that home tag gave power to the edit tag in the tool bar. Any ideas to make Edit Tag in the tool bar work again?
Bugs the hell out of me you can’t color text for note headings and folder names. Would be so visually handy and surely such an easy and obvious thing for Apple to implement.
Can you help, I used to do all my notes on my iPad and all the sensitive ones locked via face recognition, iPad has died and obviously everything backed up on my mac, but I cant access those locked notes as its fingerprint on the mac keyboard. So cant access those notes now.
@@macmost Don't ever remember setting up a password for it and certainly cant remember was relying on Face ID, oh well. Thanks anyway was hopping you would have a fancy fix, so your fired 🤣😂😉
@@TrogART Face ID and Touch ID are just shortcuts for your account passcode/password. If you locked your notes and set it to use Face ID, then it should also be able to be unlocked with your iPad/iPhone/Mac account password.
@@macmost yeah it’s just the list of notes. I have to double click on the title to see the note. This opens it up in a separate window. Single click does nothing.
@@TheEricBooth Somehow your Notes app isn't showing you the note on the right. Did you try quitting it and re-launching it? Also, expand the window to fill the screen more.
I use Simplenote but it and Apple Notes as well as others that I tried don’t have a manual sort. Why? I like my notes to be in a specific order. There are some notes I may update but want them to stay where they are in the list and not move to a new location. I find myself addind characters like x, y and z for the notes to be forced to stay at the bottom. Others I want grouped at the top, I’ll add hypens or letter a, b, c. I don’t want my notes in folders as I prefer them on the main level. A manual sort would solve this issue but most note apps don’t have a manual sort. They used to before but updates just remove that option. I watched your video with all the options to sort but for me, a manual sort is essential and I find that such a simple option is nowhere to be found in any note app.
We can only speculate "why," and it doesn't help to know. If I had to guess it would be that people would spend time manually sorting, then switch to date or alphabetical for a second and become frustrated that their manual sort is lost. It sounds like you want the "pin" function, maybe? Or just use one of the ideas in this video. Like put them in different folders or use tags if you want to have quicker access to some.
@@macmost Thanks for your feedback. I have my notes sorted alphabetically but keep the the ones I want in specific position by putting in a character before the title of the note to force it where I want it to be in the list. I’ve been doing it this way for years but baffling why no manual sort is avaliable. I even requested multiple times for Simplenote to add a manual sort option to no avail.
Great vid...thank you. I would have loved it if it had included the apple pencil too. I find it difficult to create notes with the pencil when I need to also include typed contents within that note. Either I'm missing something or using the pencil wrong. 😀
@@macmost ....thanks for that. I can't draw either but use Goodnotes 5 in business as my main note taking app due to problems I've had with using the pencil with Apple Notes. If Apple Notes had some of the functions of Goodnotes 5......I'd be a very happy old man. 😀👍
Just when I think I know it all, you show something new. That is why I watch all your videos from start to finish.
I’ve been using apple notes for a year now as my diary, and i haven’t seen any video this helpful to help me with organizing my notes. Thanks Gary
On the iPhone, they have an app called Journal as well.
for diary, try journal
OMG, the “home page” note is genius! 😲 It’s perfect! Thank you, Gary, you are undoubtedly the best Mac teacher ever. 🙏🏻
ooh “home page” note, I must have missed this?
@@steveherridge8965 the last tip at 12 '. Gary saves the best for last!
The best tutorial I’ve seen on this topic. Many thanks!
Once again, Gary. You have outdone yourself with this tutorial!
A Thumbs Up for this video seems so inadequate! Thanks for presenting such a huge number of features and ideas for using Notes.
Always helpful. Always quality. Great work, Gary!
Wow. I use about half of these tip and needed the rest. Thank you!
Organize notes! I need this. Thank you for this video.
A very useful and informative video tutorial today! Thank you, Gary! 👏🏻❤️
Thanks very much, Gary, for this informative video! Brilliant in depth run-down of how use Notes to the full.
Wow, this is awesome and so useful. Notes is something I definitely use on the regular, just for quick things, but I leave notes hanging around and it gets so disorganized. Now I've got some ideas to clean them up and keep it that way moving forward. Thanks Gary.
Hi Gary,
As a new user of Apple products (iPhone 15 Pro since December 2023 and iPad Pro for the past 10 days), I have found them amazing. However, after fifty years of working with Microsoft products, I do face some difficulties adapting. Despite this, I find the quality of Apple products to be much higher, so I spend a lot of time learning. The Apple Notes app is particularly important to me, and your professional explanations have been very helpful, especially for a true beginner like me.
Another fabulous video - Thanks a bunch Gary. I loved the 'home page' idea 👌🏼
What a great tutorial! It’s amazing how much relevant content you put into a short video, yet deliver it a way that doesn’t feel rushed. Now I’m off to organize my Notes…
Thank you for this very informative and well structured tutorial. 👏
Thanks! I didn’t know what I was missing by not using tags.
Wonderful video and tips! Thank you.
Excellent video. Clear, helpful and accurate. Thank you!
What a wealth of information. Thanks, Gary. Thanks to your videos, I'm using Notes more productively.
Your videos like this absolutely justifies the Pattern support. AN is something extraordinary 😊
Thanks for your support!
Gary, this is crazy.... I am a Notes user (switched from "Things") and you still manage to teach me stuff....
The Home page Notes at the end is brilliant, never thought of this and am using it right now
Wow! Thanks for this amazingly helpful video on setting up notes to make it easy to find what you’re looking for. Your videos are the best! 😊
Great stuff, Gary. The content you usually share is outstanding. You are by far one of the most relevant TH-camrs I know. Please keep it up!
very helpful. thank you for sharing.
Notes is one of Apple's better apps from recent systems. Before they came out with it, I used TextEdit. Had TextEdit documents all over the place. I knew where about half of them were. Well done on today's video.
Waow! Thanks a lot Gary.
This video literally transformed the way my wife and I use notes (we share them between our icloud accounts).
Tags are super powerful!
That's a great tip on linking notes and home (page)note! Thank you Gary!
Excellent, as always. Thank you! So needed some ideas to organize my notes.
THANK YOU 🙏 Tremendous VALUE here because it is all also within the "native apple ecosystem" ERGO MORE SECURITY 💪 as opposed to 3rd party APPS...
You have convinced me once again- I will start using Notes!
Love the table of contents idea - will add it n to my Notes app
Yet another great video about a built in Mac feature! Yet again, even tho I have been using a Mac for years, I learned several new things about the venerable Notes app. Thank You Gary!
On important notes, I make a duplicate then lock the copy. But am going to replay this video a few times to improve my understanding. Thank you very much
Thanks for another great idea.
But then you have two notes to update every time you want to make a change. What is your purpose for having a locked copy anyway?
@@macmost When having a long note, if I inadvertently delete or change something. No way to get it back, except from memory. At least in pages I can save, then when am done, delete the extra ones. Out of about > 300 notes, only a few are copied and locked this way.
@@macmost Did learn to make tags, setup 4 so far, and a few folders. thanks
@@Flash1857 Maybe check out th-cam.com/video/Sfp-Gmk1xO4/w-d-xo.html for other ways to "backup" notes that would work better than having lots of duplicates.
Mind officially blown!!!
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏Gary I feel you have the knowledge of 12 geniuses. Thanks for this instructional video.
Incredible options I had no idea about! Thank you so much 😊
Incredibly useful information. Thank you for sharing
Apple needs to add Markdown to notes ASAP!
Why? What can markdown do that you can't do in Notes right now natively?
@@macmost The one thing holding me back from using apple notes exclusively is not being able to web clip from firefox, I save a lot of web pages and articles.
I use this on my iPhone so much, when I get a new notebook or MacBook this will be helpful!
Very informative! Thank you sooo much Gary!
Thanks, Gary! You rock!
Extremely helpful video for me. Thank you for sharing. ❤️🇨🇦
Wow! I didn’t know that, thanks I’m learning how to use my first Mac air , you been a great help.
Gary, another fine video, as usual.
What you have done in this video is to explain "how Apple Notes can organize notes". That's fine.
The next step would be to create a video that explains different ways to use Apple Notes organization functions.
I've watched many TH-cam videos on organizing with Apple Notes. Based on them, plus my own experimenting over the last 5-6 years, I've only identified 5 different ways to structure a set of. folders. That are:
* By Topics (Art, Equipment / Parts, Family, Food, Investing, Medical, Politics, etc.)
* By Life Roles (Business Owner, Employee, Son, Spouse, Father, Tutor, Chef, Volunteer, Etc.)
* By Tiago Forte’s PARA Method (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive)
* By Type of Note (Articles, images, instructions, invoices, maps, receipts, etc.)
* By Days of the Week (Monday, Tuesday, etc.)
Would you consider doing such a video?
Sounds like a good topic for a productivity expert. I've never thought about these. I think it really depends on what you are using Notes.
Great Video!!!
I thought I was a master at using Apple Notes, but I learned a few new things from your video.
I have several hundred notes and one issue I have found is the search feature is a bit clumsy in the results that it provides; even if I’m searching for a single word that occurs in the title I have found the search results might place the note I’m looking for far down on the list of results.
Very helpful information
Seriously so helpful
Wow thank you
Your video once again helped me improve my Notes immediately. I realized what I was not doing, what I was not applying and now my notes are much easier to read/follow. I do have a question because I am still baffled:
I have a Notes folder - Movies and subfolders underneath to represent the year.
Why is the Movies folder showing a ZERO but all the subfolders have a number associated with however many notes are in the subfolder? Am I missing a feature?
That's just the way it works. The number represents the number of notes directly in the folder, not including the notes inside subfolders.
These are great! Except for adding links to other notes. Unfortunately if I add a link in a note on my MacBook and then try to use it on my iPhone, it's always yellow text on a white background. That's pretty impossible to read. That makes this feature unusable for me. As far as I know, there's no way to change hyperlink colors in iOS, only in OS. If there's a way to pester Apple into making that available I will certainly try. Love this channel and the videos!
If the yellow is hard for you to read, maybe try some of the display-oriented Accessibility options. This may help with other things too for you.
thanks, Gary
In my opinion Apple notes is getting better but still lacking a basic functionality to import pdfs or ppts and annotate them on iPad. They added functionality last year to import pdfs but it’s left to right scrolling instead of vertical as available in OneNote. Also adding the recorded video or audio syncing as you write with pencil for note taking would be better. Enlighten me if I am missing something. Great video as always . I am curious if I put tag will new note auto move to the Smart Folder ?
Yes, if you have a Smart Folder set to show a tag, then it stays updated to changes.
Thanks bunches
Hi Gary. Great tutorial as usual!
I have some notes that are very long. Fairly easy to get to the beginning or end using Command + Up/Down arrow. How do I do the same thing on my iPhone? Also, on my iMac, Shift + Tab in a bulleted list, takes the current point to the higher level. How do I do that on the iPhone? Thanks!!
To go to the top of a note (or almost any scrolling area) just tap at the top of the screen, like near the time. To get to the bottom, the only quick way is a fast swipe up and let it fly. To indent in a list, tap the format button at the top of the keyboard (Aa) and there are two buttons there to indent and outdent.
@@macmost Thanks Gary - Scrolling actions noted!! Regarding the indent, the shortcuts tool bar was hidden!! Just had to press the + button!! 🫢
Helpful video, though it really illustrates that Notes needs a tag management pane in its Settings
Is it possible to email into Notes with attachments? I’m thinking about replacing Evernote.
Not sure what you mean by "into Notes." You can't send an email TO your Notes. You can link to an email though.
182 / 5 000
I marked #iCloud the notes in the cloud that I want to make accessible on the iPhone, MacBook and MacMini.
And with #MMini, the notes that are only on the HD of the Mac Mini
I'm typing the >> in notes but not getting the drop down menu, Apple Notes version 4.11 - I got it, it needs a space before the >> otherwise it doesn't work. You can't type it directly after the word then, you need a space first.
When will Notes come to Watch I wonder?
My 2015 iMac only has macOS Monterey and many of the tag features are apparently unavailable to me :(
Right. They were added since then.
1:31 I want my Notes to be listed in alphabetical order. My Sonoma 14.5 does have "As List" under "View" but "Sort By" is under "Notes" "Settings"
Select a folder. Then look in View, Sort By and set it to Title.
Gary, what software do you use to show your keystrokes in your videos?
ScreenFlow. macmost.com/what-i-use
Hey Gary, so you now when you delete a tag it says, it can not be undone. Well I deleted the tag that said home and now the Edit Tag Icon on the tool bar no longer is clickable. Like someone how that home tag gave power to the edit tag in the tool bar. Any ideas to make Edit Tag in the tool bar work again?
Not sure why it isn't working for you. You could always try a restart.
@@macmost Tried restarting and also adding back the Home tag and restarting again.
Bugs the hell out of me you can’t color text for note headings and folder names.
Would be so visually handy and surely such an easy and obvious thing for Apple to implement.
Colored text? On Mac Notes you can. See th-cam.com/video/pMKbpvFYehY/w-d-xo.html
@@macmost oh wow, thank you sir, I just didn’t think that was a thing as I’ve never seen it in a notes video.
You can even change the text size of any text, hit CMD T.
@@abulka thanks. Not at computer at mo but wonder if you can change folder text colors? Now that would be good
I no longer use Notes as extensively as I used to be. I'm using Craft more than everything else.
Can you help, I used to do all my notes on my iPad and all the sensitive ones locked via face recognition, iPad has died and obviously everything backed up on my mac, but I cant access those locked notes as its fingerprint on the mac keyboard. So cant access those notes now.
It should prompt you to enter your user account password instead. If you can't figure it out, call Apple Support.
@@macmost Don't ever remember setting up a password for it and certainly cant remember was relying on Face ID, oh well. Thanks anyway was hopping you would have a fancy fix, so your fired 🤣😂😉
@@TrogART Face ID and Touch ID are just shortcuts for your account passcode/password. If you locked your notes and set it to use Face ID, then it should also be able to be unlocked with your iPad/iPhone/Mac account password.
@@macmost Thanks did eventually get in with my iPad password, phew. Your hired again! 😁🤣😂
I have a problem with Notes right now. I have to double click on a note to view it and it opens in another window. Any clue on how to fix this? Thanks
So you don't see the note in the main window, just a list of notes? Are you in List view or Gallery view?
@@macmost yeah it’s just the list of notes. I have to double click on the title to see the note. This opens it up in a separate window. Single click does nothing.
@@TheEricBooth Somehow your Notes app isn't showing you the note on the right. Did you try quitting it and re-launching it? Also, expand the window to fill the screen more.
@@macmost I was also having trouble with the Music app so I just did a system reset. Fixed it all of course. As always, thanks for your time.
I use Simplenote but it and Apple Notes as well as others that I tried don’t have a manual sort. Why? I like my notes to be in a specific order. There are some notes I may update but want them to stay where they are in the list and not move to a new location. I find myself addind characters like x, y and z for the notes to be forced to stay at the bottom. Others I want grouped at the top, I’ll add hypens or letter a, b, c. I don’t want my notes in folders as I prefer them on the main level. A manual sort would solve this issue but most note apps don’t have a manual sort. They used to before but updates just remove that option. I watched your video with all the options to sort but for me, a manual sort is essential and I find that such a simple option is nowhere to be found in any note app.
We can only speculate "why," and it doesn't help to know. If I had to guess it would be that people would spend time manually sorting, then switch to date or alphabetical for a second and become frustrated that their manual sort is lost.
It sounds like you want the "pin" function, maybe? Or just use one of the ideas in this video. Like put them in different folders or use tags if you want to have quicker access to some.
@@macmost Thanks for your feedback. I have my notes sorted alphabetically but keep the the ones I want in specific position by putting in a character before the title of the note to force it where I want it to be in the list. I’ve been doing it this way for years but baffling why no manual sort is avaliable. I even requested multiple times for Simplenote to add a manual sort option to no avail.
I don't see the Sort By... in my view tab. :(
Because you are in “All iCloud” and not in “Notes” on the sidebar.
@@zoltanzana Thanks!
I just wish the notes app won’t be so laggy
Laggy? How so? I don't notice anything that I would describe that way in Notes.
Great vid...thank you. I would have loved it if it had included the apple pencil too. I find it difficult to create notes with the pencil when I need to also include typed contents within that note. Either I'm missing something or using the pencil wrong. 😀
Focusing on Mac here, don't use the Pencil much (on iPad, of course) because I can't draw.
@@macmost ....thanks for that. I can't draw either but use Goodnotes 5 in business as my main note taking app due to problems I've had with using the pencil with Apple Notes. If Apple Notes had some of the functions of Goodnotes 5......I'd be a very happy old man. 😀👍