With iOS 18, the Notes app is about to realize a number of new options. There aren’t many updates to the general design, however Notes has deeper integrations with different apps that add every kind of latest performance. There are additionally a couple of nifty iPad-only Notes options that contain the Apple Pencil.
Math Notes
Notes integrates with the Calculator app in iOS 18 for a brand new function known as Math Notes. Math Notes is designed to allow you to resolve equations, so you are able to do issues like add up your month-to-month funds, calculate what individuals owe for a gaggle journey, or break up a restaurant invoice.
Math Notes works immediately within the Notes app or within the Math Notes part of the Calculator app. Any equation that you simply kind in is routinely solved once you add an equals signal, and there’s assist for variables.
Should you outline a number of variables, you possibly can then use these definitions in your calculations. Should you write dinner = $42, motion pictures = $24, and dessert = $18 within the Notes app, you possibly can then kind in dinner + motion pictures + dessert and add an equals signal to get the whole. Variables can be utilized in equations and graphs (with a related equation) and adjusted later to vary the outcomes.
You may even do unit conversions with Math Notes. Simply kind in what you wish to convert, and you will get the end result. Should you kind in 10 euros to kilos in a word after which add an equals signal, the Notes app provides you with the reply.
Apple says that Math Notes is ready to resolve the entire similar features as a scientific calculator.
Math Notes is on the market for math written utilizing Western Arabic numerals and customary mathematical symbols, or typed utilizing Arabic (Jap & Western) and Devanagari numerals and customary mathematical symbols.
Math Notes in iPadOS 18
On the iPad, you should use Math Notes with the Apple Pencil. Simply write out equations by hand and add an equals signal to have the Notes app resolve them.
The entire Math Notes options work with handwriting, together with unit conversions.
Audio Recording and Transcription
The Notes app can be utilized to report any audio, profiting from the microphones within the iPhone. To report audio, faucet on the paperclip icon within the toolbar after which faucet on the “Document Audio” button.
From there, faucet on the crimson report button to start out a recording, and the cease button to finish it. The choice to report audio proper within the Notes app is beneficial for lectures, conferences, and extra.
All recordings that you simply seize with the Notes app are routinely transcribed in real-time so you possibly can learn by way of what was recorded and even seek for key phrases.
Audio recording and transcribing is on the market on the iPhone 12 and later, however the function solely works in English.
Telephone App Recording
iOS 18 helps recording telephone calls, and once you provoke a recording of a telephone name, that recording is saved within the Notes app. Telephone app recordings have the entire similar performance as audio recordings made within the Notes app, with transcriptions supplied.
Transcription Summaries (Apple Intelligence)
Apple Intelligence can be utilized to summarize a transcript of an audio recording or a recorded telephone name within the Notes app.
A tool that helps Apple Intelligence is required for this function, and that features the iPhone 15 Professional/Professional Max and later in addition to Macs and iPads with an M-series chip.
Collapsible Sections
When you’ve got lengthy notes with a number of headings, now you can collapse these headings right down to create a extra compact word.
Any part header will be collapsed, together with headings, subheadings, and titles. Simply faucet on a heading after which faucet on the down arrow to break down it. Faucet the arrow once more to open it up.
Spotlight Colours
The Notes app helps colours for typed textual content for the primary time, permitting for highlighting. Apple added 5 colours, together with pink, purple, orange, mint, and blue, with the colours capable of be added by way of the formatting interface. Simply faucet on the Aa button to get to the colour choices when a phrase or phrase is chosen.
A number of colours can be utilized for a similar sentence, and the colours can be utilized for titles and headings, in addition to mixed with textual content formatting like daring and italics.
Connect Recordsdata
The toolbar icon that permits you to add photos or scanned paperwork to a word has been up to date to do extra in iOS 18. Tapping on it lets you connect a file from the Recordsdata app, which makes it a lot simpler so as to add paperwork to a word. It’s also possible to use it to report audio, which is one other new function.
Prior to now, you needed to copy and paste a file into notes so as to add it, a course of that required a number of steps.
The prior Select Picture or Video, Scan Paperwork, Take Picture or Video, and Scan Textual content choices stay. To indicate the brand new performance, the icon for the software is now a paperclip as an alternative of a digicam.
As a substitute for utilizing the toolbar, you possibly can lengthy press on a word to connect a file, an possibility that wasn’t beforehand obtainable.
Notes Settings
Should you faucet on the icon that has three dots on the high proper of a word, you may get to the Notes settings, the place there are a selection of latest choices.
You may see Current Notes from this interface, with the Notes app displaying a number of of your prior notes for fast entry. There’s additionally a toggle for Math Notes for selecting between advised outcomes and outcomes which can be routinely inserted when an equals signal is typed, or turning the function off.
Prior options for looking out by way of the word, shifting the word, including strains and grids, and altering the attachment view are all nonetheless obtainable.
Lock Display Notes
In iOS 18, you possibly can add Management Heart controls to the Lock Display. With this function, you possibly can add the choice to open the Notes app into one of many slots that was beforehand taken up by the Flashlight and Digicam, providing you with an possibility for shortly jotting down your ideas.
You could possibly get to the Notes app from the Lock Display beforehand, however it required going by way of Management Heart.
Sensible Script (iPadOS 18)
On the iPad, there is a new function known as Sensible Script that is designed to enhance your handwriting with the Apple Pencil. The function makes use of machine studying to recreate your personal handwriting fashion to refine what you have written, making messy writing look neater.
Sensible Script would not change your handwriting, however it makes it smoother, straighter, and simpler to learn.
With Sensible Script, you can even paste typed textual content into your personal handwriting, right handwritten spelling, contact and drag phrases to maneuver them or change the spacing, and scribble out what you have written to erase it.
Writing Instruments is an Apple Intelligence function that may enhance your writing. It will not generate textual content from scratch for you, however it will possibly proofread, show you how to rewrite to match a selected tone, and create summaries.
- Proofread textual content for spelling and grammar errors, together with phrase alternative and sentence construction. You may settle for all recommendations with a faucet or undergo them one after the other with explanations.
- Rewrite for cleansing up what you have written and shifting the tone with out impacting your content material. Choices embrace Pleasant, Skilled, and Concise.
- Choices for choosing textual content and summarizing it. You may select to create a paragraph, pull out key factors, make a listing, or create a desk. Summaries can be found in Mail, Messages, and extra.
To make use of Writing Instruments within the Notes app, all it is advisable do is write one thing, choose your textual content, after which faucet on the fast entry Writing Instruments choices on the high of the keyboard or choose Writing Instruments by tapping in your chosen textual content.
Writing Instruments will not be obtainable when iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 launch, however the function will likely be coming in iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 updates that we count on to see in October.
Picture Wand (Apple Intelligence)
The Notes app is designed to combine with Picture Playground, Apple’s upcoming AI-powered picture technology app. It is possible for you to to have the Notes app create a picture that goes together with what you have typed up, and on the iPad, you can also make a tough sketch of what you wish to embrace after which have Apple Intelligence generate a extra polished model.
The function that provides photos into the Notes app known as Picture Wand, and it isn’t but clear when will probably be applied.
Learn Extra
Further data on new options that Apple has added in iOS 18 will be present in our iOS 18 roundup.