How to Focus in Apple Notes for Mac

Tired of sidebar distractions, crowded toolbars and a cacophony of notes vying for your attention? Trying to write a note in Apple Notes on your Mac without interruptions? Find out here how to focus in Apple Notes for Mac ⤓ by opening notes in separate windows, hiding unneeded interface elements and going full screen.

First, The (Bundles of) Nerves

Two bundles of 400,000 nerves each run through an elephant’s trunk, a marvel of sensory precision. This concentration of nerves lets the elephant collect and process information about temperature, scents, surfaces, vibrations and more with astonishing detail.

Just as an elephant’s trunk focuses on minute details through its dense network of nerves, you can sharpen your focus on individual notes in Apple Notes. Let’s dive into how to channel elephantine focus on your Mac:

How to Focus in Apple Notes for Mac

Open a Note in Its Own Window

Set up a Keyboard Shortcut for Opening a Note in a New Window

To add a keyboard shortcut to Apple Notes for opening a note in a separate window:

1. Open System Settings on the Mac.
2. Go to the Keyboard category.
3. Click Keyboard Shortcuts….
4. Open the App Shortcuts category.
5. Click +.
6. Select Notes for Application.
7. Type Open Note in New Window under Menu title.
   More than one: You can set up another shortcut for the menu title Open Notes in New Window for opening multiple highlighted notes in their own separate windows.
8. Click in the Keyboard shortcut field.
9. Press the key combination you want to use for opening a note in its own window from Apple Notes..
   Example: You can use Command Enter, for example.
10. Click Done.

Chaos retained, focus regained?

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Hide the Folder List Sidebar in Apple Notes

To hide the list of folders in the main Apple Notes window on a Mac so you can focus on the notes inside a folder:

• Press Command Option S.
  Here’s why: This toggles folder list display.
  With the mouse: You can also click the Show folders button in the toolbar.
  Using the menu: The corresponding menu command is View | Hide Folders.

Open a Single Note in the Main Apple Notes Window

To show only one note in the main Apple Notes for Mac window (or an overview of the current folder’s notes):

1. Hide the folder list sidebar; see above.
2. View notes in the current folder as a gallery.
   Here’s how: Click View Notes as Gallery in the toolbar or press Command 2.
3. Double-click a note to open it filling the main Apple Notes window.
   Using the keyboard: You can also use the arrow keys to highlight a note, then press Enter.
   

Take Apple Notes or Individual Notes Full Screen

Anything in Apple Notes can fill the screen, of course, To go full screen:

1. Open an individual note, either in its own window or in the main Apple Notes window.
2. Press Fn F, Command Control F or 🌐︎ F to go to full screen mode.
   Back: Press the key combination again to return to the previous display.
   Their word: Apple include information on using apps full-screen in the Mac User Guide.

Another thing out of the way: How to Stop Quick Notes from Popping Up Unwanted on a Mac

How to Focus in Apple Notes for Mac: FAQ

Can I open more than one note in separate windows?

Yes.

You can open as many notes in their own window as desired. To open more than one note in its own window in one fell swoop:

1. Highlight all notes you want to open in separate windows.
   Here’s how: Hold down the Command key while you click notes to toggle their inclusion in the current selection and hold Shift to select a range.
2. Select Open Notes in New Window from the menu.

Can I increase the margins when I open a note fullscreen?

No.

You can increase the display size for the font pressing Command Shift . (period) and increase the indent (using Format | Indentation | Increase in the menu), but the margins to the window edges are fixed in Apple Notes.

Can I open a new in its own browser window or tab using iCloud Notes at iCloud.com?

No.

In Apple Notes at iCloud.com, you can change the widths of the lists of folders and notes, but you cannot hide them or open individual notes in their own browser tab or window.

(Tested with Apple Notes 4 on macOS Tahoe 26.0 and Sequoia 15.5; first published July 2025, last updated December 2025)