Apple Notes
Free notes app built into iPhone, iPad and Mac, with iCloud sync, live sharing and end-to-end encrypted locked notes.
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Apple Notes is the free note-taking app built into iPhone, iPad and Mac, with apps for Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro. iCloud syncs notes across iPhone, iPad and Mac and to iCloud.com on the web. A note can hold checklists, tables, scanned documents, PDFs, sketches and audio recordings with live transcripts, and search finds text in handwriting, scans and photos. Notes link to each other and are organized with folders, tags and Smart Folders. You can invite people to edit a note or folder in real time, with @-mentions and an activity view. Locked notes are end-to-end encrypted, and the optional Advanced Data Protection extends that to other iCloud notes (shared ones only when every participant uses it). With Apple Intelligence on supported devices, Writing Tools proofread, rewrite and summarize text, and recordings get summaries. iCloud includes 5 GB free, and iCloud+ adds storage from $0.99 a month.
Best for
People who use Apple devices and want a free, built-in place for everyday notes, lists, scans and recordings, shared with family or colleagues who also have an Apple Account.
Pros
- Free on Apple devices, with iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad and Mac and 5 GB of free iCloud storage
- Real-time collaboration on single notes or whole folders, with edit or view-only access, @-mentions and an activity view
- Locked notes are end-to-end encrypted, and the optional Advanced Data Protection setting extends end-to-end encryption to your other iCloud notes
- Built-in capture: document scanner, audio recording with live transcripts, sketches, tables and checklists; search reads handwriting and text in scans and photos
- Imports Markdown, TXT, RTF, HTML and Evernote (ENEX) files on Mac, and exports notes as PDF or Markdown
Cons
- Apps exist only for Apple devices; on Windows or Android, notes open in a web browser at iCloud.com, which Apple says only some Android devices can use
- No backlinks list or database views: notes are organized with folders, tags, Smart Folders and links between notes
- Without Advanced Data Protection, iCloud notes are encrypted with keys Apple holds and only locked notes are end-to-end encrypted; shared notes stay end-to-end encrypted only if every participant turns it on
- Locked notes cannot contain tags, PDFs, audio or video, cannot be shared, and Apple cannot help you open them if you forget a separate Notes password
- Apple Intelligence features run only on recent devices, such as iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 or later and Macs with M1 or later; usage limits may apply
Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly (12-month total) |
|---|---|---|
| FreeNotes app at no cost on Apple devices; iCloud includes 5 GB of free storage for backup and sync | Free Free plan | |
| iCloud+ 50GBOptional iCloud storage, billed monthly; 50 GB for all iCloud data; Private Relay, Hide My Email, Custom Email Domain; share with up to 5 other family members | $0.99/mo | no yearly price |
| iCloud+ 200GBOptional iCloud storage, billed monthly; 200 GB; everything in 50GB; share with up to 5 other family members | $2.99/mo | no yearly price |
| iCloud+ 2TBOptional iCloud storage, billed monthly; 2 TB; everything in 200GB; share with up to 5 other family members | $9.99/mo | no yearly price |
| iCloud+ 6TBOptional iCloud storage, billed monthly; 6 TB; everything in 2TB; share with up to 5 other family members | $29.99/mo | no yearly price |
| iCloud+ 12TBOptional iCloud storage, billed monthly; 12 TB; everything in 6TB; share with up to 5 other family members | $59.99/mo | no yearly price |
Prices checked on .
Features
In Notes and knowledge
| Feature | Apple Notes |
|---|---|
| Offline use | Yes · Native apps on iPhone, iPad and Mac; notes can also be kept only on the device (On My iPhone, On My Mac) |
| Local-first files | Partial · On My iPhone/On My Mac accounts store notes only on the device, not as files; export a note as a PDF or Markdown file |
| Databases | No · Tables inside notes and rule-based Smart Folders; no database views |
| Backlinks | No · Links to other notes and sections (type >>); no list of notes that link back |
| Real-time collaboration | Yes · Shared notes and folders in iCloud; edit or view-only; @-mentions, activity view; Apple Account needed |
| API | not listed |
| Publish to web | No · No public web pages; shared links need an Apple Account sign-in, or you send a static copy |
| Encryption | Yes · Locked notes end-to-end encrypted; other iCloud notes with optional Advanced Data Protection (shared notes only if all participants use it) |
| AI features | Yes · Apple Intelligence: Writing Tools, audio recording summaries, Image Wand (iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro); supported devices only |