If you can't collaborate in the Notes app

Learn where to find the collaborate option in a note in the Notes app on your iPhone or iPad, and what to check if you can't collaborate.

Check your device settings

1. Make sure that you and the person that you want to share or collaborate with both have an iPhone or iPad updated to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS.

2. Sign in to your Apple Account on your device.

3. Open the Settings app, tap your name, then tap iCloud. Under Saved to iCloud, tap Notes. Check that you turned on "Sync this [device]".

Find the collaborate option in iOS 27 or iPadOS 27 or later

1. Open the Notes app on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Go to the All iCloud folder and find your note.

3. Open the note, then tap the Share button at the top of the screen. If the note is locked, remove the lock first.

4. Under the note title, you can choose Share a Link or Send a Copy.

   

5. To change the permissions for the note, in iOS 27 or iPadOS 27 or later, tap "People you choose can edit." You can choose to share the note with anyone with the link, turn on Access Requests, and give participants Edit access or View and Download Only access.

   

6. Choose how to send your invitation. The first participant joins automatically. Additional participants must request access or be added: Tap the Collaborate button, tap Manage Shared Note, then tap Add Participant.

Find the collaborate option in iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 or earlier

1. Open the Notes app on your iPhone or iPad with iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 or later.

2. Go to the All iCloud folder and find your note.

3. Open the note, then tap the Share button at the top of the screen. If the note is locked, remove the lock first.

4. Under the note title, you can choose Collaborate or Send Copy. Choose Collaborate.

   

5. To change the permissions for the note, tap "Only invited people can edit" or "Only participants can make changes." Then choose who can access, permissions, and whether to allow others to invite.

   

6. To send your invitation, choose Messages or Mail.

If you still can't collaborate in the Notes app

• If you've requested access to a note in iOS or iPadOS 27 or later, your request may be pending. The owner of the note can tap the Collaborate button to view and manage requests.

• If the note is locked, unlock the note. You can’t collaborate on a locked note or on a folder with locked notes.

• In iOS or iPadOS 26 or earlier, you can only collaborate on notes with someone who also has an Apple device signed in to their Apple Account. If you can't collaborate, you can still send a copy of the note as an email or a message.

• Up to 100 people can collaborate on a note in the Notes app. Make sure that you haven't exceeded the collaboration limit.