iOS 15 Notes App Updates and New Features

Apple introduced significant upgrades to the built-in Notes app in iOS 15, focusing heavily on organization, collaboration, and speed. These enhancements transformed Notes from a basic text-entry tool into a powerful workspace capable of managing complex projects and group workflows. Key additions include a flexible tagging system, custom Smart Folders, interactive collaboration features like mentions and edit histories, and cross-platform Quick Note support.

Tags and the Tag Browser

Users can categorize notes using flexible, custom tags. By typing a hashtag directly into the body of a note (such as #work or #recipes), the text automatically converts into an active tag.

A dedicated Tag Browser appears at the bottom of the main folder view, listing all created tags. Tapping a tag instantly filters the list to show all matching notes across any folder. Selecting multiple tags refines the search even further to show only notes containing all selected tags.

Smart Folders

Smart Folders automatically aggregate notes based on rules rather than requiring manual sorting. Users can create a Smart Folder that dynamically collects every note containing specified tags. As new notes are tagged, they immediately appear in the corresponding Smart Folder without moving from their original storage locations.

Mentions in Shared Notes

Collaboration in shared notes became more interactive with the introduction of mentions. By typing the @ symbol followed by the name of a collaborator, users can direct attention to specific updates, assign tasks, or ask questions. The mentioned collaborator receives an immediate notification, even if they have muted general notifications for that shared note.

Activity View and Highlight Features

Tracking revisions in shared documents is streamlined through two major additions:

• Activity View: A panel summarizing the history of changes made by collaborators since the note was last opened, alongside a daily list of edit activities.
• Highlight Swiping: Swiping right from anywhere within a shared note reveals a color-coded overlay showing timestamps and the names of the collaborators who edited specific lines of text.

Quick Note Integration

While Quick Note creation via corner-swiping was restricted to iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey, iOS 15 fully integrated with the feature. iPhone users can access and edit Quick Notes created on other Apple devices directly from a dedicated Quick Notes folder. Additionally, iOS 15 allows users to add links, text, and safari highlights to a Quick Note via the standard iOS Share Sheet.