How to quickly search for images, attachments and scans in the Notes app on iOS

Learn how to search for images and scans in the Notes app on iPhone and iPad to quickly find a photo or a document you’ve attached to a note.

Enhanced Search Images Scans Notes iPhone

The Apple Notes app lets you search for items within images and scans you’ve attached to your notes.

So if you want to find that photo of your car in a note from last year or need the invoice scan you sent Mr. Jones, if it’s attached to a note, you can find it easily. Here’s how to search for images, attachments, and scans in Notes on iOS.

Search images and scans

You can use a keyword to find an object in a photo or word in a scan that you attached to a note.

Open the Notes app on your iPhone or iPad and go to a folder where you believe the item is kept, or use All iCloud to search them all.

Enter your search term at the top. And in case the search box isn’t visible, swipe down slightly on the screen to reveal it.

The app should recognize objects in the images that you have attached. For instance, you can see in the screenshot below that I searched for “crowd,” and that’s exactly the photo that was found.

Search Image Notes iPhone

You can enter a word to search for a document that you have scanned and attached. For example, in the screenshot below, you can see that I searched for “receipt” and Notes found both a scan and a note with my keyword.

Search Scan Notes iPhone

Search for attachments with notes

Remember that you can also find notes that have attachments. For instance, you know that you scanned a document and attached it to a note but can’t find that note.

  1. Go to a folder or pick All iCloud.
  2. Tap the More button and pick View Attachments.
  3. When you see the attachment for the note, tap and hold.
  4. Then pick Show in Note. You’ll be taken to the note containing the attachment.
Search Attachments Notes iPhone

Other tips for the Notes app: