Notes and Reminders in iOS 26: New features and Liquid Glass
In iOS 26, Apple updates almost all built-in apps with new features and design changes, including Notes and Reminders. Many of the app changes are visual, but there are also some useful new features you shouldn’t miss.
Liquid Glass
The Notes and Reminders apps adopt the Liquid Glass design introduced with iOS 26. Signs of Liquid Glass are more subtle in these apps than, for example, in the iOS 26 Camera app, but everything looks a little different.
The Notes app toolbar has rounded corners and is more compact with its frosted glass look, and the keyboard also has rounded edges. The buttons at the top are circles or pills with a liquid glass effect.
In Reminders, the various inbox sections are now solid color instead of white, and all buttons are rounder than before and have a translucent look. The surfaces for entering and editing reminders also feature the rounded edges that are part of the new design.
Reminders in iOS 26
The changes to the Reminders app go beyond simple design updates. Apple is introducing some useful new AI features. The new Reminders features require a device that supports Apple Intelligence.
Siri Suggestions
Apple has added a Siri Suggestions section to the Reminders app. This area shows you items from your conversations in Mail and Messages that you might want to add to your to-do lists. Reminders can automatically suggest tasks, incorporating information from notes, grocery lists, and more.
Reminder suggestions also appear in apps like Mail. Tap them to add a reminder without opening the Reminders app.
Reminder suggestions are contextual and tailored to the individual user. They are designed to make creating reminders easier with fewer interactions. Apple says that iPhone users receive suggestions for tasks, purchases, and follow-ups based on emails and other texts.
Automatic Categorization
The Reminders app can categorize related tasks into grouped sections. For example, if you need to pick up several items at the supermarket, the Reminders app can group them all together in one place.
If you have multiple work tasks and errands to complete, the Reminders app can separate them so you don’t have to manually sort your lists.
Control Center
There is now a Control Center option for creating new reminders. You can use them from Control Center, assign them to the Action key, or access them from the Lock screen by assigning them to one of the Lock screen buttons.
Notes in iOS 26
The Notes app has received fewer updates in iOS 26, but Apple has made some useful changes.
Math Notes
Math Notes now supports creating 3D graphs with three-variable equations. For example, an equation like z = sin(x2 + y2) creates a wave graph.
You can use this function by entering an equation and then tap one of the variables. Select the “Insert 3D diagram” option there. 3D diagrams can be enlarged, scaled and moved by tapping and pulling.
3D diagrams are also supported in iPados 26, also with handwritten formulas.
Scrollable toolbar
You can now wipe the toolbar in notes to display all available tool options. Before that, they had to tap on a tool area to reach all functions. Although wiping is an option to get to other tools, you can also open different submenus for formatting, image generation, lists, tables and more by tapping.
Markdown
The notes app supports the export of content in Markdown in iOS 26, so that you can save notes as Markdown. (.MD) files that can be imported into Markdown-capable third-party apps. The letter in Markdown is not supported in the notes app.
Search
The folder view of the notes app now has an always visible search bar instead of a hidden bar, which is accessible by swiping from the upper edge of the app.
Call recordings
conversations from the new telephone app on the iPad and MacBook can save audio recordings with transcriptions in the notes app. This function was already available on the iPhone in iOS 18. With the expansion of the telephone app to new devices, the call recording function was also expanded. For transcriptions, Apple Intelligence required.
