The notes they are a‑changin’

Despite being outdone by many of the best notetaking apps, Apple’s Notes app is never far from my side when I’m on my iPhone. There’s something about its low‑friction simplicity that makes it my go‑to place for organizing my thoughts, managing my grocery list, planning ahead, and much more. And now, it looks like it could become even more essential thanks to a key upgrade that’s reportedly coming in iOS 26.4, and it’s all thanks to Apple’s recent partnership with Google Gemini.

According to The Information, the Notes app will get a significant tune‑up in iOS 26.4 thanks to the addition of some artificial‑intelligence (AI) smarts that will link the Siri virtual assistant to Google’s Gemini AI.

“Siri will also be able to handle other types of tasks, such as creating a Notes document with a cooking recipe or information about the top causes of drug addiction, for instance.” – The Information

Honestly, that line about tying in with your favorite recipes has me intrigued. Back when we first got a glimpse of Apple Intelligence in June 2024, Apple promised that we’d be able to get Siri to take things from one app and use them in another.

Reading The Information’s report, I’m just imagining people able to look up a recipe in Safari, then saying something like “Siri, add these ingredients to my shopping‑list note.” Think about how much time that could save repeatedly copying and pasting text from one place to another.

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Finally delivering on its promise

Image credit: Apple

And of course, it wouldn’t have to be limited to topping up your cookbook. You could potentially ask Siri to send an image from the Photos app to a specific person in Messages, or take an address from an email and get directions there in Apple Maps.

Working across apps like this was one of the key promises Apple made back in 2024, and now it looks like the company might finally be able to deliver on that pledge – even if it means rowing back its ambitions and enlisting the help of Google.

Apple has added a lot of handy features to Notes in recent years. I love that the app can scan documents, correcting their colors and cropping them appropriately with minimal effort. And being able to have my audio notes automatically transcribed in the app is a great tool to have.

But with Gemini‑powered AI taking the helm, the app could finally come close to what Apple promised us almost two years ago. It’s clear why Apple picked Gemini, and I’m hopeful that the wait will be worth it.

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About the author

Alex Blake – Freelance Contributor

Alex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he’s learned a thing or two about tech. He writes for TechRadar, iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. Previously a commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine, he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.