Create and edit notes on Mac
You can write notes and edit notes. You can also create copies of notes, or copy and paste text from a note.
Note: All Notes features described in this guide are available when using iCloud notes. Some features aren’t available when using accounts from other providers.
Create a new note
Siri: Say something like: “Create a note.” Learn how to use Siri.
Go to the Notes app
on your Mac.In the sidebar, click the folder where you want to put the note.
Note: If you don’t see the sidebar, choose View > Show Folders.
Click
in the toolbar (or use the Touch Bar).Type your note.
You can use typing suggestions, if available.
The first line of the note becomes the note’s title. You can change how the first line is formatted in Notes settings.
Your note saves automatically as you work.
Tip: You can choose dictionaries for specific languages, see suggested spellings for words, or add frequently used words or terms to a dictionary. See Get typing suggestions and correct mistakes. You can also translate text in a note.
Edit a note
Go to the Notes app
on your Mac.Open the note you want to edit or search your notes to find it quickly.
Make your changes.
Changes save automatically as you work.
Tip: When you type specific data (such as dates, times, locations, or phone numbers), you can easily add that information to another app. For example, Control-click a time, then choose Create Event to create a calendar event or Create Reminder to create a reminder. See Detect dates, contacts, and more in documents.
Create a copy of a note
Go to the Notes app
on your Mac.Select the note from the list, then choose File > Duplicate Note (or Command-D).
Note: If you duplicate a shared note, the copy isn’t shared. You can’t create a copy of a locked note.
Copy and paste text
Go to the Notes app
on your Mac.Open a note, or click
to create a new note.To copy and paste text, do any of the following:
Copy a selection of text in a note: Select the text you want to copy, then choose Edit > Copy (or Command-C).
Copy all the text in a note: Click anywhere in the note text, choose Edit > Select All (or Command-A), then choose Edit > Copy (or Command-C).
Paste text: Choose Edit > Paste (or Command-V).
While some formatting is retained when you paste, the original font and color may not be retained.
Paste text using the surrounding style: Choose Edit > Paste and Match Style.
The style information is ignored from the clipboard and the text is pasted with the surrounding styles applied.
Paste text using the original style: Choose Edit > Paste and Retain Style.
The style information stays with the copied text and the text is pasted with the original style applied.
You can also use Universal Clipboard to copy text, images, photos, and video on one Apple device, then paste the content on another Apple device.
Use Writing Tools in Notes
If you have a Mac with M1 or later, you can use Writing Tools to summarize selected text with a click, proofread your work, and create different versions of the same text to help you find the right wording and tone. See Use Writing Tools with Apple Intelligence.