Mehul•I use Apple Notes to journal, to keep track of my to-dos, to plan, to create and publish sites, to remember things and ultimately to create a second brain.
The notes organize my thoughts, plan my life and provide a reflective quality to my life. They are incredibly important to me, they feel like an extension of my self. That’s why I use Apple Notes for a number of reasons.
Simple Format
The format of notes is incredibly simple, nearly as simple as .txt files. So they can be copied and pasted to other apps with ease. This is not possible with Notion, for instance.
Offline
Apple Notes are available offline. Syncing happens in the background. And as there are places and times when you can’t get online, this is incredibly important. I write best when inspired, not on the clock, and having the ability to write as and when I need is incredibly important.
Apple
Apple, one of the world’s largest companies, is here to stay. They will not be acquired by a competitor, their products and their formats are here to stay. They are not known for shutting down products on a whim, and it’s even less likely with Apple Notes as it’s baked into the operating system. They’re reliable. Knowing Apple will be around for a very long time gives me confidence that my writings will not suddenly disappear.
iCloud
Backups are important. I could use .txt files to write notes but then I would have to be in charge of backing them up myself. iCloud backs up my notes seamlessly. And Apple Notes are automatically saved with a clear search history so work is less likely to be lost and edits can be easily reverted. It’s also possible to backup notes automatically to Google Drive or other cloud providers easily.
Images and other media
Sometimes I need to add images, videos and audio to my notes and the native drag and drop experience in Apple Notes is as intuitive and easy as can be.
Sharing & Collaboration
It’s instrumental I share my to-do lists, blog posts and plans with others and it’s incredibly easy to share Apple Notes.
Conclusion
I find Apple Notes has the right balance of ease, simplicity, being intuitive and powerful and it has improved my note taking and writing experience. It helps me remain focused and work deeply, two things I greatly value.