For sometime now, the iPhone manufacturing company keeps rolling in newer features after another of its products, the iPhone and its apps included.
Talking of the apps, one of the apps that has never been left out of this periodic improvement is the Notes app.
The iPhone Notes app is a very powerful yet underrated tool that comes already installed on every iPhone. Although most users make use of it, very few are able to notice some of the amazing features it actually has.
In this article, we will have a look at some of the most useful as well as hidden features of the iPhone Notes app you really must be using now to enhance your productivity and stay organised.
So whether you are a student, a professional, or just someone who likes to stay organised, then the iPhone Notes app is where you must keep your eyes at.
We will first have a look at some of the useful features you may or may not have known, and then we will highlight on some of the hidden features as well as some things you need to keep in mind when using the IPhone Notes app. Let’s dive in.
Useful + Hidden Features Of The iPhone Notes App
- Siri Integration For Notes Creation Feature
With Siri, the use of the iPhone Notes app can sometimes be very interesting, as you can capture thoughts quickly by asking Siri to create a note for it or to even add it to an existing note.
This is one way of being productive plus being hands-free! Siri integration with the Notes app is something you must make sure to take advantage of.
It is stress-free, especially in the situation where you can’t use your two hands. That way, you can say, “Hey Siri, create a note, ” and then you continue by saying what note you want Siri to make; it will make the note as quickly as possible as well as save it for you in the notes app.
Also, another thing Siri can do for you is that you can ask it to search for a note you have saved in your Notes app. This feature of the Notes app helps you to create, save and access notes as quickly as possible with little or no stress.
- The Handwriting And Sketching Features
When you have an apple pencil, this feature can be a very useful one, especially when you love to write instead of typing.
Or you might at times feel like making a sketch and your iPad or iPhone is all you have. In that case, you can just take up your Apple Pencil, go to the Notes app, and start doing your thing.
You do not necessarily have to have an Apple Pencil to access this feature. You can use your finger as well.
It doesn’t matter whether you want to sketch a mind map, make a quick note, or even make annotations on existing notes; this app offers you robust sketching tools you might want to experience.
There are different brush types with different sizes. It also has colours of different types to suit your drawing needs and styles.
Also, if you have access to the Apple Pencil, you can use another feature called “Scribble.” This feature can automatically convert your written notes to text that can be searched. This feature allows you a more personalised form of note-making while maintaining your ability to search for keywords later.
- Password Protection Feature
The Notes app has come a long way such that, when you make notes, you have the ability to safeguard them using the password protection feature.
This feature enables you to keep certain information secure on your phone. It could be information regarding your bank account details, confidential projects, login details, and a whole lot more; you can just lock them individually or not with just your password or face ID to ensure they are safe.
If you want to lock a note, open that particular note, tap on the three dots in the top right corner, then select “Lock Note.” Once you do that, you will be prompted to create a password or use your face ID so that only you can easily access that information.
After doing this, you will realise that a small lock appears on the note you secured. Which means whenever you want to access that note, you will have to input a pass key or use your face ID. This particular feature is very useful, especially when you have people who share your phone with you. Keep in mind that, to access this feature, you need to have at least an OS of 16 or higher.
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- Feature To Scan Documents
One other useful feature of the app is that very few people seem to notice its ability to efficiently scan paper documents into digital form in the app.
You can easily use the app to scan receipts, forms, handwritten texts, and any other form of document you can think of.
To make use of the document scanner, all you need to do is open the Notes app. Then tap the camera icon; from there, you select the “scan documents” option.
Once you are able to do this, supposing you are trying to capture a paper document, the scanner will automatically adjust for proper lighting, detect the edges of the document, and then capture a clear image of it.
It’s capability does not end there. You are able to scan multiple notes into a single one as well as mark them up with annotations or signatures.
When you choose to use the scanning feature of the Notes app, you are practically ridding yourself of having to rely on third-party scanning apps.
Also, once you scan your documents, they’re saved in your cloud, where you can access them regardless of what Apple device you are using; be it your Macbook or iPad, you can easily access it.
- The Checklist Feature
If you are one who loves to have a checklist or a to-do list, you might want to look in the Notes app, as there is a feature for just that.
The Notes app is a perfect tool when it comes to organising activities to be done, such as a to-do list, grocery shopping list, and any other list that will require you to tick some things off.
If you want to create a checklist on your Notes app, it is simple. As you compose a note, tap the checklist button. It has a simple design that consists of a circle that contains a checkmark.
After clicking it, begin typing your list. One thing about the checklist feature is that it is very useful, especially when you want to keep track of your progress on some things.
Even better is the ability to add remainders to the checklist, such that you don’t forget to complete a designated task.
So it doesn’t matter for what purpose you want to use the checklist for; it helps you to get yourself organised all the time.
- Feature To Pin Notes
Definitely, if you are one who deals with a lot of documents, you will most likely have some very important ones you would like to have easy access to all the time.
Well, you might not have known, but in the iPhone Notes app, there is a feature that enables you to pin such documents to the top of all the other Notes for quick and easy access.
To pin a note, all you need to do is swipe right on the note in the list and select the pin icon. Doing this will reposition it at a designated place for all pinned notes, which are normally at the top of all notes that will be added subsequently by you.
- The Collaboration Feature
Personally, of all the features, this is the one that intrigues me the most. However, it is one of the features that has unfortunately been underutilised.
This feature actually enables you to have real-time collaborative experiences on a note with other people. This feature basically allows two or more people to work on the same note simultaneously, which actually makes it a handy tool when it comes to anything that will require group participation.
To do this, you have to tap on the three dots in the top right corner, where you will be able to add people. After that, you will be able to actually invite people to collaborate with you on the note using email, messaging, or even a link.
When they accept your invite, they will be able to make real-time changes to the contents of the note. If you haven’t used this feature yet, make sure to do so.
- Folders And Tag Feature
With the iPhone Notes app, you have the ability to organise your notes using the folders and tags feature. This feature becomes very useful, especially when you are a person who keeps lots and lots of documents on your phone.
When you create a folder, you are able to categorise your notes by a specific grouping in any way you want it. To access this feature, you must be running on an OS of at least 15.
To create a folder for some notes, all you do is open the Notes app. Once open, tap the back arrow until you are in folder view.
Then select “new folder.” In there, you can name the folder any way you want it, say work, project, travel, or just any way you prefer. It all depends on you.
Moving on to tags, these are Apple’s other way of giving you an additional layer of organisation for your notes. How you do this is, in any note, when you type a hashtag (#) followed by any keyword, you are able to easily search for the note by the keyword.
For instance, when you tag all notes related to work with “#work” as the keyword, you are able to retrieve them by just searching for the tag. This combination of tags and folders helps you to stay more organised while keeping your work flow more efficient.
Important Things To Note When Using The iPhone Notes App
- Sync Your Notes With iCloud And Backup
As you go about using the app, make sure you have your notes syncing with your iCloud; that way, you will be able to access your notes on any apple device. Also, it is important to make sure that your iCloud backup is also securely in place to avoid data loss incase anything happens to your phone.
- Manage Your Storage Periodically
If there is anything that can contribute to your storage being used up quickly, your notes can be a culprit. And so, as a habit, make sure to review notes with huge attached files to either delete or archive them. That way, you will be able to save more space.
- Keep Privacy In Check
When you choose to share your notes with others, you need to be mindful of what sharing option you are using, as you have the power to make people make changes to your notes depending on what sharing options you use.
- Deleted Notes Are Kept For 30 Days
Supposing you mistakenly delete a note, do not panic, as the Notes app keeps deleted notes or folders in the “Recently deleted” folder for 30 days. That way, you are able to recover them. However, keep in mind that after 30 days they will be permanently lost.
Final Words
People might not realise this, but the iPhone Notes app is very powerful and is able to enhance productivity. More so because of its ability to secure your notes, organise them, and even allow you to use other wonderful features.
That indeed lets you know that it is powerful tool. Hopefully the Apple company will continue to bring us more features as we venture into the future.