HOW TO Use the latest features in Notes

1 Lock a note on Mac

Go to Notes > Settings and, in the Locked Notes section, choose options for locking notes. The default is to use your login password. Select the note you want to lock, click the padlock in the toolbar and choose Lock Note.

2 Search for a note

Tap or click in the search field. To look for notes in one of the Suggested groups, tap or click on the search term. Otherwise, type a term in the search field. You can use natural language like ‘notes created last week’.

3 Create a Smart Folder

In the Mac version of Notes, click New Folder at the bottom of the sidebar; in iOS or iPadOS, tap the new folder icon, then On My Phone or iCloud. Type a name for the folder, and tap Make Into Smart folder.

4 Define the Smart Folder

After naming the folder, click or tap ‘all’ to choose whether all or any conditions need to be met. Tap a filter, choose the options for that filter, and then choose the parameters, like Tags > Any Selected Tag > [tag names].

5 Convert a folder

On Mac, select a folder then click the ‘…’ button next to it. On iOS, go to the Folder view and tap Edit, then tap More. Choose ‘Convert to Smart Folder’, read the advice and, if you want to proceed, choose Convert.

6 Use Quick Notes on iOS

From any app on iPhone, tap the Share menu and choose ‘Add to New Quick Note’. A Quick Note will open with a link to the document in the app. Add your own text, images or links to the note, then tap Save to save the Quick Note.

7 Collaborate with a link

Select the note that you want to collaborate on and click or tap the Share icon. Choose Collaborate then tap or click ‘Only invited people can edit’ and choose your options. Click Invite with Link, type a name, then choose Copy Link.

Manage shared notes

Select a shared note and click the head and shoulders icon. To see what has changed since you last worked on it, choose Show All Activity or Show Highlights. To change sharing options, select Manage Shared Note.

9 Reflect on the Day

Launch the Shortcuts app and go to the Gallery. Search for Reflect. Click the ‘+’ to add it to your Shortcuts. Activate Siri and say ‘Reflect on the Day’. Answer the questions and, when you’re done, the results will be saved to Notes.