9 ways to use Notes on iPhone: scanning, tags, recording, and export

Add "Quick Note" in the editing control center, open it from there, write the 1 line, and save it. In compatible apps, you can add links to quick notes from the shared menu. If you leave URL in Safari and "Where to read later" together, you can understand the purpose of returning to the page.

Check the saved contents in the "Quick Memo" folder of the memo. If you move a quick memo to a normal folder, it will become a normal memo and will not be displayed as a quick memo on other apps. If you want to lock it, you need to move it to another folder first.

Apple Official: Quick Memo

Open the memo and select "Scan Document" from the attachment button. Capture the paper in the camera, adjust the four corners if necessary, and take pictures of additional pages and save them. The document will be a PDF in the memo. If it is a receipt, it will be easier to find if you add the date and purpose to the title.

If you want to edit the text, select "Scan text", specify the range, and insert it. This is a function that captures characters from the corresponding language. Please compare the parts that are difficult to read incorrectly, such as the amount, date, and name, with the original.

Apple Official: Text and document scanning

Use the checklist button for shopping or packing lists, and the table button to organize schedules and responsibilities. For a long document, select text and apply Heading or Subheading from the formatting menu so you can collapse sections while reading.

For example, if it is a meeting memo, prepare headings for "decisions", "pending matters" and "next action". Actions that require notifications will be registered with the deadline for reminders, etc. The function of arranging table cells and the formula and aggregation function of spreadsheet software are not the same.

A simple calculation allows you to write an expression like 1200 + 800 = in a memo and display the answer. This is the function of the calculation memo. Official Guide to Formulas and Variables

Apple Official: Format and Headlines

1. Write a tag that does not contain spaces like #仕事 in the body of the memo, and confirm it with a space or a new line.
2. Check if you can find the note of that tag from the tag list on the "Folder" screen.
3. Create a new folder, select "Convert to Smart Folder", and specify conditions such as tags, creation date, and editing date.
4. Open one of the displayed notes and make sure that it remains in the original folder.

The new smart folder does not move notes, but collects and displays them by condition. When you convert an existing normal folder, the memo moves to the "Memo" folder, and the original folder name is tagged and cannot be undone. Let's try creating a new one first. Tagged notes cannot be locked.

Apple Official: Tags and Smart Folders

The first line will be the title of the memo. " In addition to "meeting", we will include clues to search later, such as "September 9, site improvement, decision matters". In the search field, you can search for input characters, handwritten characters in the corresponding language, objects in the image, characters in the scan, etc.

To search in the memo, open "Search for memo" from the menu. If you want to check PDFs, etc., select "Include attachments". Only the title is displayed as the search target for locked notes, so do not write confidential information in the title.

If you include a link to the relevant memo, you can move from the outline of the project to the details of the decision. Add a link to the memo

Apple Official: Search for notes and attachments

Open "Record Audio" from the attach button in the memo and start or stop recording. In the corresponding environment, the transcription display is opened, and the corresponding audio part can be played by tapping the character. You can copy the transcription from the menu and add it to the body of the memo.

The current official condition is the device language corresponding to iPhone 12 or later, and Japanese is also eligible. Transcription and summary by Apple Intelligence have different requirements. iPhone 13 can also check the OS and language conditions and try short recordings. Please note that the speaker's name, number, and proper noun are confirmed by voice, and that if you delete the recording, the transcription will also disappear.

Apple Official: Recording and Transcription

If you only need to pass the contents once, select "Send Copy" from the share button and specify how to send emails, etc. You can also send emails to yourself in this way. If you choose Collaboration, you will be invited to edit the same note instead of passing a copy.

Collaboration is available for notes in iCloud. Participants must sign in to their Apple Account and enable Notes in iCloud. Before inviting anyone, check whether access is limited to “Only invited people” or open to anyone with the link, whether participants can edit or only view, and whether they may invite others. Locked notes cannot be used for collaboration.

Apple official: copy transmission and collaboration

Open the corresponding memo in the terminal or iCloud and select "Lock" in the menu. iOS 16 and later can use the terminal passcode or a password dedicated to memo. The iCloud keychain is required for the method of using the terminal passcode. Immediately after setting, the contents remain open, so press the lock icon at the top to hide it and make sure that it can be opened with the selected authentication method. Locked notes in the iCloud account are protected with end-to-end encryption in both methods. It is not "protection only on the terminal".

You cannot lock tagged or shared notes, notes containing certain attachments such as PDFs, audio or video, or notes stored in external services such as Gmail. If you forget a dedicated password, resetting it will not unlock previously locked notes, so check which authentication method you use before storing them. Content copied to email is separately subject to your email service’s protections.

Apple Official: Memo Lock and Recovery Conditions

In iOS 26, open the note, tap Share, choose “Export as Markdown” and send it to the destination. Before migrating, test a small set of notes containing text, images and links and check how they appear in the destination app.

To export a PDF, open Markup from the note’s Share menu, then finish and save it. If the note contains a multipage PDF or scanned-document attachment, the exported PDF includes only the first page of that attachment. Save the original attachment separately as well. Opening a note in Pages also does not preserve the original functionality of features such as tags, checklists, and links to notes.

Apple Official: Export format and restrictions

1. Make a practice note in iCloud or the terminal, and write the date and purpose on the 1 line.
2. Choose one of the 9 features above to use. Do not set up several features at once.
3. Close the memo and search again with the words and tags in the title.
4. If necessary, try to copy or export 1 and check if the text and attachments are complete.
5. Decide on one of the following actions and register for a reminder if you need a deadline notification.

If you don't have a problem with this, you can use the standard memo as it is. If your usual destination is the email inbox, steps for entering your email is also an option. If you use SimpleMemo, start with the destination setting and arrival confirmation, and if you want to leave it in Obsidian, set the link folder and write test separately.