In the Notes app, you can use tags as a fast and flexible way to categorize and organize your notes. You can add one or more tags to a note, such as #shopping and #work, and easily search and filter your notes across folders using the Tag Browser or Smart Folders. You can rename or delete a tag later, too. Tags must be one word, though you can use dashes and underscores, and active tags turn yellow.

Add tags to notes

To add a tag to a note, type # followed by the tag name, then add a space after the tag to activate it. Active tags turn yellow. You can also choose an existing tag from the menu above the keyboard. Tags must be one word, but you can use dashes and underscores to combine words. If you save a note without activating your tag, it won’t be saved as a tag. You can add multiple tags to a note.

Quick tip: With Apple Pencil or your finger, you can handwrite a tag in a note. Then tap the underlined tag and tap Convert to tag.

View notes with tags

Below the Tags section at the bottom of the folders list (if necessary, tap the Toggle Sidebar button to show the tags list), do any of the following:

• View all notes with tags: Tap All Tags.
• View notes with specific tags: Tap one or more tags. To exclude a tag, tap the tag until the name has a line through it.

Rename or delete a tag

You can rename or delete a tag in any of these ways:

• Below the Tags section at the bottom of the folders list, touch and hold a tag, then tap Rename Tag or Delete Tag.

  You may need to tap the Toggle Sidebar button to show the tags list.

• Tap Edit (at the top of the folders list), tap a tag to rename it or tap the Delete button, then tap the Done button.

Deleting a tag also removes it from all Smart Folders that use it.

See also

• Organize your notes with Smart Folders on iPad

In the Notes app, you can easily search and filter your notes across folders using Smart Folders. A Smart Folder can be created when viewing a list of tagged notes, or you can convert a folder, and its notes move to the Notes folder, tagged with the name of the Smart Folder.

Create a Smart Folder

1. Start the Notes app on your iPad.
2. Tap the New Folder button, choose an account (if you have more than one) and enter a name. Tap Make Into Smart Folder.
3. Choose one or more filters. Then choose to include notes matching any or all of the selected filters. You can filter by tags, dates, mentions, and more.

You can also create a Smart Folder when viewing a list of tagged notes. Tap the Folder Actions button, then tap Create Smart Folder.

Convert a folder to a Smart Folder

When viewing the folder you want to convert, tap the Folder Actions button, then tap Convert to Smart Folder.

When you convert a folder, its notes move to the Notes folder and get tagged with the name of the Smart Folder.

Note: You can’t convert a shared folder, a folder that has a subfolder, or one that contains locked notes.

Edit or delete a Smart Folder

You have two options for editing or deleting a Smart Folder:

• In the folders list, tap Edit, tap the Folder Actions button, then choose an option. Tap the Done button.
• Touch and hold a Smart Folder, then tap Edit Smart Folder or Delete.

  When editing a Smart Folder, you can change the name or filters.

See also

• Organize your notes with tags on iPad

In the Notes app, you can search through all your notes for typed and handwritten text, objects in images, and text in scanned documents. You can also search for text within a note.

You can search for tags, too, and handwritten text works in supported languages. A locked note shows only its title in search results, and you can search inside an attachment, too.

Here’s how to search through your notes on iPad.

Search for text, objects, and more in all your notes

Search covers tags, objects that appear in images, text in scanned documents, and typed and handwritten text in supported languages.

Note: For a locked note, the search results show only its title.

1. Open the Notes app on your iPad.
2. Tap the Search button, then enter what you’re looking for. You can also choose a suggested search, such as “Notes with Drawings” and then enter additional text to refine your search.

   If a note is locked, only its title appears in the search results. The search includes handwritten text (in supported languages), photos, and scanned documents.

Search within a note or attachment for typed and handwritten text

1. Open the Notes app on your iPad.
2. Open the note you want to search.
3. Tap the Note Actions button and then tap Find in Note.
4. Tap the Search button and select any of the options. To search PDFs and other attachments, select Include Attachments.
5. Enter the text you’re looking for in the search field.

See also

• Organize your notes with Smart Folders on iPad

Use the Notes app to jot down quick thoughts or organize detailed information with checklists, images, web links, scanned documents, handwritten notes, and sketches. You can even organize your note with sections and headings.

The first line of a note becomes its title, and you can add formatting, checklists, tables, and divider lines. Sections can collapse and expand, so it’s easy to manage and outline long notes.

Here’s how to create and format notes on iPad.

Create a new note

1. Open the Notes app on your iPad.
2. Tap the New Note button, then enter your text.

   The first line of the note becomes the note’s title.

Add formatting, checklists, tables, and divider lines

1. Open the Notes app on your iPad.
2. When writing a note, do any of the following:
   • Format text: Tap the Format button and choose a style such as Heading, bold or italic font, highlight, and more.
   • Make a checklist: Tap the Checklist button.
   • Add a table: Tap the Add Table button.
   • Add a divider line: Tap to place the insertion point and tap the Expand button. Then choose Insert Divider Line.

Organize a note with sections and headings

Collapsing and expanding sections keeps long notes easy to manage and outline.

1. Open the Notes app on your iPad.
2. In a note, select the text for the heading.
3. Tap the Format button and then tap Heading or Subheading.
4. Add content to the section and then do any of the following:
   • Collapse a section: Tap the Collapse button.
   • Expand a section: Tap the Expand button.

Use Writing Tools in Notes

With Apple Intelligence, you can use Writing Tools to summarize selected text with a tap, proofread your work, and create different versions of the same text to help you find the right wording and tone. See Use Writing Tools to write, improve, and summarize content.

Note: Apple Intelligence on iPadOS 27 or later is available on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPad models with M1 or later. Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.*

*Apple Intelligence is available with Siri and device language set to Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions. Siri AI is available in beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 and requires an Apple Intelligence–enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions.

See also

• Add photos, video, and more to notes on iPad
• Use Quick Notes on iPad
• Use keyboard shortcuts in Notes on iPad

You can use Quick Notes to jot down information over any app or screen on iPad. Add links, images, tags, and mentions to a Quick Note so you can get to important names, numbers, and ideas easily.

When you highlight text in Safari or add a link from an app, you see a Quick Note thumbnail the next time you visit the site, and it takes you right back to what you were viewing. You can access all your Quick Notes in the Notes app, and a Quick Note you make on iPad shows up on your iPhone and Mac, too. You can even make one with Apple Pencil or a keyboard shortcut.

Take a Quick Note

Do any of the following to make a Quick Note:

• From any app or screen: Add the Quick Note button to Control Center, tap the Quick Note button. Tap the Done button when you’re done.
• From supported apps: Tap the Share button, tap More, then tap Add to Quick Note. Tap the Done button when you’re done.
• If your iPad is connected to an Apple external keyboard, use the Globe-Q keyboard shortcut to open Quick Notes. If Quick Notes is already open, you can use Command-N to create a new note.

Take Quick Notes with the corner gesture

Swipe up from the bottom right corner of the display using Apple Pencil.

Quick tip: This gesture works with your finger, too. Go to Settings > Multitasking & Gestures and turn on Swipe Finger from Corner.

Go to Settings > Apps > Notes, tap Corner Gestures, then do any of the following:

• Turn on Allow Finger to Swipe from Corner.
• Tap Left Corner Swipe or Right Corner Swipe, then choose an action.

View and organize Quick Notes

1. Start the Notes app on your iPad.
2. Tap Quick Notes in the folders list.

   You may need to tap the Toggle Sidebar button to show the folders list.

Note: You can’t lock a Quick Note until you move it to a different folder.

Move an individual Quick Note to a different folder, and it turns into a standard note that no longer appears as a Quick Note in other apps.

See also

• Search through your notes on iPad
• Use keyboard shortcuts in Notes on iPad