You can add notes to tasks in Apple Reminders, of course, but a more natural place for them is Notes—where you can also add formatting, inline images, and more. Find out here how to add a reminder to a note in Apple Notes and set up a task (even repeating) connected to the note.
First, What’s Puzzling About Puzzles
There are posters for learning and textbooks galore; you can find songs for instruction and dances to score.
All that without even mentioning videos!
Why, though, are there so few jigsaw puzzles for learning (though that is purportedly their origin)?
A jigsaw puzzle should be just the right medium for knowledge acquisition. The result is highly visual, of course, but the path quite haptic. You have to revisit pieces multiple times, and certain corners serve as natural starting points. There are hurdles and frustrations built in, and many more happy successes along the way.
All that without even mentioning the fun to be had!
Now, want a note to come up for revisiting, too, at certain intervals, times or locations? Here’s the missing puzzle piece:
How to Add a Reminder to a Note in Apple Notes
Time needed: 3 minutes
To set up a reminder for a note using Apple Notes and Apple Reminders on a Mac, iPhone or iPad:
- Create the note about which you want to be reminded in Apple Notes.
Existing task: if you have a task in Reminders with an existing note you want to move to Notes, copy its contents and create a new note, into which you paste the note.
- Open the note in Notes.
- Click or tap the Share this note button.
The menu: On a Mac, you can als select File | Share | Note “<note>” from the menu.
Context menu: If you, prefer, click on a note with the right mouse button and select Share Note from the context menu. - Choose Send Copy as the sharing action if you do get the choice.
No iCloud: Without iCloud, the note will always be shared as a copy.
- Select Reminders.
No “Reminders”: If Reminders is missing from the sharing menu, click Edit Extensions…, enable Reminders and click Done.
- Type a title for the new task over Title.
- Pick a list for the new task under Choose List:.
Optional: Click i⃝ to add alerts, repetition and more.
The note: Notes has added the note’s content as a note to the task; you need not keep this.
Notes for iPhone and iPad: On a mobile device, tap Details and then List to change the task’s location from the default Reminders list. - Click or tap Add.
Open a Note from a Task in Apple Reminders
To go to the note that is linked to an Apple Reminders task:
- Click or tap the Apple Notes icon in the task.
How to Get a Reminder About a Note in Apple Notes: FAQ
Can I link an existing note to an existing task?
No.
You can only link a note from Notes to a new task in Apple Reminders. You can re-create and existing task, of course:
- Copy an existing note from a Reminders task to a note in Notes.
- Share the note with a new Reminders task that has all the original task’s details.
- Delete the original task.
Can I delete the note content from the reminder?
Yes.
You can delete or edit the note that is part of the Apple Reminders task itself. The link to the note in Apple Notes will not be affected.
What happens when I delete a Notes note attached to a Reminders task?
The link to the note will remain present in the Reminders task.
What happens when you follow the link depends on the status of the note:
- While the note is still available in the Recently Deleted folder, you can follow the link from the reminder to the note.
- When the note is no longer in Notes at all, following the link will open Notes.
Can I remove the link to a note from a Reminders task?
No.
You cannot delete the link to Notes from a reminder. To get the task without the link to Notes, create a copy of the task in Reminders without the link and delete the original task.
Can I set up a repeating or location-based reminder for a note?
Yes.
The reminder with embedded link to an Apple Notes note can have all characteristics of a task, such as:
- repetition,
- sub-tasks,
- alerts based on location or
- alerts based on contacts.
Can I follow or create a task note in iCloud.com?
No.
Linked notes are not present in Reminders or Notes at iCloud.com.
(How to add a reminder to a note tested with Apple Notes; first published March 2025)