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In iPadOS 15, Apple introduced a new productivity feature called Quick Notes that aims to provide a quicker way to jot down things on your iPad without you having to go in and out of the Notes app.

Quick-Notes-Feature-2.jpg

Whether you're on the Home Screen or within any app, you can bring up a floating Quick Note window at any time using your finger or an Apple Pencil, by swiping diagonally up from the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.

quick-notes-1.jpg

If you're using a connected keyboard that has a Globe key, simply press the Globe key + Q to launch a Quick Note. You can also add a Quick Note button to Control Center: Go to Settings -> Control Center, then add the Quick Note option from the "Included Controls" section.

control-center-quick-notes.jpeg

The note you call up can be the last note you used, so you can just keep adding to it, or you can create a new note with a tap of the New Note icon in the top-right corner of the interface.

new-quick-note.jpg

When you tap on the note, it will bring up the virtual keyboard so you can begin typing. If you're using Apple Pencil and you have the Scribble toggle enabled in Settings -> Apple Pencil, you can just start jotting down handwritten notes, and they'll be transcribed into standard text.

Also at the top of your Quick Note window, there's also an ellipsis icon top-right to share the note, and to the left of that, a square quadrant icon that takes you into the Notes app proper, which is where all your Quick Notes live.

quick-note-buttons.jpeg

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the interface, there's a Markup icon in the right corner to bring up standard Markup tools, and if you've created several Quick Notes, you'll see three dots along the bottom of the currently viewed note to indicate that you can swipe between them within the editor window.

quick-notes-markup.jpg

Quick Notes can also detect the app you're currently using or just recently used, and will show a dropdown menu at the top of the editor window for you to add a link to the specific message you're viewing in Mail or the website you were just viewing in Safari, for example. Whenever you're viewing a note with a link, just tap the link and you'll be taken directly to the related content.

notes-add-link.jpeg

If the Quick Note window is obscuring your view of something, you can drag it to any corner of the screen. To dismiss a Quick Note at any time, tap the Done button in the top-left, or swipe diagonally towards the corner of the screen it's closest to – you can recall it at any time by tapping the reveal bar off to the side.

quick-notes-notes-app.jpeg

That's Quick Notes on iPad in a nutshell. You can also create them on a Mac running macOS 12 Monterey, but be aware that Quick Notes can't be created on an iPhone running iOS 15. However, because Quick Notes live in the Notes app, you can access any that you've created elsewhere on your iPhone, just as easily as any other note.

Article Link: iPadOS 15: How to Use Quick Notes
 

Apple Knowledge Navigator

macrumors 68040
Mar 28, 2010
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12,180
I don’t get where the line is drawn between a ‘quick’ note and a document. If you going to be copy-pasting or extracting information on an iPad then surely you’d just run Notes in split screen?
 

fwmireault

Contributor
Jul 4, 2019
2,201
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Montréal, Canada
I don’t get where the line is drawn between a ‘quick’ note and a document. If you going to be copy-pasting or extracting information on an iPad then surely you’d just run Notes in split screen?
Think of it like the digital equivalent of a Post It. Sometimes you just want to write something very quick, and the comprehensive integration of links and active apps makes it a good solution to just write down an idea, a task, something to do later, etc.
 

hagar

macrumors 68020
Jan 19, 2008
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I don’t get where the line is drawn between a ‘quick’ note and a document. If you going to be copy-pasting or extracting information on an iPad then surely you’d just run Notes in split screen?
Split screen is very cumbersome to set up, especially for a quick note.

I do wonder if the diagonal swipe will interfere with apps. I use Agenda for note taking and it has a panel that slides in from the right, which always interferes with Slide Over.
 
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The Barron

macrumors 6502a
Mar 5, 2009
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I don't like the timing of articles like this that talk about products in the past tense when they've yet to be released. I feel like this would be timed better after the release of iPadOS15 so the majority of folks and go and try it.
I completely agree regarding all the great, new features in iOS 15, yet it's months away. What's the point? Give us all the nice details when it's finally released, MacRumors.
 
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dgdosen

macrumors 68030
Dec 13, 2003
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Seattle
I like writing notes on the iPad - but I'd rather be able to choose an app for those notes - GoodNotes? Bear? I'd rather not be forced to use Notes.
 
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citysnaps

macrumors G5
Oct 10, 2011
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Nice! 7 years ago I dropped Evernote and its frequent changes and increasing complexity for Apple's Notes, and never looked back.

I'm glad Notes is evolving *slowly* with measured and thoughtful feature enhancements, yet is still super easy to use, and just works.

After Safari and Mail, it's my most used app.
 
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Macalway

macrumors 601
Aug 7, 2013
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Don't install any beta versions :eek:; I learned the hard way years ago. The hard core techies can do that on their separate drives, etc.

Smart. I have it on mine and it's buggy. Wish I hadn't. It's not being sure if somethings a bug or not. Very unpleasant :D
 

Rafterman

Contributor
Apr 23, 2010
7,267
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Nice! 7 years ago I dropped Evernote and its frequent changes and increasing complexity for Apple's Notes, and never looked back.

I'm glad Notes is evolving *slowly* with measured and thoughtful feature enhancements, yet is still super easy to use, and just works.

After Safari and Mail, it's my most used app.

Evernote has a lot of nice features, but it is starting to get bloated, is updated costantly, which is getting annoying and it's kind of slow. Apple Notes isn't fancy, but it's quick and simple.
 

boss.king

macrumors 603
Apr 8, 2009
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I’d love to be able to set this to use a different not taking app. As it stands, I find my Notes app gets cluttered with accidental notes from using the Pencil while the screen is locked, to the point that it’s basically become unnavigable.
 

NYCValkyrie

macrumors 6502a
Jun 1, 2019
646
507
This would be so useful on iPhone. Hopefully it’ll get added. I would definitely use it more in my iPhone.
 
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amartinez1660

macrumors 68000
Sep 22, 2014
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I completely agree regarding all the great, new features in iOS 15, yet it's months away. What's the point? Give us all the nice details when it's finally released, MacRumors.
I personally appreciate these snippets appearing one by one when they are introduced in the currently running beta version… by the time the OS update release happens I feel already at home or very close to that. Plus feels like having a front row seat of what is available without having to install and risk going through the paces of beta testing.

Maybe both is fine too, small advancements while they are happening and a big bulk owner’s manual like by the release date of it.
 

Kobra

macrumors regular
Jun 17, 2009
225
104
I hoped that this feature would be a great add-on or compliment when using iBooks, I’ve really missed the ability to take notes in a epub book. Unfortunately the quicknote doesn’t link to a specifik page in a book, but the book itself. Well, half way there ??‍♂️
 

RUQRU

macrumors 6502
Apr 14, 2011
369
361
***WITSEC***
This swipe feature does not seem to work with a track pad. You can add Quick Notes to the Control Center and use a track pad that way.
 
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