Hashtags became a useful way to keep track of tweets about topics on Twitter many years ago. They spread to other social networks and to organizing apps. Apple brought hashtags (as plain old “tags”) to Notes and Reminders with iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS 12 Monterey.
You can use tags as ad hoc categorization. Instead of building a series of hierarchical categories or first creating a series of tags that you then apply, you can simply type the hash or pound symbol (#) followed by text without spaces. Typing this will effortlessly create a tag that Notes and Reminders can display in a list of tags in Reminders, and you can use to create smart folders in Notes and smart lists in Reminders.
For example, you can tag a personal medical care note with: #health or a reminder related to work on your home with #homerepair:
- In Notes, there is no special place to add a tag. Just type
#and the tag name, such as#health. Notes automatically suggests items for you to choose from based on tags already added to another note. You can edit tags on a note with Search > Search Note List in macOS and enter the tag, or swipe down in Notes in iOS/iPadOS, tap the search field and type the entire tag, starting with the#. - In Reminders you can add tags anywhere in the text, but there is also a special field for tags. In macOS, creating a note or clicking to edit reveals a Tagging area. You can type tags like
#electronicsor type#and get suggestions. In any version of Reminders, tap or click the info i icon, then tap tags or click on Add tags to add tags. You can also edit tags in those areas.
Once you start tagging notes and reminders, it can be helpful to create sorts using the “smart” features in both apps.
- In Notes, tap the New map icon in the lower left corner of the main screen and tap New smart map in iOS/iPadOS, or choose File > New Smart Folder on macOS. Give the folder a name. You can choose from all tags in iOS/iPadOS or enter tags in macOS. Tap Done or click on Okay.
- In Reminders in iOS/iPadOS, tap Add list in the lower left corner, name the folder, tap Create in Smart Listselect tags and other filters and tap Done. Choose in macOS File > New Listname the list, check Create in Smart Listand add tags in the Tags field. Click Okay.
Ask Mac 911
We’ve put together a list of the most frequently asked questions, along with answers and links to columns: read our super frequently asked questions to see if your question is there. If not, we are always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours to [email protected], including screenshots where appropriate and if you’d like to use your full name. Not every question is answered, we don’t answer email and we can’t provide direct advice to solve problems.
