Maximizing iPad Productivity with Quick Notes for Research
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Quick Notes facilitates the use of overlapping floating windows, streamlining the process of searching for headphones. This article includes a handy Quick Notes cheat-sheet.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if iPads supported overlapping windows? Conducting research and creating content would become significantly more manageable. Fortunately, Apple appears to be slowly warming up to this idea.
With the introduction of iPadOS 15, Apple has partially implemented this feature, albeit somewhat hidden. It’s called Quick Notes.
Yes, Quick Notes, rather than full overlapping windows. Too simple!
In this guide, I will illustrate how I utilized Quick Notes to find suitable noise-cancelling headphones and provide you with a cheat-sheet to seamlessly incorporate Quick Notes into your workflow.
To enhance clarity, I've included animated GIFs demonstrating the user interface.
What Exactly is a Quick Note?
Quick Notes serve as a simplified version of standard Notes, allowing you to create and modify content within a floating window.
You can access the Quick Notes editor at any time by swiping up from the bottom right corner of your iPad screen.
The editor can be positioned in any of the screen's corners:
Contrary to what you might think, the window is not just a small box that can hold limited information. It has scrolling capabilities, and as we will see, since a Quick Note essentially functions as a Note, you can embed PDFs, images, and more.
The editor offers basic functionalities.
You can create new notes, share or delete them, enable the pencil interface, and access the Quick Notes section within Apple Notes.
Additionally, there's a button that lets you add a link to the document you are currently viewing. While this feature operates well in Safari, app developers need to implement a feature called deep linking.
Deep linking directs to specific documents within an app, rather than just launching the app itself. At the moment, only Apple seems to have this functionality.
You might notice that my Quick Note includes a visually appealing image. I’ll explain how to embed photos and other elements shortly.
Searching for Noise-Cancelling Headphones with Quick Notes
Sometimes, using a tool for a project can clarify its functionality...
I need a quiet environment to focus, especially since I work from home now. In the office, I would reserve a meeting room when I needed to concentrate. That option isn’t available at home.
Consequently, my tranquility is frequently disrupted by the noise of the tumble dryer or washing machine. Noise-cancelling headphones seemed to be the solution. Naturally, I needed to find the right pair.
Enter Apple Quick Notes.
I had heard mixed reviews about the high price of Apple’s noise-cancelling headphones, but I decided to investigate. How expensive could they really be?
Initiating the Search
Regular readers are aware of my fondness for Apple products. My AirPods Pro are fantastic, even if they don't completely drown out the sound of the tumble dryer.
I opened Safari and swiped up from the bottom right corner. The Quick Notes editor appeared, and I created a new, blank note.
Since the editor operates in a floating window, I could still interact with Safari. I navigated to the Apple UK website and specifically the AirPods Max page.
Goodness, am I the only one who thinks Apple’s product pages are somewhat extravagant? Regardless, I scrolled down to find pertinent information and saved it.
The AirPods Max appeared quite impressive, especially to someone like me who is not well-versed in noise-cancelling headphones! It’s Apple, so perhaps I would just take the plunge and buy them.
But how much do they cost?
That much! (Awkward silence.)
I could purchase one of the latest iPad Minis for that price! Incredible.
I didn’t require sound studio-quality headphones to block out household noise, so it was time to consider other options.
The Best Alternatives to AirPods Max
I noted the price in my Quick Note (as if I’d forget) and included the link to the page.
Next, I performed a Google search for “best AirPods Max alternatives.” I was able to do this without losing the Quick Notes editor. A list of websites featuring alternatives appeared.
Instead of detailing every single site, I’ll highlight two examples that showcase the capabilities of Quick Notes.
Tom’s Guide
I've relied on the Tom’s Guide website for years, so I was eager to see their recommendations. Similar to the Apple UK site, I could scroll down and identify what piqued my interest.
To avoid devoting too much time to researching noise-cancelling headphones, I selected the top two options. I have previously owned both Sony and Bose products, so I expected them to deliver solid performance.
Still, it’s always wise to seek a second opinion.
Sound Guys
Without closing Quick Notes, I returned to the search results and clicked on Sound Guys. I wasn’t familiar with this site, but if Bose and Sony were mentioned again, I would know what direction to take.
I was interested in being more adventurous. Could I capture a screenshot of the Safari page and add it to my note? Yes, indeed.
I captured the screenshot and cropped it to include only the essential parts. I then copied and pasted it into my note.
Consolidating Your Research
Having looked at several websites and copied links and information into my Quick Note, I wanted to review everything. Do I truly have to do this within that small window?
Not at all. You can view it as a standard full-size note in Apple Notes.
You can either tap on the grid icon at the top right of the editor or do the following:
Launch Notes and open the sidebar. Tap on Quick Notes at the top right.
Both methods will direct you to the Quick Notes section in Apple Notes. The surprise? When you access your Quick Note here, it appears as a full-sized note! You can perform all the same actions as with regular Apple notes.
Refer to the cheat-sheet below for instructions on converting Quick Notes to regular notes and vice versa, along with additional tips.
By the way, I opted for the Sony WH1000XM3 headphones. Since the XM4 model is available, I purchased them for £210, not £549. What a relief!
QuickNotes Cheat-Sheet
Creating a Quick Note
- Swipe up from the bottom right corner of the iPad screen using your finger, Apple Pencil, or stylus.
- If there’s existing content, tap on the new note button at the top right corner.
Where to Find Quick Notes?
They reside in a dedicated section of Apple Notes. Open the sidebar and look at the top-left corner.
Is Safari the Only App Compatible with Quick Notes?
- Any app can potentially support Quick Notes, provided it offers deep linking and supports the Quick Notes framework.
- Deep linking allows a link to direct to a document within an app, not merely to the app itself.
- More apps are beginning to adopt this functionality.
How to Add Multiple Links?
- Each time you access a new document or webpage, the add link button in the Quick Notes editor will include a link to that page.
- This is contingent on the app supporting deep linking and Quick Notes. If not, the embedded link may only launch the app.
- Safari fully supports this feature.
- You can also drag links from the Safari title bar or any part of a webpage.
What Can Be Embedded in a Quick Note?
Anything that can be embedded in an Apple Note can also be included in a Quick Note.
For example, you can drag a link to an email from Apple Mail into Quick Note.
- Open the Quick Note Editor over Apple Mail.
- Press and hold the email you want to save the link for.
- Drag it into the editor window.
You can also drag images into Quick Notes.
- Open the Quick Note editor and launch Photos.
- Press and hold the photo you want to add.
- Drag it into the note.
- This should function in most apps that display images.
How to Save Screenshots?
Refer to the section titled Sound Guys above.
Can I Change Screens?
To switch screens while the Quick Note editor is open, swipe left or right with three fingers. Multi-tasking should operate as usual.
Turning Quick Notes into Regular Notes
- Navigate to the Quick Notes folder by either opening Apple Notes or tapping the grid icon at the top right of the Quick Note editor.
- Press and hold the Quick Note you wish to convert into a standard note. A menu will appear.
- Select the Move option to transfer the Quick Note into the regular note folder structure.
- It will then function as a normal note.
Turning Regular Notes into Quick Notes
- Open Apple Notes and locate the note you want to convert.
- Tap and hold to bring up the Notes menu.
- Use the Move option to shift the note into the Quick Notes folder. Ensure you modify something in it (as described in the next step).
- When you swipe up, the most recently edited note should appear in the Quick Notes Editor.
Managing Quick Notes alongside Slide Over
As illustrated in the main image of this article, both the Quick Notes editor and Slide Over window can be displayed simultaneously.
Activate the Quick Notes editor as usual, then bring up the Slide Over view. You can adjust both windows as you wish.
Takeaways
Initially, I thought the Quick Notes editor was too small to be of any practical use. I mistakenly assumed that "quick" equated to "short," believing it could only accommodate a brief fragment of text.
Clearly, I was mistaken. I overlooked a highly valuable feature of iPadOS 15, which effectively provides multiple floating windows.
Another misconception was thinking Quick Notes and standard Apple Notes existed in separate realms. They do not; Quick Notes can be organized alongside other notes, as they are fundamentally the same.
I continually allow Apple to do this to me. A new feature may seem limited or peculiar, prompting me to disregard it. However, when I finally take the time to explore, I discover it offers genuine benefits.
I remain hopeful that iPadOS 16 will introduce full multi-window support, but for now, this functionality is sufficient.
I trust this article will enhance your productivity on the iPad significantly.