How to Automatically Sort Apple Notes by Title Instead of Date Edited

By default, the Apple Notes app organises your files chronologically, sorting them by the date they were last edited. While this is helpful for finding the note you were just working on, it becomes chaotic when you are trying to manage a large archive of reference material, recipes, or meeting minutes. If you update an old recipe, it suddenly jumps to the top of your list, ruining any logical structure you had in place.

Fortunately, Apple allows you to change this default behaviour. You can configure the Notes app to sort your documents alphabetically by their title, ensuring your lists remain perfectly organised regardless of when you last modified them.

Changing the Sort Order on macOS

If you primarily use your Mac for organising your thoughts, changing the sorting method takes just a few clicks in the application settings.

1. Open the Notes application on your Mac.
2. Click on the word Notes in the very top-left corner of the macOS menu bar (next to the Apple logo).
3. Select Settings from the dropdown menu (or press Command + ,).
4. Look for the dropdown menu labelled Sort notes by.
5. Click the menu and change it from “Date Edited” to Title.

Your notes will immediately rearrange themselves alphabetically. You can also choose “Date Created” if you prefer a strict historical timeline that never changes when you make edits.

Changing the Sort Order on iPhone and iPad

If you use an iOS device, the sorting options are not found within the Notes app itself, but rather in the main system settings.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Scroll down the main list until you find the Notes application icon and tap on it.
3. Scroll down to the “Viewing” section.
4. Tap on Sort Notes By.
5. Select Title from the list of available options.

Sorting Specific Folders Individually

Perhaps you want your main “Inbox” folder to be sorted by Date Edited, but your “Recipes” folder to be sorted alphabetically by Title. Apple Notes allows you to override the default global setting on a folder-by-folder basis.

1. Open the Notes app and navigate to the specific folder you want to customise.
2. On a Mac, click the More button (three dots) at the top of the notes list, select Sort By, and choose your preferred method.
3. On an iPhone or iPad, tap the More button (three dots in a circle) in the top right corner of the folder, tap Sort By, and select your preference.