How to Use Smart Folders in Apple Notes to Automate Your Organisation

If you use Apple Notes extensively on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you likely have hundreds of notes scattered across different folders. Finding specific information quickly becomes difficult as your library grows. While the search bar is useful, Smart Folders offer a more powerful, automated way to organise your notes without manually dragging and dropping them into specific locations.

A Smart Folder is not a traditional folder that stores files. Instead, it is a dynamic filter. It automatically gathers all notes that match specific criteria (like containing a specific tag, mentioning a certain person, or created within a specific timeframe) and displays them in one place. If a note stops matching the criteria, it instantly disappears from the Smart Folder.

Requirements for Smart Folders

• You must be using upgraded iCloud Notes (the default for modern Apple IDs). Smart Folders do not work with notes synced via third-party accounts like Gmail or Exchange, nor do they work with the older “On My iPhone” account if it is not using the modern format.
• Your device must be running iOS 15 / macOS Monterey or later for basic tag-based Smart Folders, and iOS 16 / macOS Ventura or later for advanced multi-filter Smart Folders.

How to Create a Smart Folder on iPhone and iPad

1. Open the Notes app.
2. Navigate to the main Folders screen.
3. Tap the New Folder icon (a folder with a plus sign) in the bottom-left corner.
4. Choose where to create the folder (e.g., iCloud).
5. Tap Make Into Smart Folder.
6. Enter a name for your Smart Folder.
7. Select the filters you want to apply (detailed below).
8. Tap Done.

How to Create a Smart Folder on Mac

1. Open the Notes app.
2. Click New Folder at the bottom of the sidebar.
3. Check the box next to Make into Smart Folder.
4. Enter a name for the folder.
5. Set your desired filter criteria using the dropdown menus.
6. Click OK.

Available Smart Folder Filters

Apple Notes allows you to combine multiple filters to create highly specific Smart Folders. You can choose whether a note must match Any of the filters (broad search) or All of the filters (narrow, specific search).

The available filters include:

• Tags: Notes containing specific tags (e.g., #work, #recipes). You can filter for notes with selected tags, or notes that do not contain selected tags.
• Date Created: Notes created today, in the last 7 days, in a specific month, or a custom date range.
• Date Edited: Notes recently modified. This is excellent for creating a “Recently Worked On” folder.
• Shared: Notes shared with other people, or notes shared specifically by a certain person.
• Mentions: Notes where you have been mentioned (@yourname), or notes where you have mentioned a specific collaborator.
• Checklists: Notes that contain a checklist, specifically filtering for notes with unfinished checklist items (great for a master “To-Do” folder) or completed items.
• Attachments: Notes that contain specific types of attachments, such as photos, scanned documents, web links, or drawings.
• Folders: You can restrict the Smart Folder to only pull notes from specific existing standard folders, rather than searching your entire iCloud account.
• Quick Notes: Include or exclude notes created using the Quick Note feature.
• Pinned Notes: Include or exclude notes that you have pinned to the top of your list.

Practical Examples of Smart Folders

Here are some useful ways to configure Smart Folders for better productivity:

The “Action Required” Folder

Create a Smart Folder that filters for Checklists set to Unchecked, and Mentions set to Me. This creates a unified dashboard of every task assigned to you across all your shared project notes.

The “Recent Research” Folder

Create a Smart Folder filtering for Attachments set to Web Links and Date Edited set to Last 7 Days. This automatically gathers all the web research you have saved over the past week.

The “Receipt Vault”

Create a Smart Folder filtering for the tag #receipt and Attachments set to Scans. Whenever you scan a receipt and type the tag, it automatically files itself here.

Converting a Standard Folder to a Smart Folder

If you have an existing folder that you want to automate:

1. On iPhone/iPad: Swipe left on the folder in the list and tap the Gear icon (or long-press the folder and select Convert to Smart Folder).
2. On Mac: Right-click the folder and select Convert to Smart Folder.

Warning: When you convert a standard folder to a Smart Folder, the physical folder structure is removed. The notes themselves are not deleted, but they are moved to your root Notes directory and tagged with the old folder’s name. The new Smart Folder simply filters for that tag. This cannot be easily undone.

Editing a Smart Folder

To change the filters on an existing Smart Folder:

• iPhone/iPad: Long-press the Smart Folder and select Edit Smart Folder.
• Mac: Right-click the Smart Folder and select Edit Smart Folder.

Smart Folders change how you interact with Apple Notes. Instead of spending time manually filing notes into rigid hierarchies, you can simply write your notes, use tags naturally, and let Smart Folders do the heavy lifting of surfacing the right information exactly when you need it.