📝 iOS 26: Smarter Notes and Reminders with Apple Intelligence

July 16, 2025

With the release of iOS 26, Apple is rolling out design enhancements and new AI-powered features to its built-in productivity apps — Notes and Reminders. These updates go beyond cosmetic changes, introducing intelligent tools designed to streamline everyday tasks and note-taking across your Apple devices.

💡 From Liquid Glass aesthetics to AI-powered suggestions, iOS 26 makes your productivity tools smarter, faster, and more intuitive.

🌊 Redesigned with Liquid Glass

Apple's new Liquid Glass design brings subtle transparency and rounded edges to the Notes and Reminders apps. While more prominent in apps like Camera, the visual updates here are clean, minimal, and modern:

Notes: Features a compact, frosted-glass toolbar with rounded buttons and keyboard edges.
Reminders: Inbox sections now feature full-color backgrounds, rounded pill-shaped buttons, and a translucent interface throughout.

📋 Reminders: Smarter, Context-Aware Task Management

✨ AI-Powered Features (Apple Intelligence Required)

Siri Suggestions: Automatically recommends reminders based on Mail, Messages, Notes, and even grocery lists.

In-App Suggestions: Tap on suggestions from Mail or Messages to quickly add tasks—without opening the app.
Automatic Categorization: Groups related tasks (e.g., work, errands, groceries) into smart sections so you don’t have to sort manually.

⚡ Control Center Shortcut

Create new reminders directly from the Control Center, assign them to the Action Button, or access them from the Lock Screen.

🧠 Notes: Enhanced Functionality with Graphs and Markdown

📈 3D Graphs in Math Notes

Use Math Notes to generate interactive 3D graphs from three-variable equations like z = sin(x² + y²). Simply type an equation, tap a variable, and select Insert 3D Graph. Graphs can be resized and moved using gestures.

Also available on iPadOS 26, including support for handwritten math equations.

🧭 Scrolling Toolbar

The toolbar now supports horizontal scrolling to quickly access tools—no need to tap into submenus. Tapping still opens rich options for formatting, images, tables, and more.

📄 Markdown Export

Notes now support Markdown file export (.md), making it easy to move content to third-party apps. Note: Writing in Markdown directly is not supported.

🔍 Persistent Search

The Folders view now includes a visible search bar at the bottom, replacing the previous swipe-to-reveal search field.

📞 Call Recordings and Transcriptions

With the Phone app expanding to iPad and Mac, recorded calls can now be saved in Notes—complete with AI-powered transcriptions. This feature was first introduced on iPhone in iOS 18.

🔎 Summary: A Smarter, Sleeker Workflow

✅ Fresh UI with Liquid Glass in Notes and Reminders
✅ AI-powered Siri Suggestions and smart categorization in Reminders
✅ 3D math graphing, Markdown export, and improved toolbars in Notes
✅ Persistent search bar and advanced transcription for recorded calls

iOS 26 transforms how you plan, write, and manage tasks—making your iPhone and iPad more powerful and intuitive than ever.