iPadOS 26 Notes Harder to Use

[MikeMcCollister]

Ever since I upgraded to iPadOS 26, I find the notes app a lot harder to use in that formatting text menu is hidden too many menus deep. It took me about 10 minutes to find where to highlight text (no problem on my iPhone). I have to tap on the ">>" then Format and then Format again to bring up the menu that contains the text highlighting. Is anyone else having difficulty with this?

 

[CharlesShaw]

My main issue with Notes is the jumping cursor/insertion point that has been affecting others here and elsewhere.

Now that the Files app has more features, and the Notes cursor is driving me mad, I've migrated my more active tables and lists into the Pages and Numbers apps, where formatting options are abundant.

That said, the addition of the Notes app to the Apple Watch makes makes it handy for storing stuff like padlock combinations and screenshots of medical insurance cards, or other items one might want to access from their watch when their phone is not available, so I'm not abandoning the app.

 

[It’s always something]

Ever since I upgraded to iPadOS 26, I find the notes app a lot harder to use in that formatting text menu is hidden too many menus deep. It took me about 10 minutes to find where to highlight text (no problem on my iPhone). I have to tap on the ">>" then Format and then Format again to bring up the menu that contains the text highlighting. Is anyone else having difficulty with this?

I see this behavior in portrait, but not in landscape orientation. I agree that it’s pretty annoying. In landscape there’s enough horizontal space to include the formatting menu at the top level instead of nesting it that way, and that seems to be the only thing they cared about usability-wise; what with moving the front camera to the long edge, it’s pretty clear that they now conceive of the iPad as a landscape-orientation device rather than a portrait mode one.

 

[MikeMcCollister]

Yes, portrait orientation is not as good as it used to be.