Apple Notes is the built-in note-taking app included with iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. It supports typed and handwritten notes, sketches, scanned documents, checklists, and embedded photos or links, and organizes content into folders with tags and a smart-folder-style search. Notes can be locked with a password or Face ID, shared for real-time collaboration, and pinned for quick access.
Because it ships preinstalled on every Apple device, Notes serves as the default quick-capture tool for the majority of iPhone, iPad, and Mac users, from jotting shopping lists to drafting longer documents. It requires no separate download or account for local use, though an Apple ID and iCloud are needed to sync notes across a user's devices or collaborate with others.
Apple Notes is free and exclusive to the Apple ecosystem, with no native Windows or Android version; users on other platforms can view and edit shared notes through a browser at iCloud.com. Additional iCloud storage for syncing large numbers of notes and attachments is available through paid iCloud+ tiers.