Add or remove accounts in Notes on Mac
If you keep notes in internet accounts—for example, iCloud, Google, Yahoo, or AOL—you can add those accounts to Notes on your Mac. If you have a Managed Apple Account from your school or business, you may also be able to use it to store your notes.
If you don’t keep notes in an internet account, you can still store notes only on your Mac.
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.
Add an account
For information about using your iCloud account with Notes, see Set up iCloud for Notes on all your devices. To add other types of accounts, follow these steps.
Go to the Notes app on your Mac.
Choose Notes > Accounts, then click Add Account.
Select your account type.
If you don’t see your account type, click Add Other Account, then select the account.
Follow the onscreen instructions to enter your account information and sign in.
If you sign in through Safari, you may need to return to the settings window to continue. Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then scroll down and click Internet Accounts in the sidebar.
Make sure the Notes checkbox is selected for the account, then click Done.
Each account you add is listed separately.
Be sure to set up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch to use the same notes accounts, so that your notes stay up to date across all your Apple devices. See the “Set up and get started” section of the user guide for iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. For a device that doesn’t use the latest iOS or iPadOS version, get the user guide from the Apple Documentation website.
Add the On My Mac account
If you do not use iCloud notes or notes from internet accounts, you can still create notes and use many updated features by enabling the On My Mac account.
Note: Notes in the On My Mac account are stored locally on your computer and cannot be accessed on your other Apple devices or iCloud.com.
Go to the Notes app on your Mac.
Choose Notes > Settings.
In the Notes Settings window, select the checkbox next to Enable the On My Mac account.
Close the pop-up window.
You should now see the On My Mac account in the Notes sidebar.
Temporarily stop using an account
Go to the Notes app on your Mac.
Choose Notes > Accounts.
Select the account, then turn off Notes.
The account’s notes aren’t available while Notes is turned off.
To view notes from the account again, turn on Notes.
Remove an account
Go to the Notes app on your Mac.
Choose Notes > Accounts.
Select the account, then click Delete Account.
When you remove an account, the account’s notes are deleted and no longer available on that Mac. Copies of the notes remain in your internet account (for example, iCloud.com or Yahoo) and any other devices you had already set up.
Tip: If you use Handoff, you can switch between your Mac and other devices while creating, modifying, or viewing notes. To open a note handed off to your Mac, click the Handoff Notes icon that appears in the Dock.