Instead of searching for a related note (a recipe, say, gift ideas, or an article template) every time in Notes, link them all in one pinned note. Instead of packing everything in one humongous, long, and barely navigable write-up, link from one detailed note to the next. Find out here how to create a link from one note to another in Apple Notes (using a handy shortcode even).
First, Fall in Princeton, September in Munich
What links Fall in Princeton, New Jersey, to late September in Munich, Germany?
It’s Albert Einstein, of course. The famed physicist not only fulfilled a teaching role at Princeton University but, at one time, also that of an electrician’s apprentice at Oktoberfest in Munich, screwing in lightbulbs (or so the story goes).
All that in mind, you want to link Princeton and Munich, too? All you need is a note on Einstein—and links:
How to Create a Link to Another Note in Apple Notes
Time needed: 2 minutes
To insert a link to another note in a note you are composing in Apple Notes for macOS on a Mac as well as Notes for iPhone and iPad:
- Type
>>(two larger than signs without any whitespace in between) where you want to insert the linked note.iPhone and iPad: Tap 123 and then #+= to switch to the punctuation keyboard.
- Start typing a word from the title (or the beginning) of the note you want to link.
Here’s why: This filters the list of suggestions to only include those matching the search term.
No fragments: Notes will search only full words, not within words for finding note titles.
Recent notes: To link to one of the most recent twelve notes you editing, you need not search at all, of course; these appear in the auto-complete list from the outset. - Select the note to link from auto-completion results.
Here’s how: Press Control N to go down the list and Control P to go up; press Enter to insert the highlighted note.
Using the mouse: You can also click any result to insert the note, of course.
Create new: You can also type the title of a new note and select Create note “<note title>” from the list; this will create a brand new linked note in the default Notes folder with the title you entered.
Link Text to a Note
To link any text in a note to another note in Apple Notes:
- Highlight the text portion you want to link to the note.
- Mac: Press Command K.
iPhone and iPad: Select Add Link from the context menu. - Type a name from the title or beginning of the note you want to link under Link To:.
- Select the note from auto-completion results; see above for navigating the list fast using the keyboard.
- Press Enter or tap (or click) OK.
Edit or Remove a Link to a Note
Notes for Mac
To change the link or linked text, or to remove a link in Notes for Mac:
- Highlight the link you want to edit.
- Press Command K.
- Make any changes to the link text or target.
- Click OK.
Delete: To delete a link (and leave the plain text), click Remove instead.
Notes for iPhone and iPad
To change a note link’s text or the link target in Notes for iPhone and iPad:
- Tap and hold the link.
- Select Edit Link to change the target (under LINK TO) or the link text (under NAME).
- Tap Done.
To delete a link to another note:
- Tap and hold the link.
- Select Remove Link.
Eating alternative: You can also choose Remove Link in the link editing sheet.
How to Create a Link to Another Note in Apple Notes: FAQ
Can I link notes using dragging and dropping?
No.
You can only link notes using either the URL or the >> shortcode. Dragging one note over another will do nothing.
Can I return to the previous note when I followed a link to another note?
No, not easily.
To return to the previous note, find and open it again in Notes.
As an alternative, it is best not to navigate away from the original note at all. To open a linked note in a new window with Apple Notes for Mac:
- Click on the link with the right mouse button.
- Select Open Note in New Window from the context menu.
Can I link an image to another note?
No.
While Notes will let you create a link with an image highlighted, no link will be effectively created. Neither can you go to the linked note from the image nor can you edit (or remove) the link.
(How to create a link to another note in Apple Notes tested with macOS Sequoia 15.1 and iOS 18; first published November 2024)