In recent years, Apple Notes has undergone significant enhancements. Once lagging behind third-party note-taking apps, it now stands out as one of the top choices on the iPhone. Throughout the past couple of years, a notable addition that I initially overlooked is the feature of linking notes, which has prompted me to rethink my approach to using Apple Notes.
Linking Notes: Quick, Simple, and Full of Potential
As a long-time user of Apple Notes, I currently manage about 2,600 notes in the application.
Traditionally, I organized these notes using a system of folders and sub-folders. Though Apple offers tagging as another organizational tool, I’ve never been particularly fond of using tags.
Recently, however, I’ve discovered another organizational feature that has shifted my perspective on using Notes.
With the launch of iOS 17, Apple introduced a new functionality allowing users to create links to other notes within their library.
This task can be accomplished swiftly using a ‘>>’ shortcut.
Simply type those two characters, and a dropdown menu will appear suggesting recent notes to link. You can easily tap on a note to create the link.
If the note you’re looking for doesn’t show up in the suggestions, you can start typing its title, and it will appear. The entire process is smooth and intuitive.
Once the link is established, tapping or clicking it will take you directly to the linked note. This feature is quick, user-friendly, and an excellent method for navigating between related notes.
While I had a general awareness of note linking’s introduction, discovering the ‘>>’ shortcut has made this functionality particularly appealing.
This feature significantly broadens the ways you can organize your notes.
For instance, you can utilize Apple’s note links to:
- create notes that function as a table of contents as an alternative to folders
- develop nested databases similar to Roam
- or simply connect two notes that you frequently refer to
I’m still exploring the potential applications for this feature, but if you haven’t yet tried it out, it’s definitely worth your time.
Do you incorporate note links in Apple Notes? If so, how do you use them? Share your thoughts in the comments.
