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iPad User Guide

Add drawings and handwriting in Notes on iPad

Use the Notes app to draw a sketch or jot a handwritten note with Apple Pencil (on supported models) or your finger. Choose from a variety of Markup tools and colors, and draw straight lines with the ruler. As you write with Apple Pencil, your handwriting can be automatically refined in real time to be more legible while maintaining the look and feel of your own handwriting style.

👁 A note showing a drawing and Markup tools along the bottom of the screen.

Use drawing and handwriting tools

  1. Go to the Notes app 👁 Image
    on your iPad.

  2. In a note, start drawing or writing with Apple Pencil. Or to draw or write with your finger, tap 👁 the Handwriting Tools button
    .

  3. Do any of the following:

Tip: You can search handwritten text (in supported languages) in Notes. If the note doesn’t have a title, the first line of handwritten text becomes the suggested title. To edit the title, scroll to the top of the note, then tap Edit.

Select and edit drawings and handwriting

With Smart Selection, you can select drawings and handwriting using the same gestures you use for typed text. You can move, copy, or delete the selection within the note. You can even paste it as typed text in another note or app.

Note: Smart Selection and handwriting transcription work if the system language of your iPad is set to a supported language in Settings 👁 Image
 > General > Language & Region > iPad Language. See the iOS and iPadOS Feature Availability website.

  1. Go to the Notes app 👁 Image
    on your iPad.

  2. In a note, select drawings and handwriting with your finger using any of the following methods:

    • With the Lasso tool: Tap 👁 the Handwriting Tools button
      ,       tap 👁 the Lasso tool
      (between the eraser and Image Wand in the tool palette), then use your finger to outline the objects you want to select.

    • With gestures:

      • Touch and hold, then drag to expand the selection.

      • Double-tap to select a word.

      • Triple-tap to select a sentence.

      • Drag the handles to adjust the selection as needed.

  3. Tap the selection, then choose any of the following:

    • Cut

    • Copy

    • Delete

    • Duplicate

    • Add to Playground

    • Copy as Text

    • Insert Space Above

    • Translate

Work with handwritten text

iPad can refine your handwriting to be smoother, straighter, and more legible. You can also paste or convert typed text in your handwriting, correct spelling inline, and move or delete handwriting.

  1. Go to the Notes app 👁 Image
    on your iPad.

  2. In a note, select the handwriting.

  3. Do any of the following:

    • Refine: To make your writing smoother, straighter, and more legible, tap Refine1.

      To automatically refine your handwriting, tap 👁 the Handwriting Tools button
      ,       tap 👁 the More button
      ,       then turn on Auto-refine Handwriting.

    • Make your writing more level: Tap Straighten.

    • Correct spelling: Tap an underlined word, then choose how you want to correct it. The fix appears in your own writing style.

    • Move handwriting: Touch and hold the selected text, then drag it to a new position.

    • Convert a text object to handwriting: Tap a text object in the drawing area, tap 👁 the More button
      ,       then tap Convert to Handwriting. (This feature2 requires previously saved notes in your handwriting with at least 10 unique lowercase characters.)

    • Paste typed text in your handwriting: Select and copy text from a webpage, document, or email; in a handwriting area in Notes, then tap Paste. (This feature2 requires previously saved notes in your handwriting with at least 10 unique lowercase characters.)

  4. To erase text, scratch out the writing, then hold down your writing instrument (such as Apple Pencil or your finger) on iPad. (Supported when using a markup tool such as Pen, Mono line, or Marker.)

Drag images from other apps

You can drag images from other apps to a note and combine them with handwritten and drawn content. After you add an image to the drawing area, you can reposition and resize the image.

Use Image Wand

If Apple Intelligence* is turned on, you can use Image Wand in Notes to generate images based on rough sketches you create. You can also select empty space to create an image based on words and images from the surrounding area. See Use Image Wand with Apple Intelligence.

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