The IOS18 version of Notes didn't get much stage time in WWDC2024, but definitely — Apple's built-in note-taking app is getting some very notable additions in this year's software update Also, if you use the iPhone memo app ahead of the third-party note-taking app, this is welcome news

Recent iOS updates have made it a much more viable choice In recent years, Apple has added formatting tools, the ability to link different notes to each other, as part of an effort to build a note feature set over time, and iOS18 continues its tradition by making many features of ios18 smarterThere is no Apple Intelligence feature that works on a limited number of iPhones

Indeed, Notes will get the same access to apple Intelligence-powered writing instruments available on iphone15Pro or other apps running on iPhone15Pro Max But the real story with Notes on iOS 18 is that when it comes to organizing your thoughts, Notes claims as the only app you really need

Here's what you can expect when launching Notes on an iPhone running iOS18:

As you probably know well, the iPhone has a built-in voice memo app to record the time of meetings, lectures, conversations and just those you want to make audio notes of your thoughts In the current version of iOS, you can paste recordings from voice memos, but in iOS18, by burning the recording function directly into the Notes app, you will be one step away from the process

Even better, you will be able to get real-time transcription of your recordings directly into notes That way, you can paste the transcript into a note and easily search for a specific word or phrase You can also format the transcript to the content of your mind, fold it into other documents or follow the checklist as you wish so

One thing about the audio transcript feature— you'll need iPhone12 or later to make it happen Also, this feature only supports English Apple highlighted the new Math Notes feature as part of the iPadOS18 demo, but a version of Math Notes is also available in the iPhone version of Notes All you have to do is type in the math formula, and it will be solved right there in your note

On iPhones, most people type formulas on an on-screen keyboard But you can also use the drawing tool in notes to scribble math problems, and the Notes app will ask if you want it to be solved

The impressive part of Apple's Math Notes demo shows that if you change a part of a formula, the answer automatically updates — for example, if you are summing up expenses, and the

Note formatting tool allows you to specify text as title, heading, subheading, body, and mono style In IOS 18, these headings and subheadings are collapsible A small arrow will automatically appear next to the note headings, allowing you to type and show or hide the text The idea is to make it easier to skim heavy notes in the text

Another formatting added to iOS18 notes includes the ability to change the color of text snippets in notes Apple describes this as a "highlight style feature" on the iOS18 preview page, which can be easily referenced later or follow visual flares on specific notes

The Smart Script feature seems to be limited to the iPadOS18 version of notes, but it's impressive enough to mention here If you export notes on your iPad, Smart scripts make your writing more readable even if it retains your handwriting style so you can focus on jotting down your thoughts on notes without worrying about readability

Magic is not just about it You can paste the text you type into a handwriting section, and Smart Script converts that text into a handwriting style You can also make inline spelling corrections, drag the text to reflow, and scratch and erase the text

Smart Script does not work on all iPads You need an iPad Pro with M4, a 5th generation or later iPad Pro 129 inches, a 3rd generation or later iPad Pro, an 11-inch, an iPad Air with M2, a 4th generation or later iPad Air 109 inches, a 10th generation iPad, or a 6th generation iPad mini There are also language restrictions