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Write notes on iPhone

Use the Notes app to jot down quick thoughts or organize detailed information with checklists, images, web links, scanned documents, handwritten notes, and sketches.

A note showing text for kitchen remodeling ideas and a to-do checklist. There are buttons to collaborate with other people on the note and to share the note. There are buttons at the bottom to delete the note, add a checklist, add a photo, show handwriting tools, and create a new note.

Create and format a new note

Ask Siri. Say something like: “Create a new note.” Learn how to ask Siri.

Or do the following:

Tap , then enter your text.
The first line of the note becomes the note’s title.
To change the formatting, tap .
You can apply a heading style, bold or italic font, a bulleted or numbered list, and more.
To save the note, tap Done.

Tip: To choose a default style for the first line in all new notes, go to Settings > Notes > New Notes Start With.

Add a checklist

In a note, tap , then do any of the following:

Add items to the list: Enter text, then tap return to enter the next item.
Increase or decrease the indentation: Swipe right or left on the item.
Mark an item as complete: Tap the empty circle next to the item to add a checkmark.
Reorder an item: Touch and hold the empty circle or checkmark next to the item, then drag the item to a new position in the list.
Manage items in the list: Tap the list to see the menu, tap , tap Checklist, then tap Check All, Uncheck All, Delete Checked, or Move Checked to Bottom.

To automatically sort checked items to the bottom in all your notes, go to Settings > Notes > Sort Checked Items, then tap Automatically.

Add or edit a table

In a note, tap , then do any of the following:

Enter text: Tap a cell, then enter your text. To start another line of text in the cell, touch and hold the Shift key and tap next.
Move to the next cell: Tap next. When you reach the last cell, tap next to start a new row.
Format a row or column: Tap a row or column selection handle, then choose a style, such as bold, italic, underline, or strikethrough.
Add or delete a row or column: Tap a row or column selection handle, then choose to add or delete.
Move a row or column: Touch and hold a row or column selection handle, then drag it to a new position.
See more columns: If the table becomes wider than your screen, swipe right or left on the table to see all the columns.

To remove the table and convert its contents to text, tap a cell in the table, tap , then tap Convert to Text.