How to stop the Notes app from starting new notes with a Title on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Do the new notes you create always start with a title? Learn how to set the Apple Notes app on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac to begin with the main body text instead of the huge title.

Note on iPhone with and without title

Many people use the Notes app on their devices differently. You might keep it super organized with folders for all your projects and meaningful titles for your notes. Or, you might use it to simply jot down quick thoughts for a short time and delete the note soon after.

If you fall into the latter category and just open Notes to capture something in a hurry that you don’t intend to keep forever, you probably don’t take the time to worry about titles. Maybe you’re jotting down a phone number, password, or an item you need from the store. In this case, all that really matters is the body of the note itself, right?

With a simple setting, you can have all notes you create in the Notes app start with the body text instead of a title. If this is something you’ll find useful, we’ve got you covered.

Create Notes without a title

This setting is particularly useful if you use the Notes app on iPhone and iPad, where you may not take the time to format that text.

On iOS

  1. Open Settings on iPhone or iPad and select Notes.
  2. Scroll down to Viewing and tap New Notes Start With, which by default uses Title.
  3. Next, pick Body, or you can choose Heading or Subheading if you prefer that.
New Notes Start With on iPhone

Now, instead of big, bold text at the top of your Notes, you’ll have smaller, non-bold body text.

Notes Title and Body on iPhone

On Mac

  1. Open the Notes app and click Notes > Settings or Preferences from the menu bar.
  2. Select the New notes start with drop-down box, which uses Title by default like on iOS.
  3. Pick Body. Or you can pick Heading/Subheading if you’d rather.
New Notes Start With on Mac

And that’s it. Your new notes on Mac will start with body text instead of a title.

This obviously isn’t some earth-shattering setting that will change your life. But sometimes, it’s just small changes we make that we’ve never taken the time to do that make a difference.

Is this a setting you’re going to change in the Notes app?

More tips for the Notes app: