To update your iPhone's Notes app, simply open it after installing version 9 of the iOS operating system. You will be asked to update it to the latest version, modifying all notes on the device and those saved on iCloud. After the upgrade, you will have access to a lot of new features, including drawing, storing in folders, creating lists and more.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Update the Notes
Step 1. Update the operating system to iOS 9 or later
To use the new features of the Notes app, your iPhone must have at least iOS 9. You can check for updates in the "General" section of the Settings app, otherwise by connecting your phone to your computer and opening iTunes. Read Update iOS for more details.
Step 2. Open the Notes app on your iPhone
You can find it on one of the Home screens.
You may be asked to update the Notes app on first opening; in this case, follow the instructions on the screen
Step 3. If you are not prompted to update the app, press the "<" button to view the folder list
You will find the item you are looking for on this screen.
Step 4. Hit "Update" in the top corner
It will open a new window.
Step 5. When prompted, hit "Update Now"
The Notes app update operation will begin.
Once the notes have been updated, you will no longer be able to open the app on devices that have older versions of iOS, nor on Macs with an operating system older than El Capitan (10.11)
Step 6. Wait for the update to finish
This can take a few minutes. The app will open again after the operation is complete. Don't close it ahead of time.
Part 2 of 2: Using the Updated Notes
Step 1. Add notes to folders
One of the new features of the app is the ability to store notes in folders instead of viewing them all in one big list. Press the "<" button in the upper right corner to see the folders.
- Press "Edit" in the upper right corner of the notes list to select the ones you are interested in.
- Press the notes you want to move to a new folder.
- Press "Move to …" in the lower right corner.
- Press "New folder" to create a new folder for your notes, otherwise press on an existing one to move the notes into it.
Step 2. Add photos and videos to your notes
You can quickly add multimedia content to your notes, including images and videos from your camera roll or snaps and movies recorded on the spot with the camera.
- Open the note where you want to insert an image or video.
- Press the Camera button above the keyboard. If you don't see it, press "+". You can also press "Done" in the upper right corner to pull down the keyboard and show the camera button.
- Choose whether to use an image or video saved on your device or take a new photo. The click will be inserted in the note at the cursor.
Step 3. Draw on the notes
Thanks to the new features, you can also add drawings to your notes. They will appear directly on the page and are not available on older devices. You need an iPhone 5 or newer to use them. Read Drawing on iPhone Notes for tips on creating illustrations.
- Open the note you want to add a drawing to.
- Press the Draw button, with the wavy line icon, at the bottom of the screen. The drawing tools will open. Press "+" if you don't see the item you are looking for. You can also hit the "Done" button at the top of the screen to pull down the keyboard and find the Draw button.
- Drag your finger across the screen to draw. You can change the line style using the tools at the bottom of the screen.
- Press the current color in the lower right corner to change it to another.
Step 4. Create a list
To do this, you can use the new features of the Notes app.
- To create a new list within a note, press the "✓" button above the keyboard. If you don't see it, press "+". You can also press "Done" to hide the keyboard and display the key you are looking for.
- You can also select some text before pressing the "✓" button. Each row will be transformed into an element of the list; this makes it very easy to convert an old hand-made list to a to-do list made with the app.
- Press an empty circle on the list to put a check mark in that box.
Step 5. Change the text formatting
The updated version of Notes allows you to do this. The options are limited, but you can change the emphasis of the text and create different types of lists.
- Press on a note to open the keyboard and start entering text.
- Press the "+" button, then the "Aa" button.
- Choose between "Title", "Header" and "Body" to use one of the different formats. Title is the largest, body the smallest (standard).
- Choose one of the different options for the lists. You can create bulleted, dashed, or numbered lists. Each line is a new entry in the list.
Step 6. Add attachments from other apps
You can insert files into notes from many different apps, including websites from Safari, locations from Maps, and several other programs that can share content.
- Open the app that contains the item you want to add to the note. For example, to enter a website, open the page with Safari. To save a location, find it in Maps.
- Press the "Share" button in the app. The position of the button changes according to the program. On Safari, you'll find it at the bottom of the screen. On Maps, you will find it in the upper right corner after opening the location information.
- Select "Add to Notes". You will find the button in the first row of options.
- Select the note you want to add the item to, or create a new one. By default, the object will be added in a new document. Press "Select Note" at the bottom of the window if you want to choose yourself.
- Enter the text to add as the item caption. The text will be inserted in the note below the subject.
- Press "Save" to save the note. The item will be added to a new document or the one you have chosen.
