iOS 27 Gives the iPhone Notes App Four Big Upgrades

The Notes app on iPhone is getting its biggest round of upgrades in a while. Apple's iOS 27 update adds four features: Siri that can build a full note, easier copying of formatted text, divider lines, and links that jump to a spot inside a note. The update is currently available only as a developer beta, meaning an early test version.

Siri can write the note

On iPhone 15 Pro and newer, you can ask Siri to create a note and it will fill in the content. One example: ask for a note listing every iPhone model that works with iOS 27. Siri pulls the facts from the web, drafts the text and formats it inside the note. Before, Siri mostly typed out the words you said.

Siri also gets a new shortcut in the Messages app. Under certain messages, based on the conversation, a button labeled "Add to Notes" can appear so you can save something important quickly.

Copying and formatting

Notes now understands Markdown, a popular way to format text using plain symbols instead of menus. It was created by John Gruber. If you paste Markdown text into Notes, it shows up with real bold or italic formatting.

It also works the other way. Select formatted text in Notes and a new "Copy as Markdown" option appears in the quick menu. That turns bold and italic text into plain formatting codes you can paste into another app.

Long notes get divider lines. Place the cursor where you want a break, tap the right arrow in the quick menu with Cut, Copy and Paste, then choose "Insert Divider Line." It splits the note into clear parts.

Links inside a note

The fourth feature lets you create a link that jumps straight to a specific section of a note. No more scrolling to find it. You can also build a new note made of links that point to sections of older notes. That gives you a personal index for work or home planning.

What is not known yet

The material does not say when iOS 27 will reach everyone, or whether any of these features cost extra. It also does not say whether the Markdown, divider and link tools need a newer iPhone, as the Siri feature does. Because this is a beta, details could change before the final release.