In recent weeks I have started to use the Apple Notes more and more and I am really enjoying it and is fast becoming my favourite notes app. I am solely using Apple Notes for writing my blog post where I had previously been using Notion (I still use Notion for planning) and here are some of the reasons why I have switched across to the Apple Notes app.
Works across all my Devices:
So this is the obvious reason why to use Apple Notes if you are in the Apple Ecosystem. There are other apps that you can use that sync across all your Apple devices but I find that Apple Notes synced that bit quicker so it’s there on all your device pretty much straight away. This is particularly useful if I am writing something on my MacBook Pro and want to switch to my iPad Pro to finish it up in front of the TV.
Another thing that I like is that it’s optimised for your device (obvs statement I know), so it just fits the screen perfectly. Capturing quick notes and ideas is great and doesn’t take any time at all.
It’s simple:
All I want is a simple notes app nothing fancy, just somewhere to jot down my blog posts. There are other apps out there where you can build databases etc. but I find myself getting lost in them and spending more time trying to work them out than actually getting on with writing.
With Apple Notes I find that it has just what I need. I can create folders and add notes to them, I can also add titles and subheadings which helps when copying my blogs into WordPress. I can add links and make lists and for me, that’s really all I need from my note-taking app.
Tags:
Now this kind of contradicts the above point of it being simple because you can do some cool things with tags. So when I am writing a blog post I will tag it with #blog #blogpost and similarly if I am researching something I will tag it with research.
You will get a tags folder that appears in the folders bar, so you can easily see what tags you have already set up. Now this on its own doesn’t do anything but this leads me nicely into the next feature.
Smart Folders:
When you create a smart folder you can assign tags to that folder. This effectively means that tags and smart folders are organising your notes for you, I love this as it saves me time and has improved my workflow.
So now all of my blog posts go into the blog smart folder that I have set up without me needing to do anything other than adding a tag. This is also great for when you are using quick notes on the iPad or your MacBook so you can organise those quick notes rather than them just sitting in the quick notes folder.
Just one thing to remember is that you need to have the tags you want to use set up and assigned to the specific Smart Folders. If you add a tag and it’s not assigned it will just stay in the generic notes folder.
Adding in Links:
This is great if I am researching on my iPad. So if I am viewing a website I can add a link to the website or if I want to add a quote I can highlight it and add it to the note to come back to at a later date. I would certainly say that I use this most on the iPad as this is the device that I tend to do most of my research on.
There are also some other little things that add to the experience of using Apple Notes. For instance, you can choose a couple of different views such as popping out a note so that it’s in the middle of the screen and you can also move it around to where you want it. If you are using the iPad you can expand the note to full screen which I like as it means I can focus fully on writing.
So there you have it, the 5 reasons why I am using Apple Notes as my daily notes app. There are so many other apps out there but for me, this is simple and easy to use which is all I am really looking for (for now). If you are looking for a new notes app and you are in the Apple Ecosystem then I would certainly suggest that you give it a go.