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Getting More Out of the Notes App on iPhone

The Notes app that comes built into every iPhone already handles far more than plain text β€” here's how to get more out of it.

  1. Create a new note

    Open the built-in Notes app and tap the icon in the bottom corner to start a new note.

  2. Organize notes into folders

    Create folders like "Work" and "Personal" to keep notes sorted by topic.

  3. Scan a document with the camera

    Inside a note, tap the camera icon and choose "Scan Documents" to save a physical paper as a clean, PDF-like scan.

  4. Lock a sensitive note

    From the note's menu, choose the option to lock it, which protects that specific note with a passcode or Face ID.

  5. Why it's worth using

    Without installing any extra app, the built-in Notes app already covers document scanning, handwriting, and checklists, all in one convenient place.

One app instead of several single-purpose ones

Rather than installing a separate scanner app, a separate checklist app, and a separate notes app, the built-in Notes app already covers a surprising range of that ground, which means fewer apps to manage and fewer places your information ends up scattered across.

Locking individual notes instead of an entire app

Rather than protecting an entire app behind one password, being able to lock just a specific sensitive note β€” like one holding an ID number or a private list β€” means everything else stays quickly accessible while that one note stays protected.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do locked notes sync securely across my other Apple devices?

Yes, a locked note stays protected on other signed-in devices as well, generally requiring the same passcode or Face ID to open there too.

Can I convert a scanned document to text I can edit or search?

The scan itself is saved as an image within the note, though text within it may be searchable depending on your device and settings; for fully editable text, a dedicated OCR tool may work better.