Apple Notes
by Apple Inc. · Application · also known as Notes (Apple), iCloud Notes
Apple's built-in notes app for Mac, iPhone, iPad and iCloud.com with folders, tags, attachments, handwriting, shared notes and on-device search
Overview
Apple Notes is the note-taking application bundled with macOS, iOS, iPadOS and visionOS and available in the browser at iCloud.com. It offers rich-text notes with checklists, tables, attachments, scanned documents, handwriting and sketches on iPad, tags and smart folders, locked notes, collaborative shared notes and folders, Quick Note capture, and system-wide integration such as linking to other notes, mentions and Siri. Notes sync through iCloud and can also be stored in IMAP accounts. For Apple users it is a free, low-friction capture tool with reliable search and OCR of images. It has no plugin system or public API beyond AppleScript and Shortcuts, exports are limited (PDF or copy-paste; no Markdown), it is unavailable on Windows and Android except through the iCloud website, and it lacks backlinks and the structural features of dedicated knowledge-management tools.
Capabilities
- Rich text, checklists, tables and attachments
- Handwriting and sketching on iPad with Apple Pencil
- Tags, smart folders and locked notes
- Shared notes and folders with collaborators
- Document scanning and image text search
- iCloud sync and web access
Typical workflows
- Capture quick ideas across devices and refine them later
- Scan receipts and documents into searchable notes
Strengths
- Free and preinstalled on Apple devices
- Tight system integration and reliable sync
Limitations
- No Markdown export or public API
- Apple-platform centric; web access only elsewhere
- No backlinks, plugins or databases
Prerequisites
- Apple device or iCloud account
Who it is for
- Apple users wanting a simple notes app
- Teams sharing quick checklists
Alternatives & comparison
Bear and Craft are paid Apple-native editors with Markdown and richer organisation; Obsidian stores open Markdown files with links and plugins; Notion adds databases and collaboration in the cloud.
- Bear
Markdown note-taking app for Mac, iPhone and iPad from Shiny Frog with nested tags, note links and iCloud sync, free with a Pro subscription
ProprietaryFreemium - Craft
Block-based document and notes app with native Apple, Windows and web clients, structured pages, collections and shareable published documents
ProprietaryFreemium - Notion
Hosted workspace combining block-based documents, relational databases, wikis and project views, with an API and built-in AI features
ProprietaryFreemium - Obsidian
Local-first Markdown note-taking app with bidirectional links, graph view and a large community plugin ecosystem; optional paid Sync and Publish
ProprietaryFree - Things
Personal task manager for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro from Cultured Code, sold as one-time purchases with free Things Cloud sync
ProprietaryPaid
Sources & verification
Primary sources consulted for this record. Claims are tied to the fields each source supports; the automated link checker re-verifies every URL on a schedule.
- Official documentationNotes on the App Storechecked Nov 1, 2026
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notes/id1110145109
Supports: operating_systems, pricing_model
- Official documentationchecked Nov 1, 2026
- Official siteNotes User Guide for Macchecked Nov 1, 2026
https://support.apple.com/guide/notes/welcome/mac
Supports: name, summary, capabilities
- Confidence
- High
- Reviewed
- Nov 1, 2026
- Links
- Verified · Nov 2, 2026
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