Managing Tagged Notes in iOS 15 Tag Browser

With the release of iOS 15, Apple introduced a dedicated Tag Browser to the Notes app, significantly expanding how users organize and filter their content. This article outlines the key capabilities added to the Tag Browser view, detailing how to navigate tagged notes, apply multi-tag filters, edit tags globally, and convert tag queries into automated Smart Folders.

The Dedicated Tag Browser

The Tag Browser appears automatically at the bottom of the main Folders view whenever at least one tag (created using the # symbol) exists in your notes. It aggregates every tag in your library into a clean, unified interface, eliminating the need to manually sort notes into rigid folder structures.

Multi-Tag Filtering

The most significant update to note management in the Tag Browser is the ability to filter by multiple tags simultaneously:

  • Single-Tag Selection: Tapping any single tag displays all notes containing that specific tag.
  • Compound Filtering: Tapping multiple tags filters the list to display only notes that contain all of the selected tags (an "AND" condition). Selected tags remain highlighted, and tapping a highlighted tag removes it from the current filter.
  • "All Tags" Option: A dedicated "All Tags" button sits at the top of the Tag Browser, allowing you to quickly view every note that contains any tag, separating untagged notes from tagged ones.

Renaming and Deleting Tags Globally

iOS 15 introduced direct management actions from the Tag Browser without requiring you to open individual notes:

  • Renaming Tags: Long-pressing a tag in the browser reveals an option to rename it. Updating the name here automatically renames the tag across every note in your library.
  • Deleting Tags: Long-pressing and choosing to delete a tag removes the tag from the browser and strips the text label from all associated notes, leaving the notes themselves intact.

Converting Tag Searches into Smart Folders

Within the Tag Browser view, any active tag filter can be turned into a permanent Smart Folder:

  • While viewing notes filtered by one or more tags, tapping the folder creation button allows you to generate a Smart Folder.
  • The new Smart Folder automatically adopts the active tag criteria and continuously gathers matching notes as new tags are created in the future.