how do you search notes on mac?
to search notes on mac, open the notes app, show the search field, type what you're looking for and press return, or press option command f to search all notes. apple says notes search finds matching content in the body of each note, attachment file names, attached pdfs, drawings and handwriting, what's inside images, and text in scanned documents.
there are limits. apple says a locked note shows only its title in the results, and some features aren't available when using accounts from other providers.
this guide follows apple's notes user guide for mac as of november 2026.
download the remynd desktop app to search text you saw in a focused window, by app and date.
how do you search all your notes on a mac?
you search all your notes from the search field in notes. apple's notes search guide gives these steps:
- open the notes app on your mac.
- click to show the search field. if you have more than one account, such as icloud and on my mac, choose all accounts or current account next to the magnifying glass.
- to narrow it, choose a suggested search such as shared notes or notes with attachments.
- type your search, then press return.
apple's notes shortcuts page lists option command f as search all notes. results list each matching note with its folder, and top hits come first, using factors such as a title match and how recently the note was updated.
what does notes search look through?
notes search looks through more than the text you typed. this table follows apple's notes search guide.
| where the words are | does notes search find it? |
|---|---|
| the body of a note | yes |
| an attachment's file name | yes |
| an attached pdf | yes |
| a drawing or handwriting | yes |
| a photo | yes, by what's in it |
| a scanned document | yes |
| a locked note | title only |
| recently deleted | yes |
can you search notes in plain language?
you can search notes in plain language. apple says to phrase a search the way you'd say it, which it calls natural language search. its examples include "notes created last week".
how do you search inside one note?
to search inside one note, open it and press command f, then enter text in the search field that appears. apple gives this as the way to search in a specific note.
how do you find an attachment?
you find an attachment fastest with the attachments browser, in our view. apple's attachments guide says that for icloud notes and notes stored on your mac, you can choose view > show attachments browser to see attachments from all your notes in one window. the shortcuts page lists command 3 as show attachments.
- click a category, such as photos & videos, scans or maps, to filter.
- control-click an attachment and choose show in note to open the note it is in.
apple says the browser leaves out attachments in locked notes, even after you enter your password, and leaves out drawings.
what if a note seems to be missing?
in our read, check the account you searched and icloud sync. apple says notes in the recently deleted folder are included in search.
- the account. apple's missing notes article for iphone and ipad, published may 12, 2026, says to make sure all accounts is selected, so search checks your notes in each folder across your accounts. on a mac, the all accounts choice sits next to the magnifying glass.
- icloud sync. apple's icloud settings article, published march 27, 2026, says that on a mac you choose apple menu > system settings, click your name, click icloud, then choose apps under saved to icloud. in macos sonoma or earlier, apple says to click apps using icloud instead. when icloud is off for an app, apple says its data exists only on that device.
what can't notes search find?
notes search finds what is in your notes, not what you read elsewhere. in our read, text you saw in a browser, a chat or a call is not in notes unless you added it to a note yourself. apple adds that spotlight searches include your notes.
in microsoft's work trend index, published may 9, 2023, which surveyed 31,000 full-time employed or self-employed workers in 31 markets, 62% of respondents said they struggle with spending too much of their workday searching for information.
the same survey found 86% were looking for ai to help find the information and answers they need. for our view on why notes alone often fall short, see why your notes app never worked.
where does remynd fit?
remynd records your screen, runs ocr locally with apple vision, and keeps a searchable index on your computer. text comes from the focused window only, and video covers windows you have not excluded.
you can exclude apps and sites, and private browser windows are excluded by default. press control space to search in plain language, refine by app, date or source, and jump to an exact moment, provided remynd was running then, the window was not excluded and, for text, it was the focused window. it needs macos 14 or later on an apple silicon mac.
limits of this guide
- it follows apple's notes user guide as we read it on the date above. menu names can differ between macos versions.
- apple says all notes features in its guide are available with icloud notes, and some aren't available with accounts from other providers. apple's icloud page describes jotting a list on your mac and opening it on your iphone. we did not test other accounts.
- it covers the notes app on mac only.
download the remynd desktop app and search what you saw in a focused window, by app and date.