The Best Way to Search Apple Notes on Mac in 2025
May 1, 2025
Last week, we came across a tweet that struck a nerve:
“Practically every search function on a large website returns seemingly random results now. Don’t use Notes to store anything you ever need to find again.”
See tweet
It’s a sentiment many Mac users quietly agree with. Apple Notes is an incredible place to store your thoughts, sketches, checklists, brainstorms, screenshots, receipts, journal entries, and voice memos. But when it’s time to find something again? You’re stuck typing vague keywords into the built-in search bar and hoping for the best.
That’s no longer the case.
You can now search inside your Apple Notes using Fenn.
And not just with basic keyword matching. Fenn brings semantic search to the Notes app. So even if you don’t remember the exact phrase, or you stored something as an image or a rough bullet point, Fenn can help you find it.
Let’s walk through how it works.
Why Apple Notes Search Falls Short
Apple Notes is a great app. It syncs across devices, supports handwriting, attachments, audio, and even password protection. But its search is still... limited.
Try searching for:
A quote you paraphrased
A scanned receipt
A doodle with a restaurant name written by hand
You’ll either get no result or a list of notes with the keyword somewhere in the body, but no context, no precision, and no idea where to look.
In short, Notes search works when you remember exactly what you typed (sometimes). But most of us don’t. We remember ideas, moments, or visuals.
That’s what Fenn is built for.
Fenn Makes Your Notes Searchable (Really Searchable)
Fenn is a file search engine for macOS that understands your content like a person would. It doesn’t rely on filenames or rigid keyword matching. It understands meaning.
Now that includes Notes.
Here's what you can do:
Type “pricing options during the Zoom call”
→ Fenn pulls up the note where you jotted down pricing ideas in the middle of a meeting.Search “design direction”
→ Fenn finds the recorded audio inside your Notes, transcribes it locally, and highlights the part where you said “we should go for the brutalist layout.”Try “wifi password”
→ Fenn uses OCR to extract text from images or sketches inside Notes and surfaces the right one, even if it was a blurry scan.
You don’t need to tag anything. You don’t need perfect structure. You just need to remember something about the note.
Fenn finds it.
Keyword Search Still Matters (And Fenn Does That Too)
Let’s say you’re looking for a very specific number or code. That’s where keyword search shines.
Fenn supports both keyword and semantic search modes. You can toggle between them, or even combine both, depending on what you're trying to find. If you’re looking for a contract ID, invoice number, or some snippet of text you copied into a note last month, keyword mode works fast and precisely.
Want a deep dive into how Fenn handles both styles of search? Read our guide: Semantic vs Keyword Search on Mac: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters
Everything Stays Local and Private
You might be wondering, “Wait, my Notes data is searchable by a third-party app?”
Yes. But only by you.
Fenn runs entirely on your Mac, using local AI models powered by Apple Silicon. Nothing is uploaded. No content leaves your machine. Notes, like all your other files, are processed locally, securely, and privately.
It’s part of our commitment to local-first design. You can read more about that in Why Privacy Matters in File Search on Mac
Try It Yourself
If you’ve ever thought, “I know I wrote that down somewhere in Notes,” but gave up searching for it, it’s time to try Fenn.
The next time you need to:
Find a sketched idea from a meeting
Recall a quote from a voice note
Locate a visual reference stored in a handwritten note
Search for a receipt screenshot buried in your Notes library
Open Fenn. Type what you remember. Fenn will find it.
No more scrolling endlessly. No more trying random keywords. No more treating Notes like a digital junk drawer you’ll never revisit.
Now, it’s searchable. Smartly. Privately. Instantly.
👉 Try Fenn now – and make your Notes app useful again.
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How Creatives Can Use AI-Powered Search to Instantly Find Assets, References, and Inspiration
Forget Organizing Your Mac: Fenn Finds What You Need Instantly