Notes in iOS 27 receives one of its biggest updates in years, adding seven new features that improve note-taking, organization, and AI-powered productivity. Highlights include Siri AI note creation, upgraded Image Playground, section links, Markdown enhancements, and several smaller quality-of-life improvements.
Here’s everything new in Notes in iOS 27.
Siri AI Note Creation
On iPhone 15 Pro and newer, Siri AI can create a note and populate it with generated content pulled from the internet, so you could ask it to build a note listing every iPhone model compatible with iOS 27 and it will do exactly that. On iOS 26 and earlier, Siri could only add words you spoke into a note, which was far more limiting. This shift in capability turns Siri into a genuine research and drafting assistant rather than a simple dictation relay.
One important caveat: Siri AI will not be available in the EU at launch on either iOS or iPadOS 27.
Upgraded Image Playground Inside Notes
Image Playground now uses a new generative model running on Private Cloud Compute, enabling high-quality images in virtually any style, including photorealistic output, directly inside a note. Every generated image automatically carries a hidden SynthID watermark to identify it as AI-generated, which is a sensible transparency measure as photorealistic generation becomes more accessible.
Apple has not yet exposed the full set of these capabilities in the current beta, and the expectation is that future betas will unlock the complete feature set before the September launch. It is worth noting that Apple has faced scrutiny over its AI training data practices, making the SynthID watermarking approach a notable step toward transparency.
Section Links
Section links let you create a hyperlink inside a note that jumps directly to a specific heading or subheading elsewhere in that same note, or in a different note entirely. To add one, select some text, open the edit menu, tap “Add Link,” and choose “Link to Section,” which presents a full list of headings and subheadings to pick from. You can use the section title as the link text or substitute your own custom label, and tapping the link sends the Notes app directly to that section of text.
This is the kind of internal navigation that Obsidian and Notion users have relied on for years, and its arrival in Notes is a meaningful step forward for anyone managing longer documents or interconnected notes.
Add to Notes from Messages
When Siri AI detects that a message thread contains something worth saving, it surfaces an “Add to Notes” shortcut below that specific message, based on the context of the conversation. The feature removes the friction of manually copying text and switching apps, which adds up quickly for people who regularly save addresses, plans, or reference material shared over iMessage.
Markdown Copy-and-Paste
Apple Notes in iOS 26 could already import and export Markdown files, but iOS 27 goes a step further by automatically converting pasted Markdown-formatted text into rich text the moment you paste it, with no extra steps required. In the other direction, a new “Copy as Markdown” option in the edit menu lets you copy any note content as raw Markdown, which is useful when moving text into a code editor, a static site generator, or any other Markdown-aware tool.
Write with Siri Button
iOS 27 Beta 2, released on June 22, added a persistent “Write with Siri” button above the keyboard in Notes, Mail, Messages, and several other apps. In the first beta, the Siri writing tool was only accessible after selecting text, which made it easy to miss entirely. Surfacing it as a visible button lowers the barrier for users who would never have found it otherwise, and that discoverability improvement matters more than it might seem for a feature Apple clearly wants people to use.
Divider Lines
Divider lines let you insert a horizontal rule anywhere in a note by placing the cursor, tapping the right arrow in the Cut/Copy/Paste menu, and selecting the new “Insert Divider Line” option. It is a straightforward organizational tool that many note-taking apps have offered for years, and its absence from Notes was a minor but persistent annoyance for users who structure longer documents.
Availability
iOS 27 is currently available as a developer beta, with a public beta expected in July and a general release planned for this fall. Some Notes features, including Siri AI note creation and the upgraded Image Playground experience, require Apple Intelligence and are available only on supported devices. Apple is expected to expand and refine these capabilities in future beta releases ahead of the public launch.
