Send Secret Messages on iPhone with Apple Notes – Here’s How

How would you like it if there was a way to have secret conversations with friends on your iPhone but without the need to download a third-party app or even without using a conventional messaging app altogether? Sounds remarkable, right? Well, this has actually been a feature on the iPhone for a very long time now, built into an app that most people use on a regular basis. But not for messaging.

We are talking about the Notes app.

Notes has been an app that has largely stayed on the sidelines, while the likes of Messages, FaceTime, and Safari, amongst others, grab more attention. Notes has been more of a supporting actor that adds value to the story but is in no way a main character. However, Apple has kept adding some really powerful features to the app. So, while many might still use it as a basic, list-making, last-minute note-taking app, it is actually so much more than that and comes with a number of features that make it, pun intended. A truly note-able app. One such feature is the ability to collaborate on notes in real-time, which actually can be turned into a messaging feature of sorts.

A Google Docs-like feature

Using note collaboration on your iPhone is a bit like using Apple’s version of Google Docs. If you have used Google Docs and shared it with another user, you would know what we are talking about. In case you have not, here’s a simple summary: in Google Docs, when you create a document and share it with another user, they can add and remove content and, basically, edit the document after you are done with it or even with you. It is a very handy feature that lets multiple users work remotely on the same document simultaneously. This means all of the added users can see the changes that are being made to the document in real-time as they are being actually made.

The Notes app on the iPhone also has a feature that lets you share the Note with your contacts, allowing all participants to then edit the note as they please. While this is a very handy feature, it can also be used as a personal messaging platform. A platform that no one can access or even know of, apart from the people you have shared it with. Giving it this avatar is super easy, too. Just follow these simple steps:

Steps to Send Secret Messages on Notes App

Step 1: Open the Notes app and create the note

There is no software update required here, and no special or latest iPhones. If you own a moderately recent iPhone (even if it is five to six years old), it will come with support for this feature. The Note app is built in, so you do not even have to install a special app to use this feature. Just open the Notes app and tap on the new Note icon. In this new note, add whatever information you wish to add.

Step 2: Tap on the Share icon and Collaborate

Once you have created a new note, tap on the Share icon. A small window will pop up with all the sharing options. Just under the icon and name of this note in this window would be the option to “Send Copy.” Many do not realize that there is another option tucked under it. Tap on this “Send Copy” option, and you will be greeted with the option to “Collaborate.” Select it.

Step 3: Give permission

Right under the Collaborate option, you will find an option that says, “Only invited people can edit.” Tap on that option, and here, you will be able to select the people you want to get access to the note. You can also allow them to edit the note. To have conversations, select “Only invited people” and select the “Can make changes” option in permissions.

Step 4: Choose your medium

The next step is to choose the messaging app (Messages, WhatsApp, or whatever you choose) through which you would want to share this note. If you choose to share the Note via Messages, for instance, all you have to do is tap on Messages in the list of apps, select the contact, and the note will be shared. But if you choose to share the note using a third-party app, the Notes app will create a link. You can add any of your contacts’ names in the “To:” column. Adding a contact here is required.

Step 5: Share Link!

Once you have added the contact to the Note, tap on the big yellow Share Link button, and the note will be shared with that particular person.

Step 6: Remove participants if you wish

You can remove some participants from the note and change the list if you wish. In order to do that, you have to go to the note, tap on the little collaboration icon on the top, and then go to the “Managed Shared Note” option. Here, you will see all the participants and the colors assigned to them. Tap on the participant you want to remove, and then hit the “Remove Access” button.

Notes for Messaging: A few points to keep in mind

1. Each participant in this Note conversation will be assigned a specific color. You can also see the participant details and change permissions.
2. In real-time, two users cannot type at the same time as any other messaging app.
3. The edits/ changes made in the note will be visible when you are connected to the Internet.
4. You get notified of changes being made to the note, and you can see who made what additions. You also get a timestamp by simply swiping half right on the conversations.
5. In the note, you can also tap on the collaboration icon and get updates and see all the activity that happened on the note, basically all its history.
6. If you hit the “Stop Sharing” button in this same window, it will not only remove all the participants from the note but will also delete it from their devices.

Cool? Give it a try, and who knows, you might not even feel the need for a messaging app.

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