Notes: Lists, Ideas & Shared Grocery Lists

Opening the Notes App

Everything starts here. Notes comes free on every iPhone, so there is nothing to buy or download.

Look on your Home Screen for a small square that looks like a yellow-topped notepad with white lines. The word Notes sits under it. Tap it once to open.

• Swipe left across your Home Screens until you reach the App Library at the far right.
• Or swipe down from the middle of the Home Screen and type Notes in the search bar at the top.
• Tap the Notes result and it opens right up.

Making Your First Note

A note can be anything -- a phone number, a shopping list, a doctor's instructions, or a thought you want to keep.

Your note is now saved in your list. Tap it to open it again, and tap right where you want to add or change words.

• Open Notes and look for the icon of a square with a pencil in the bottom-right corner.
• Tap it once. A fresh, empty note opens with the keyboard ready.
• Type your first line. That first line becomes the note's title automatically.
• When you are done, tap Done in the top-right corner.

Making a Checklist

A checklist turns a plain note into a to-do list with little circles you can tap to check off. It is perfect for errands, packing, and daily tasks.

Tap the empty circle next to any item. It fills in to show that task is done. Tap it again if you change your mind.

• Start a new note, or open one you already have.
• Tap the circle-with-a-checkmark button above the keyboard.
• Type your first item, then press return to start the next line.
• Each line gets its own empty circle.

A Tap-to-Check Grocery List

This is the note I set up most often. Build it once, and reuse it every week.

When you get home, tap each filled circle again to un-check it, and the list is ready for your next trip. Add or remove items anytime.

• Make a new note titled Groceries.
• Tap the checklist button and type each item on its own line: milk, bread, eggs, and so on.
• At the store, tap each circle as you drop the item in your cart.

Sharing a Note With Family

Here is the magic trick. You can share one note with your spouse, a child, or a caregiver so both of you see the very same list -- on both phones, at the same time.

They receive a link. When they tap it, the note opens on their phone and links to yours. Now you are both looking at the same living note.

• Open the note you want to share.
• Tap the share button -- a square with an arrow pointing up -- at the top.
• Choose Collaborate (sometimes shown as Share Note or Add People).
• Pick how to invite them: Messages is easiest. Tap the person's name and send.

Working Together on a List

Once a note is shared, both people can add, check off, and change items. Changes appear on both phones within seconds.

Tap the group icon at the top of a shared note to see everyone who has access, and to add or remove people whenever you like.

• Either person can type a new item -- it simply appears for the other.
• Either person can tap a circle to check something off.
• Small colored dots or names may show who added what. That is normal.

Organizing With Folders

As your notes grow, folders keep them tidy -- like labeled drawers in a filing cabinet.

Open a note, tap the three-dots button at the top, choose Move Note, and pick the folder. Or swipe a note left in the list and tap the folder icon.

• From your main list of notes, tap the back arrow at the top-left until you see the word Folders.
• Tap the new folder icon at the bottom-left.
• Name it something clear, like Recipes, Medical, or Travel, then tap Save.

Pinning an Important Note

Pinning keeps a note stuck to the very top of your list so you never have to scroll to find it.

Your grocery list, a list of medications, emergency phone numbers, or the Wi-Fi password are all worth pinning to the top.

• In your list of notes, find the note you want to keep handy.
• Slide it gently to the right with your finger.
• Tap the orange pin icon that appears.

Adding a Photo to a Note

A picture inside a note is handy for saving a label, a warranty, a business card, or a photo you want to keep with your text.

Tap the photo inside the note to view it full-screen. Tap Done to return to your writing.

• Open or start a note and tap where you want the photo to go.
• Tap the camera icon above the keyboard.
• Choose Take Photo to snap a new one, or Choose Photo to pick one you already have.
• The picture drops right into your note.

Scanning a Paper Document

Your iPhone can turn a paper page into a clean, crisp scan -- no scanner machine needed. It is wonderful for receipts, forms, and letters.

A scan straightens the page, sharpens the text, and removes shadows, so it looks like a real copy you could print or email.

• Open a note and tap the camera icon above the keyboard.
• Choose Scan Documents.
• Hold the phone flat over the page. It usually snaps the picture on its own once the page is in view.
• Drag the corner dots to line up the edges, then tap Keep Scan, and finally Save.

Locking a Private Note

Some notes are nobody else's business. You can lock a note so it can only be opened with your Face ID, your fingerprint, or a password.

A locked note shows a padlock in your list. Tap it, then look at the phone or use your fingerprint to unlock. Tap the open padlock at the top to lock it away again.

• Open the note you want to protect.
• Tap the three-dots button at the top-right.
• Choose Lock (it may show a small padlock).
• The first time, you set it to use Face ID, Touch ID, or your phone passcode. Follow the prompts.

Quick Notes From the Lock Screen

When a thought strikes and you do not want to fuss with unlocking the phone, you can jot it down straight from the screen you see when the phone is asleep -- if your phone supports it.

Not every phone or setting offers Lock Screen notes. If it is not there, no worry -- simply unlock and tap Notes as usual. The result is the same.

• Wake the phone but do not unlock it -- you are on the Lock Screen.
• If your phone offers it, tap and hold the screen to reach the quick tools, or use the Control Center Notes button if you have added one.
• Write your quick note, then let go. It saves into your Notes app.

Drawing and Handwriting

You can write or sketch with your finger right inside a note. It is handy for a quick map, a signature, or a diagram.

You can type text and add a drawing in the same note. The drawing sits as its own block that you can tap to edit again later.

• Open a note and tap the pen-tip or markup icon above the keyboard.
• A row of pens and colors appears at the bottom.
• Draw with your finger. Tap a different pen or color to change the look.
• Tap the eraser to fix a stray line, then tap Done.

Notes for Things You Keep Forgetting

A locked note is a fine spot for the little codes and logins you can never remember -- the Wi-Fi password, a garage door code, or a streaming service login.

• Make a new note titled something plain, like Household Codes.
• Type each item on its own line: Wi-Fi name and password, garage code, and so on.
• Lock the note (see page 14) so it opens only with your face or fingerprint.

Titles and Easier-to-Read Text

A few simple touches make a long note far easier to read -- bold headings, bigger text, and neat spacing.

If all your notes feel too small to read, that is a phone-wide setting, not a Notes setting. I can bump up the text size across your whole phone so every app is easier on the eyes.

• Type a line, then tap the Aa button above the keyboard.
• Choose Title or Heading to make a line big and bold.
• Choose Body for normal text.
• You can also make selected words bold or underlined from the same menu.

Fixing Mistakes

Everybody taps the wrong thing sometimes. Notes makes it easy to undo a slip or bring back something you deleted.

Deleted a whole note by accident? Go to the Folders screen and open Recently Deleted. Notes stay there for a while. Open the note, tap the three-dots button, and choose Move to put it back.

• Made a mistake typing? Gently shake the phone and tap Undo, or
• Tap the curved undo arrow above the keyboard if you see it.
• Keep tapping undo to step back through recent changes.

Keeping Notes Safe With iCloud

iCloud is Apple's free safety-deposit box in the sky. When Notes uses it, your notes are backed up and appear on your other Apple devices too.

If your phone is ever lost, damaged, or replaced, your notes come right back on your new phone when you sign in with your Apple Account. Nothing is lost.

• Open the Settings app (the gray gear icon).
• Tap your name at the very top.
• Tap iCloud, then look under Saved to iCloud or See All.
• Make sure Notes is switched on (green).

What's in the 27-page PDF

• Pages 3-6: Opening Notes, writing your first note, and making tap-to-check lists
• Pages 7-8: Sharing a list so you and a family member can both edit it
• Pages 9-11: Folders, pinning, and searching to stay organized
• Pages 12-13: Adding photos and scanning paper documents
• Pages 14-16: Locking a private note, Lock Screen notes, and handwriting
• Pages 17-20: Passwords to remember, formatting, undo, and iCloud backup
• Pages 21-22: A quick cheat sheet and a plain-English word list

Why I wrote this

I write these as printable handouts because a guide you can keep in a drawer beats a web page you have to find again. No jargon, no judgment, no rushing. If you'd rather have someone sit beside you and go through it together, that's a flat $99 first visit with the 30-day follow-up included — serving Portage County from Atwater, Ohio. — Bill