One of the handiest solutions came in the form of tags, which were added to iOS 15 in 2021. Tags, which are similar to the hashtags used on social media sites such as Instagram or Facebook, can be added anywhere on a note, including the title. You can add them at any time, even retroactively. In the Apple Notes app, you can use tags as a fast and flexible way to categorize and organize your notes. You can add one or more tags to a note, such as #shopping and #work, and easily search and filter your notes across folders using the Tag Browser or Smart Folders.
Add a tag to a note
In iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and later, you can add a tag anywhere in a note, including the title. To add a tag to a note, type # followed by the tag name or choose a tag from the suggestions menu above the keyboard. The text will change colour to show a tag has been added.
Tag names need to be one continuous word, but you can use hyphens, numbers, and underscores to make tag names longer — for example, #gardening-supplies. You can add multiple tags to a note, and any tag you create is automatically added to the Tags browser under your list of Folders.
To add a tag to multiple notes:
- Go to the folder with the list of notes.
- Tap the More button, then tap Select Notes.
- Select the notes, then tap Tags at the bottom of the screen.
- Select the tags you want to add to the notes, then tap Done.
If you create a tag on a device with iOS 15 or iPadOS 15, it shows up in Notes on your other Apple devices if they’re using at least the latest version of iOS 14, iPadOS 14, or macOS Big Sur. If your other devices are using an older software version, the note with the tag will be hidden.
When you share a tagged note with someone who’s using at least the latest version of iOS 14, iPadOS 14, or macOS Big Sur, they see the tagged word but it doesn’t appear as an actual tag until they add it as a tag. If you try to share a tagged note with someone who’s using an older software version, they don’t see the note at all.
You can’t lock a note that has a tag and you can’t add a tag to a locked note.
View your notes with tags
When you create a tag, you can find it in the note itself and in the Tags browser, which is below your list of Folders.
To see a list of notes with a specific tag or multiple tags:
- Go to the Tags browser.
- Tap a tag or All Tags. If you tap one tag, you see a list of notes with that specific tag. If you tap All Tags, you see a list of all your notes that have tags.
If you want to filter your notes even more, for example to find notes that have two specific tags:
- Go to the Tags browser.
- Tap a tag, then select another tag. All of your notes with those two tags should appear.
Delete or rename tags from your notes
With iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, you can rename your tags or delete them when you’re done using them. To rename or delete a tag:
- Go to the Tags browser at the bottom of the Folders list view.
- Touch and hold the tag you want to edit.
- In the pop-up menu, tap Delete Tag or Rename Tag.
- Tap Delete to confirm, or type a new name and tap Rename to confirm.
