Notes app: What's new in iOS 27 Apfelpatient

With iOS 27, Apple is adding four new features to its Notes app – from Siri AI, which populates notes with independently researched content, to copy and paste in Markdown. Dividing lines and links to individual sections are also included. However, one of these new features will remain unavailable to users in the EU for the time being.

Last week, Apple unveiled iOS 27, which is currently available as a developer beta. A public beta is expected in July, with the final version anticipated for all users in September. Besides the major headlines surrounding the new Siri AI generation, the update also brings a number of smaller but practical improvements. The Notes app, in particular, benefits, gaining four new features.

Siri AI creates notes with researched content

On the iPhone 15 Pro and newer models, Siri AI can create notes with content it generates itself. For example, if you ask to create a note listing all iPhone models compatible with iOS 27, you'll get exactly that – Siri AI retrieves the necessary information from the internet. On iOS 26 and earlier, Siri is limited to creating notes directly from what you say, without conducting its own research.

Additionally, Siri AI displays a context-dependent "Add to Notes" link under relevant messages in the Messages app. The suggestion appears only when the conversation content makes it relevant.

Because this feature is tied to Siri AI, it won't be available in the EU at launch. The reason the Digital Markets Act is slowing down Siri AI on iPhone and iPad, while other platforms benefit earlier, stems from the classification of iOS and iPadOS as core platform services.

Copy and paste Markdown

iOS 27 introduces the ability to copy and paste Markdown-formatted text. Markdown is a simple markup language developed by the well-known Apple commentator John Gruber, allowing text to be formatted without any HTML. Some examples:

Bold: **fett**
Italics: *kursiv*
Linked text: [Apple](https://apple.com)
List item: - Beispiel

For example, if you insert the sentence "Today is payday" into the Notes app in iOS 27, "payday" automatically appears in bold. The reverse also works: If you select formatted text in a note and tap the right arrow in the "Cut/Copy/Paste" menu, the new "Copy as Markdown" option appears. This automatically converts any rich text formatting to Markdown, allowing you to paste it elsewhere.

Apple had already laid the groundwork for this: With iOS 26, the Notes app learned how to import and export Markdown files.

Dividing lines for more structure

Longer notes can be divided using separators in iOS 27. To do this, place the cursor at the desired point; the new "Insert Separator" option appears when you tap the right arrow in the "Cut/Copy/Paste" menu. This creates a clear visual separation between individual sections.

Links to individual sections

The fourth new feature allows you to link to a specific section within a note. Tapping the link jumps directly to the relevant section. This makes it possible, for example, to create a reference to a specific section of a previous note in a new note – particularly useful for large collections.

The notes app is growing in small steps

The individual additions aren't spectacular, but together they make the Notes app noticeably more flexible – especially for those who structure a lot of text or regularly copy and paste between apps. However, it will be some time before all users have access to these features: After the public beta in July, the final release of iOS 27 is planned for September. (Image: Apple)