Apple has slowly but steadily improved the Notes app over the years. In iOS 17, Apple lets you create interlinked notes in the built-in Notes app, which can be quite handy.

Here's everything you need to know about the note-linking feature, including the steps to link notes in the Notes app on your iPhone.

What Is the Note Linking Feature in iOS 17?

Note linking is a feature that allows you to link notes to each other in Apple Notes on your iPhone. Using it, you can easily cross-reference your existing notes in a note to add more context. Or, you can create a wiki of sorts where you can add links to all your important notes in one single note for quick and easy access.

Likewise, you can also use the feature to link related or similar kinds of notes to set up a knowledge base with all the relevant information about a subject organized under one roof. Previously, you had to rely on the built-in Shortcuts app to create deep links to specific notes on iOS.

How to Link Notes in Apple Notes on an iPhone

Linking notes requires you to have at least two notes. Once you've figured out which notes you want to link together, here's what the linking process looks like:

1. Launch the Notes app on your iPhone and open the note where you want to add a link to the other note.
2. Select the text you want to hyperlink and choose the Add Link option from the context menu.
3. When this brings up the Add Link window, type the title of the note you want to link in the LINK TO field.
4. If you wish to modify the hyperlink text, you can replace the existing text in the NAME field. Keep in mind that you can't change the link text afterward.
5. Finally, hit Done in the top-right corner to create the link.
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Now, if you wish to backlink this note to the other note, the process is pretty simple. Just open that note and follow the steps mentioned above.

While this note-linking process is pretty straightforward, Apple has added a shortcut to help you link notes faster. It involves using two greater than signs (>>), and here's how you go about it:

1. Open the note where you want to reference another note.
2. Enter the >> characters, and it'll bring up a list of your six recently modified notes in the Notes app.
3. Select the note you want to insert into your note.
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As soon as you do this, it'll create a link with the note's title as the hyperlink text. Bear in mind that if you link a note using this method, you can't set your own hyperlink text and have to settle with the note's title as the link text.

Apple Notes Also Supports Linking to Web Pages

Creating linked notes is an invaluable feature on any note-taking app, and you realize its true worth once you try it out. If Apple Notes is your primary note-taking app, and you use it for research or storing ideas, the note-linking feature can make your life a lot easier and help you stay more organized.

Besides linking notes, Apple also lets you add links to web pages in the Notes app. This is another handy feature that can come in handy when you want to add external references to your notes.

The note-linking feature is also available on iPadOS 17 and macOS Sonoma, so you won't miss out on it as you switch between your Apple devices.