iOS 15: Here’s everything new with the Notes app

At the beginning of June, Apple previewed iOS 15 during its WWDC21 keynote. Although most of the company’s focus was on FaceTime and iMessage, the Notes app is receiving a handful of new features with the upcoming operating system. Here’s our roundup of everything new with it.

The Notes app is one of the most useful apps for users on a daily basis. With the ability to create different folders, sharing notes with others, and syncing them between devices on iCloud, the app is becoming even better with iOS 15.

For example, with the upcoming operating system, users will be able to use Tags, which is a fast a flexible way to categorize and organize notes. You just have to add one or more tags by typing them directly in the note, like #activities, #cooking, or #work.

With iOS 15, most of the new features focus on the ability to tag notes and work together with friends and colleagues. Here are they:

• Tag Browser: It lets you tap any tag or combination of tags to quickly view tagged notes;
• Custom Smart Folders: It automatically collects notes in one place based on tags;
• Activity View: See what others have added to your shared note while you were away. The new Activity View gives a summary of updates since the last time you viewed the note and a day-to-day list of activity from each collaborator;
• Highlights: Swipe right anywhere in your note to reveal details of who made changes in a shared note. View edit times and dates with highlighted text color-coded to match collaborators in the note;
• Mentions: Mentions make collaboration in shared notes or folders more social, direct, and contextual. Type an @ sign and the name of a collaborator anywhere in the text to notify them of important updates and link them back to the note;
• Quick Note: it’s possible to find and edit the Quick Note you created on Mac and iPad with iOS 15;

If you want to learn how to create a Quick Note on iPadOS 15, even if you don’t have an Apple Pencil, click here.

Although it’s not a feature exclusive to the app, with iOS 15, Apple is bringing back the magnifying glass for accurate text selection. Now, when a user starts to move the text cursor, a bubble appears above their finger magnifying what is shown below. This makes it easy to see where the text cursor is being placed, and where text will be inserted.

What do you think about these updates on the app? Also, check our iOS 15 coverage:

• Opinion: Focus is the most important feature in iOS 15; here’s how I’m using it
• Hands-on: How to set up the new notification summary feature in iOS 15
• Some iOS 15 features require an iPhone XS or newer, here they are
• iOS 15: Apple reveals new game controller UI with powerful SDK
• How iOS 15 will make your iPhone even more useful with SharePlay, Find My upgrades, and more
• Hands-on: Here’s a first look at how FaceTime works in a web browser
• Hands-on: iOS 15 brings an all-new Weather app with maps, animations, and more
• Hands-on: Here’s how iPhone’s Live Text OCR works in iOS 15
• iOS 15 tidbits: AirPrint overhaul, live locations in Find My, more
• iOS 15: Here’s everything new in FaceTime

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