How to Highlight Text in Apple Notes on iOS 18

Apple introduced native text highlighting in the Notes app with iOS 18, allowing users to color-code text for better organization and readability. This guide explains how text highlighting functions in iOS 18, details the available color options, and outlines the exact steps to apply, change, and remove highlights on your iPhone.

How iOS 18 Text Highlighting Works

Unlike traditional desktop word processors that offer an unlimited color wheel, iOS 18 streamlines text highlighting with a curated palette of five distinct colors:

  • Purple
  • Pink
  • Orange
  • Mint
  • Blue

When applied, the feature alters both the text color and places a soft, translucent background tint behind the selected characters. This design maintains high contrast, ensuring the text remains legible in both Light Mode and Dark Mode.

Steps to Highlight Text in Notes

Applying a highlight to your text requires only a few taps:

  1. Open the Notes app on your device running iOS 18.
  2. Open an existing note or create a new one.
  3. Highlight the target text by double-tapping a word or dragging the selection pins over a phrase.
  4. Tap the Aa formatting icon located on the toolbar above the keyboard. If the keyboard is hidden, tap the text selection pop-up menu instead.
  5. In the formatting panel, locate the row of five colored circles.
  6. Tap the color of your choice to immediately apply the highlight.

How to Change or Remove a Highlight

Modifying an existing highlight follows the same interface:

  1. Select the text that currently has a highlight.
  2. Tap the Aa button in the keyboard toolbar.
  3. To switch colors, tap any other color circle in the row.
  4. To remove the highlight completely, tap the currently selected color circle (indicated by a ring or checkmark around it). The text will revert to standard black or white text.

Cross-Platform Syncing and Compatibility

Colored highlights sync seamlessly across devices using iCloud. To view and edit these highlights properly on other hardware, your iPad must run iPadOS 18 and your Mac must run macOS Sequoia. Notes accessed on devices running older operating systems will still display the text, but the color highlights may render as plain text or fall back to standard formatting.