How to Use Find & Replace in the Notes App

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Many of us are familiar with the Find and Replace function that has been available as a native feature in most word processors like MS Word and Pages. But iOS 16 brought the feature to the Notes app and there's no place where this feature is more useful. Now, you can find and replace a word in on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad in the Notes app! I'll walk you through the steps for how to use find and replace in your Notes!

Why You'll Love This Tip:

• Quickly find misspelled or incorrect words and phrases and easily replace them.
• Find and replace all misspelled or incorrect words and phrases in a note with one click.

How to Use Find in Note to Find & Replace Text

There are two quick and easy ways to use the Find and Replace feature. This first way is best for finding and replacing text in a single note. If you like tips like this about using your Apple devices, be sure to sign up for our free Tip of the Day! Here's the first way to find and replace in your Notes.

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1. Open the Notes app.
   
   
2. Open the note you need to use the find and replace function with.
   
   
3. Tap the three dots in a circle in the top right of the note.
   
   
4. Tap Find in Note.
   
   
5. Type the word or phrase you want to replace in the text field exactly as it was spelled in the note to highlight all instances of the word.
   
   
6. Tap the magnifying glass next to the text field.
   
   
7. To ensure you don't change words you're not intending to, tap Whole Words.
   
   
8. Then, tap Find & Replace.
   
   
9. A new "Replace" text field will show up. Type the preferred word or phrase.
   
   
10. You can navigate through the highlighted words by tapping the up or down arrows on the right.
    
    
11. Tap Replace to replace the phrases one by one.
    
    
12. To replace all, press and hold Replace.
    
    
13. Tap Replace All.
    
    

How to Use Find Selection to Find & Replace Text

Another way to Find & Replace in your notes is to use Find Selection, which is almost exactly the same as Find in Note. However, this may be slightly more convenient.

1. Open the Notes app.
   
   
2. Open the note you need to use the find and replace function with.
   
   
3. Double-tap the word or phrase you want to replace.
   
   
4. Tap the right arrow when the menu pops up.
   
   
5. Tap Find Selection to highlight all other versions of that word or phrase in the note.
   
   
6. Tap the magnifying glass next to the text field.
   
   
7. To ensure you don't change words you're not intending to, tap Whole Words.
   
   
8. Then, tap Find & Replace.
   
   
9. A new "Replace" text field will show up. Type the preferred word or phrase.
   
   
10. You can navigate through the highlighted words by tapping the up or down arrows on the right.
    
    
11. Tap Replace to replace the phrases one by one.
    
    
12. To replace all, press and hold Replace.
    
    
13. Tap Replace All.
    
    

And that's how you use Find and Replace in the Notes app! While both options are fairly similar, you may find that one is more convenient for you than the other. But I'm so glad we can now Find and Replace on our iPads and iPhones in the Notes app. I've already used this a few times to make up for my terrible spelling!