The Way I Use Apple Notes is... Different

I use Apple Notes, but not the same way most people do. Most people keep their notes organized nicely in folders. I don't use folders at all.

BUT AREN'T YOUR NOTES A MESS THEN?

Nope! They're actually super organized.

BUT HOW?

I set up my Apple Notes the way the internet is set up. The internet has a bagillion-million-quintillion websites. And zero folders (that's not quite true, but it doesn't have folders that users typically click through).

i'm gonna need to refill my coffee... brb...

☕️

...k, we're good. continue.

Here's something you probably learned in school - and maybe don't think much about anymore - the internet is made of files. That's all it is, a whole bunch of files. Files of pictures, files of HTML code, files of JavaScript, all kinds of files. Most websites are made up of many files, yet the internet is not a disastrous mess.

Instead of organizing all those files into giant folders, they're given addresses. If the file is made public on the internet, any computer can access that file (or website) with a hyperlink to the file's address.

okay, you're boring me. what's the point?

The point is, Apple Notes can be configured just like the internet. Each note has an address, and any note can hyperlink to any other note by using the other note's address.

ohhhhh, so your notes are set up like the internet!

Yes, instead of storing notes in folders, I have home pages for various categories. Then, on those home pages, I have hyperlinks to all of the related notes. And to make navigation easy, I add a hyperlink back to the home page at the top of every note.

interesting. can i see what it looks like?

Here's my home page

And here's one of the sub-pages

brb again.

☕️☕️☕️🍵

okay, i'm back... i was supposed to be sleeping, but instead i spent all that time on setting up my notes with hyperlinks and zero folders. but there's a problem...

Uh oh, what's the problem?

on my macbook, i can't make the sidebar go away 😬 how did you get rid of it?

Oh, getting rid of the sidebar is easy!

1. In the sidebar, right-click on your Home note.


2. Select Open Note in New Window.


3. After the new window opens, go back to the old window and click the red circle in the upper left corner to close it.

💥

And if you ever want to get it back, press Command+0, or restart Apple Notes, or go to the top menu, click Window and select Notes from the menu.

⚡️

And if you don't want it to come back every time you close Apple Notes, then perhaps you can create a Shortcut that only opens your Home note. I'm not sure, though. I haven't played around with that one yet. Maybe you should go do that and send me the 〜address〜 of your Shortcut.

Thanks for chatting and may your digital organizing be fun and clutter-free!