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The Complete Guide to Every iOS 27 Feature

How to use Quick Notes on iPad

by Tyler Stephen

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.

A Quick Note in a window overlay over a map of Iceland. The note has text and an option to link to the map.

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

Tag: Notes
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How to use keyboard shortcuts in Notes on iPad

by Tyler Stephen

If your iPad is connected to an iPad keyboard, you can use keyboard shortcuts to quickly perform actions in the Notes app. You can learn keyboard shortcuts right on your iPad. It’s one of the ways you can use shortcuts on an Apple external keyboard with iPad.

Examples of keyboard shortcuts

  • Start a new note: Press Command-N.
  • Add a checklist: Press Shift-Command-L.
  • Create a bulleted list: Press Shift-Command-7.
  • Add a link: Press Command-K.
  • Add a divider line: Press Command-L.
  • Hide the sidebar: Press Control-Command-S.

Learn keyboard shortcuts

Press and hold the Globe key or Command (⌘) key until the shortcuts appear.

See also

Tags: Keyboard, Notes
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How to get started with Notes on iPad

by Kevin Hollington

Use the Notes app to quickly capture your thoughts. You can add images and sketches, solve equations, make checklists, or even scan documents. With iCloud, your notes stay up to date on all your devices wherever you go.

Quick Notes let you jot down information from any app or screen, and you can record audio and take photos in a note, too. You can draw or write with Apple Pencil or your finger, and the people you share a note with can view or make changes to it.

A note for a class brainstorm with tags such as #school and #kine210. The note features a hand-drawn diagram of a box breathing exercise, which illustrates a four-step breathing cycle.

Jot it down

Tap the New Note button, then enter your text.

A Quick Note in a window overlay over a map of Mount Rainier National Park. The note has a link to the map, a photo, and text.

Make quick notes anywhere

Use Quick Notes to jot down information from any app or screen. Tap the Share button, then tap Add to Quick Note, or simply swipe up from the bottom right corner of the display using Apple Pencil. Add images, handwriting, links, and more.

A screen showing a document being scanned. The Take Picture button is at the bottom center.

Add almost anything

You can scan documents, record audio, take photos, and more. Tap the Attachments button, then choose an option.

A note showing a drawing and Markup tools along the bottom of the screen.

Sketch your thoughts

Tap the Handwriting Tools button, then draw or write with Apple Pencil or your finger. You can choose from a variety of Markup tools and colors and draw straight lines with the ruler.

A note with an overlay showing sharing options.

Invite others to collaborate

Tap the Share button, then choose a sharing option. The people you share with can view or make changes to a note.

Notes has a lot more to offer, and these guides walk you through it:

Per Apple, the availability of Notes features may vary depending on your language and country or region.

Tag: Notes
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How to share notes and collaborate on iPad

by Kevin Hollington

In the Notes app, you can send a copy of a note to a friend. You can also share a link to invite people to collaborate in real time on a note or on a folder of notes in iCloud, and everyone will see the latest changes.

You can set who can access what you share, but you can’t collaborate on a locked note. You can also view activity in a shared note.

A note with an overlay showing sharing options.

Share a copy of a note

  1. Open the Notes app on your iPad.
  2. Open the note you want to share.
  3. Tap the Share button, tap the menu under the note title, and tap Send Copy.
  4. Choose how to send your note.

Collaborate on a note or folder of notes using iCloud

Sharing a link in iCloud to a note or a folder of notes is how you collaborate with others. You decide who can access what you share and set editing permissions, and all participants see changes in real time. Participants also need to be signed in to their Apple Account and have Notes turned on in iCloud settings.

Note: Collaborating isn’t possible on a locked note or a folder with locked notes.

  1. Open the Notes app on your iPad.
  2. Do one of the following:

    • Collaborate on a note: Open the note you want to share, tap the Share button, tap the menu under the note title, and then tap Share a Link.
    • Collaborate on a folder: Open the folder you want to share. Then tap the Share button.
  3. To change the access and permissions, tap Only invited people can edit and then set any of the following:

    • Who can access: Choose People you choose or Anyone with the link. With People you choose, you can turn on Access Requests.

      Note: Requesting access to a note sends an email to the address associated with the owner’s Apple Account.

    • Permissions: Choose Edit or View and Download Only.

Quick tip: When you send the invitation in Messages, you get activity updates in the Messages conversation whenever someone makes changes in the shared note. Tap the updates, and you’ll go to the shared note.

View activity in a note

An orange dot to the left of a note title in the notes list means the note’s changed since you last looked at it.

  1. Open the Notes app on your iPad.
  2. Open the note and then swipe right on the note or swipe up on the Activity card to see who made changes and when.
  3. To adjust how the activity is shown, tap the Collaborate button. Choose any of the following:
    • Show Updates: Shows changes made since you last opened the note.
    • Show All Activity: Shows all activity in the note.
    • Show Highlights: Shows names, dates, and changes made by each participant.

Quick tip: Type an @ sign followed by a participant’s name to mention them and notify them of important updates.

View activity in a folder

  1. Open the Notes app on your iPad.
  2. Touch and hold the folder. Then tap Show Folder Activity.

Change sharing settings

  1. Open the Notes app on your iPad.
  2. The owner of a shared note or folder can change the sharing settings by doing one of the following:

    • Manage a shared note: Tap the Collaborate button, then tap Manage Shared Note.
    • Manage a shared folder: Tap the Folder Actions button. Then tap Manage Shared Folder.
  3. Do any of the following:

    • Remove participants or cancel invitations: Tap the participant you want to remove, then tap Remove Participant or Cancel Invitation.
    • Change access and permission settings: To change the settings for one person, tap their name. To change the settings for all participants, tap Sharing Options.

      Making a participant a Co-Owner allows them to manage participants and permissions for everyone except the owner.

    • Stop sharing: When you choose this option, the shared note or folder is deleted from the devices of the other participants.

See also

Tags: iCloud, Notes
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How to add text, shapes, stickers, and more with Markup on iPad

by Tyler Stephen

In supported apps, such as Notes and Photos, you can use the Markup tools to add text, shapes, stickers, and image descriptions to your images and documents.

You can move or resize a shape, and adjust its border color, border width, fill color, and opacity. You can even draw geometrically perfect shapes, like lines and arcs, and VoiceOver reads the custom image descriptions you add.

Here’s how to add text, shapes, stickers, and more with Markup on iPad.

Note: Tap the Markup button or Markup whenever the Markup toolbar isn’t showing in a supported app. If the toolbar is minimized, tap its minimized version to bring it back.

The Markup toolbar is open at the bottom of a note in the Notes app and the Add button in the bottom-right corner of the screen is selected. The following options are available in the Add menu: Add Sticker, Add Text, Add Signature, and Add Shape.

Add text

  1. In the Markup toolbar, tap the Add Annotation button, then tap Add Text.
  2. Tap the text box. Then use the keyboard to enter text.
  3. To adjust the text’s font, size, justification, style, or color, tap the text editing options at the bottom of the Markup toolbar.
  4. When you’re done, tap outside the text box.
  5. To close the Markup toolbar, tap the Show Handwriting Tools button or Done.

To cut, copy, duplicate, share, or delete a text box, tap it, tap the More button beside it, then tap an option.

Add a shape

  1. In the Markup toolbar, tap the Add button. Tap Add Shape.
  2. Tap the shape you want to add. Then do any of the following:
    • Move the shape: Drag it.
    • Resize the shape: Drag any dot along the shape’s outline.
    • Adjust the shape’s border color, border width, fill color, and opacity: Tap an option in the Markup toolbar.
    • Adjust the shape’s direction or dimension: Drag any green dot along the shape’s outline.
    • Cut, copy, duplicate, share, or delete: Tap the More button next to the shape. Then tap an option.
  3. When you’re done adjusting the shape, tap the screen.
  4. To close the Markup toolbar, tap the Show Handwriting Tools button or Done.

Quick tip: Zoom in on the document by pinching the screen open, which lets you adjust shapes up close. While zoomed in, drag two fingers to pan, then pinch closed to zoom back out.

Draw a shape

Markup can draw geometrically perfect shapes, like lines, arcs, and more, for your diagrams and sketches.

  1. In the Markup toolbar, tap a drawing tool.
  2. Draw a shape in one stroke with your finger or Apple Pencil (on supported models). Then pause.

    A perfect version of the shape snaps into place, replacing the drawing. (If you prefer to keep the freehand shape, tap the Undo button.)

Among the shapes you can draw are hearts, stars, clouds, and chat bubbles, along with squares, circles, rectangles, triangles, pentagons, straight lines, arrows, arcs, and continuous lines with 90-degree turns.

Add a sticker with Markup

Markup can also add stickers from your sticker collection to documents and images.

  1. In a supported app, tap the Markup button or Markup.
  2. In the Markup toolbar, tap the Add button and tap Add Sticker.
  3. Touch a sticker and then drag it onto your document or photo.
  4. Tap to select the sticker and then do any of the following:
    • Adjust its angle: Use two fingers to rotate it.
    • Adjust its size: Drag a blue dot on the bounding box of the sticker.

You can download sticker packs from the App Store, create Live stickers in the Messages app or by lifting subjects from your photos, or make stickers in any supported app.

Add custom image descriptions

Markup can add descriptions to images in supported apps like Photos, and VoiceOver reads those custom descriptions when you use the Image Explorer.

  1. In the Markup toolbar, tap the Add button, then tap Image Description.
  2. Enter your description, then tap the Done button.

See also

Tag: Markup
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Ways to do more with Apple Pencil on iPad

by Chris Smith

Apple Pencil unlocks a whole new iPad experience, letting you edit, draw, mark up, and annotate in the apps you use every day. You can write in any text area and have your words turn into typed text, gather ideas in Freeform, and quickly take and mark up a screenshot to give clear feedback on a team project.

A title is being added to a Keynote slide. As text is handwritten using Apple Pencil, the words turn into typed text.

Turn handwriting into typed text

You can write with Apple Pencil in any text area, and your words automatically transform to typed text. Your handwriting is converted to text directly on your iPad, so your writing stays private. Go to Settings, tap Apple Pencil, then turn on Scribble.

A Freeform board with drawings of plants and the drawing tools at the bottom.

Gather ideas in Freeform

The Freeform app provides a flexible canvas where you can see and share your ideas all in one place. You can diagram new projects, brainstorm your next big idea, or draw together with a friend over FaceTime. To create a board, tap the New Board button, then start drawing with Apple Pencil. Use tools like the watercolor brush, calligraphy pen, and highlighter to express your ideas on a board—the only limit is your imagination.

A screenshot of a Keynote document with annotated comments written using the blue marker tool.

Mark up a screenshot

Quickly take and mark up a screenshot so you can give clear feedback on a team project. To take a screenshot, swipe Apple Pencil from the bottom-left corner of iPad, then use the drawing tools to add your thoughts. Tap the Share button to share your feedback.

A Quick Note is open at the bottom right over a Keynote document.

Write a quick note

With Quick Note, you can jot down ideas and add links, no matter what you’re doing on your iPad. Swipe Apple Pencil from the bottom-right corner of iPad, tap the note, then start writing.

For more ways to put Apple Pencil to work, these guides are a good next stop:

According to Apple, the availability of features may vary depending on your language and country or region.

Tag: Apple Pencil
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How to make stickers from your photos on iPad

by Tyler Stephen

In the Photos app, you can make stickers from the subjects in your photos and animated stickers from the subjects in your Live Photos. Then use your stickers to decorate messages, photos, notes, and more.

Your stickers appear in the stickers menu, which you can open from the onscreen keyboard or the Markup tools. You can delete a sticker you no longer want, too.

Here’s how to make stickers from your photos on iPad.

Turn a photo or Live Photo into a sticker

You can turn a photo’s main subject into a sticker.

The Photos app is open to a photo of a dog. The dog is selected, and the option Add Sticker is available in the menu above.

  1. Start the Photos app on your iPad.
  2. Tap a photo to open it in full screen.
  3. Touch and hold the subject and then let go.
  4. Tap Add Sticker.

    The sticker appears in your stickers menu, which you can access when you use the iPad onscreen keyboard or Markup tools.

  5. Tap Add Effect to apply a visual effect such as Outline, or Comic, or turn the Live Photo animation on or off.

Quick tip: Stickers you’ve created can decorate a photo, too. See our guide, Edit photos and videos.

Delete a sticker

  1. Start the Photos app on your iPad.
  2. Open a photo and then tap the Edit button.
  3. Tap the Markup button, then tap the Add button.
  4. Tap Add Sticker, touch and hold the sticker you want to delete, and tap Remove.

Stickers sync with iCloud, so you’ll have them on each iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro device that’s signed in to the same Apple Account.

See also

Tags: iCloud, Photos
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How to get started with Calendar on iPad

by Dave Johnson

Use the Calendar app to track meetings, appointments, and reminders, all in one place. You can add calendar accounts from providers like iCloud, Google, or Microsoft Exchange, create events, add quick reminders alongside them, and sync your calendar across devices.

The add calendar account settings showing different calendar providers.

All your events in one place

With Calendar, you can add multiple calendar accounts from providers like iCloud, Google, or Microsoft Exchange. To add an account, go to Settings > Apps > Calendar. Tap Calendar Accounts, then choose Add Account.

A calendar in Week view showing the create event window.

Create events

Create events to keep track of everything—from work meetings to family fun. Tap the Add button at the top of the screen, enter your details, then tap the Done button.

A calendar in Week view showing the create reminder window.

Add a quick reminder

Stay organized by adding reminders alongside your events. Tap the Add button at the top of the screen, then tap Reminder and enter a title. Tap Date to choose a date for the reminder, then tap the Done button.

A calendar on iPad in Week view and the same calendar on iPhone in Day view.

Sync your calendar across devices

You can use iCloud to keep your calendar information up to date on all your devices where you’re signed in to the same Apple Account. Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud. Tap See All next to Saved to iCloud, then turn on Calendar.

These guides cover more of what Calendar can do:

Tag: Calendar
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How to use Shortcuts to automate tasks on iPad

by Emily Long

The Shortcuts app lets you automate tasks you do often with just a tap or by asking Siri. You can create shortcuts to get directions to the next event in your Calendar, move text from one app to another, and more.

There are ready-made shortcuts in the Gallery. Or you can build your own with different apps, and it’ll run multiple steps in a task for you.

Tag: Shortcuts
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How to use Vocal Shortcuts on iPad

by Abigail Shilets

With Vocal Shortcuts, you can teach iPad to perform an action when you speak a word or another sound of your choosing. Vocal Shortcuts can be useful if you have moderate to severe atypical speech but can reliably vocalize certain utterances. Audio is processed on device.

An action can even be a request to Siri. While Vocal Shortcuts is listening, the Microphone In Use icon appears in the status bar.

Set up Vocal Shortcuts

  1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, and then tap Vocal Shortcuts.
  2. Tap Set Up, then tap Continue.
  3. Choose an action for iPad to perform when you say the shortcut. If you want the action to be a request to Siri, tap Siri Request. Enter the request.
  4. Enter the phrase you’ll say when you want iPad to perform the action and then follow the onscreen instructions to repeat the phrase out loud so that iPad can recognize it.

After you set up Vocal Shortcuts, the Microphone In Use icon is shown in the status bar to indicate that Vocal Shortcuts is using the iPad microphone to listen for shortcuts. When you don’t want Vocal Shortcuts to use the microphone, go to Settings > Accessibility > Vocal Shortcuts, then turn off Vocal Shortcuts.

Add a Vocal Shortcut

  1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, and then tap Vocal Shortcuts.
  2. Tap Add Action, then tap Continue.
  3. Choose an action for iPad to perform when you say the shortcut. If you want the action to be a request to Siri, tap Siri Request. Enter the request.
  4. Enter the phrase you’ll say when you want iPad to perform the action and then follow the onscreen instructions to repeat the phrase out loud so that iPad can recognize it.

Use a Vocal Shortcut

With Vocal Shortcuts set up, just say the phrase for one of the shortcuts you’ve created.

Delete a Vocal Shortcut

  1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, and then tap Vocal Shortcuts.
  2. Tap Edit, tap the Remove button next to the shortcut you want to delete, and tap Delete.

Quick tip: If you have an acquired or progressive condition that affects speech, you can have Siri listen for and recognize a wider range of atypical speech patterns. See Change Siri accessibility settings.

See also

Tags: accessibility, Shortcuts
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