Checklists are a wonderful way to stay on top of tasks and keep yourself organized. There are many ways you can use checklists in Apple’s Notes app to keep track of your various to-do lists. We’ll explain how to use checklists in the Notes app below.
Update your iPhone or iPad to ensure all features are accessible, then you can follow this guide to start creating, customizing, and sharing checklists.
How to Create a Checklist in the Notes App
Creating a checklist in the Notes app is definitely quicker than looking for a pen and paper and jotting a list down in real life. Let’s take a look at the basic steps required to make a checklist:
- Open the Notes app and either tap the compose button (an icon with a square and pen) or open a pre-existing note where you want to add a checklist.
- Your screen will show of a bar in the middle with different icons. Tap on the checklist icon in the middle.
- A circle will appear in your new note, indicating you can now begin writing your checklist. Type out an item, press enter, and repeat the process until your checklist is complete.
And that’s pretty much about it. Your checklist has been created. Now you can tick off items, add some more along the way, rearrange the order of the items, and share the list with a contact on your iPhone.
How to Tick Off Items in a Checklist
The entire purpose of a checklist is to cross out items and tasks as you complete them, so you can keep track of what’s left. To check off an item from the checklist you created, all you need to do is tap on the circle next to the item, and the circle will turn yellow with a tick mark in between, indicating the task has been marked complete.
If you tick an item off by mistake, just tap the circle again to undo it.
How to Indent Items
Indenting items on a checklist moves them in from the left side, as though they’re nested under the item above them. You can do this to make certain items stand out or to group tasks together.
To indent an item towards the right, swipe right on it. You can then swipe left to remove the indent and bring the item back towards the left. You can repeatedly swipe to add or remove multiple indents to your items.
Read More: How to Lock Private Notes in the Apple Notes App
How to Rearrange a Checklist
If you want to change the order of the items on your checklist to make it more organized, there are a couple of ways to do so:
- Tap and hold on the item you want to move, then drag and drop it to the place you want.
- Cut an item and paste it where you want it in the list.
Another method to rearrange completed items against pending items would be to enable automatic sorting of checklists, which we’ll explain below.
How to Automatically Sort Items in a Checklist
One of the highlights of checklists in the Apple Notes app is automatic sorting. This feature automatically moves completed items to the bottom of the checklist, allowing you to focus on what is left to work on. To enable automatic sorting, follow these steps:
- Open Settings and go to Notes.
- Scroll down and tap on Sort Ticked Items.
- Tap Automatically.
Now, every time you check off an item, it will jump to the bottom of your checklist.
How to Share a Checklist From Apple Notes
Want to share a grocery list with a family member? Or a to-do list with your partners on a group project? Here’s how to do so:
- Open the checklist you want to share and press the three dots in the top corner.
- Tap on Share Note.
- You can choose to let others make changes by tapping Share Options at the bottom and choosing View only or Can make changes.
Stay on Top of Tasks With Checklists in the Notes App
Apple lets you automatically sort checklists, add indentations, rearrange items, and share them whenever you want to using the Notes app on your iPhone or iPad. It’s pretty good for a free offering, but if you’re looking for even more functionality, there are plenty of third-party notes apps to choose from as well.