Navigating lengthy notes is now simple with the new section links feature in Apple Notes for iOS 27. (Illustrative AI-generated image).
- iOS 27 brings section links to Apple Notes, enabling navigation to specific headings within a note.
- Creating section links is simple: tap and hold text, select “Add Link,” choose “Link to Section,” and pick a heading.
- While other apps like Notion and Evernote have similar features, Apple Notes offers a free, built-in, and user-friendly solution.
- Section links are ideal for organizing meeting notes, project plans, personal knowledge bases, study materials, and journals.
- Limitations include links only working with headings, no direct linking to sections in other notes, and broken links if headings are changed or deleted without warning.
- The feature syncs across devices via iCloud and works in shared notes, but requires manual creation of links without automation.
You know the feeling. You open a note that has grown into a monster over months of use. It might be a list of project tasks, a collection of recipes, or notes from a dozen meetings. You scroll. And scroll. And scroll. Your thumb gets tired. You lose your place. You wonder why you didn’t break it into separate notes.
Apple Notes has a new trick in iOS 27 that solves this exact problem. It is called section links. And it is one of those features that, once you use it, you will wonder how you lived without it.
I have been testing the iOS 27 beta on my iPhone, and section links have already changed the way I organize my notes. Let me walk you through everything you need to know.
What Are Apple Notes Section Links?
A section link is a clickable link inside a note that jumps you to a specific heading in that same note. Think of it like a bookmark in a PDF or a link in a table of contents on a website. You click it, and you instantly move to the right spot.
Before section links, the only way to move around a long note was to scroll manually. You could use the search bar to find a word, but that did not always work well if you did not remember the exact term. Section links give you a much faster way to navigate.
Here is the key: section links only work with headings. Apple Notes supports different heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, and so on). When you create a section link, it points to a specific heading in your note. Tap the link, and you jump straight to that heading.
This is not a new idea in the world of note-taking apps. Apps like Notion, Evernote, and Obsidian have had similar features for years. But Apple Notes has never had it until now. For millions of people who use the built-in Notes app as their primary tool, this is a big deal.
How to Create Section Links in Apple Notes
Creating a section link in Apple Notes is surprisingly simple. Apple did not bury this feature in a menu. It works much like the existing link feature for linking to other notes.
Here is how you do it on an iPhone or iPad running iOS 27:
- Open a note that has at least one heading. You can create a heading by selecting text and choosing a heading style from the formatting menu.
- Tap and hold on any word in the note where you want the link to appear. A menu pops up.
- Select “Add Link” from the menu. The same option you use to link to a website or another note appears.
- In the link editing screen, you will see a new option: “Link to Section.” Tap it.
- A list of all the headings in your current note appears. Tap the heading you want to link to.
- The link is created. Tap “Done” to save.
That is it. The linked text now appears in a different color (usually blue) and is underlined. Tap it, and you jump instantly to that heading.
On a Mac, the process is similar. Right-click on text, choose “Add Link,” then select the section option. The Mac version of Apple Notes in macOS 27 (if Apple follows its usual naming) should have the same feature.
One thing I noticed right away: the link works both ways. If you create a section link and tap it, you go to the heading. But there is no automatic “back” button. You have to use the standard back gesture or the back button at the top of the note to return to where you were. That is a small inconvenience, but it is worth noting.
Comparing Apple Notes Section Links to Other Apps
Apple Notes is not the first app to offer this kind of linking. Other popular note-taking apps have had similar features for a while. Here is how Apple’s version stacks up.
Notion has a “table of contents” block that automatically lists all headings in a page. You can also create inline links to any heading. Notion’s system is more visual and flexible. You can create a whole dashboard of links. But it also requires more setup. Apple Notes is simpler. You just add a link where you want it.
Evernote has had note linking for years, but section linking within a note is newer. Evernote lets you link to specific paragraphs, not just headings. That is more powerful, but it can also be confusing. Apple Notes keeps it simple by only linking to headings. That makes the links more predictable.
Obsidian is built entirely on links. You can link to any block of text, any heading, or any note. It is incredibly powerful, but it has a steep learning curve. Apple Notes is designed for everyday users who do not want to learn a complex system. Section links give you some of Obsidian’s power without the complexity.
Google Keep does not support section links at all. Neither does the default Samsung Notes app. So Apple Notes is actually ahead of some competitors with this feature.
The big difference is that Apple Notes is free and comes built into every iPhone, iPad, and Mac. You do not need to download anything or pay for a subscription. For the millions of people who just want a simple way to organize their notes, section links are a welcome addition.
Step-by-Step: Creating Your First Section Link
Let me walk you through a real example. Imagine you have a note called “Vacation Planning” with sections for flights, hotels, activities, and packing list. Here is how you would create a section link to the “Hotels” section.
First, make sure each section has a heading. In your note, type “Hotels” and then apply the Heading 1 style. You do this by selecting the text, tapping the formatting button (the Aa icon), and choosing “Heading.”
Now, go to the top of your note. Type something like “Jump to Hotels” or just “Hotels.” Select that text.
Tap and hold on the selected text. A menu appears. Choose “Add Link.”
In the link editing screen, you will see a field for the URL. Below it, there is a new button labeled “Link to Section.” Tap it.
A list of all headings in your note appears. You might see “Flights,” “Hotels,” “Activities,” and “Packing List.” Tap “Hotels.”
The link is created. Tap “Done.”
Now, when you tap the “Jump to Hotels” link, the note scrolls instantly to the Hotels section. It is that fast.
You can create multiple section links in the same note. For example, you could create a table of contents at the top of your note with links to every section. Then you can jump to any part of the note with one tap.
You can also create section links from other notes. If you have a note that references another note, you can link to a specific section in that other note. This turns Apple Notes into something closer to a personal wiki.
Real-World Use Cases for Apple Notes Section Links
Section links are useful for anyone who takes notes, but they really shine for power users who manage a lot of information. Here are some ways you might use them.
Meeting notes. If you keep a single note for all your meetings, you can create sections for each meeting date. Then create a table of contents at the top with links to each meeting. One tap and you are at last week’s standup.
Project planning. A project note might have sections for goals, tasks, deadlines, and notes. Section links let you jump between these sections quickly. You could even create a dashboard note that links to sections in other project notes.
Personal knowledge base. Many people use Apple Notes as a place to save information they want to remember. You might have a note about cooking with sections for different types of dishes. Or a note about your car with sections for maintenance, repairs, and insurance. Section links make these notes much easier to navigate.
Study notes. Students can create a single note for a course with sections for each topic. Section links at the top act as a table of contents. This makes studying and review much faster.
Journaling. If you keep a long-running journal note, you can add a new section for each day or week. Section links let you jump to any date quickly.
The key benefit is that you do not have to split your notes into many small notes. You can keep related information together and still navigate it easily.
Limitations of Apple Notes Section Links
Section links are great, but they are not perfect. Here are some limitations I have found while testing the iOS 27 beta.
Only works with headings. You cannot link to a random paragraph or a specific sentence. The link must point to a heading. This is a deliberate design choice to keep things simple, but it means you cannot create links to arbitrary text. If you want to link to a specific detail, you need to turn that detail into a heading first.
No link to other note’s sections from within a note. You can create a link to another note, and you can create a link to a section within the same note. But you cannot create a link that says “go to the ‘Budget’ section in my ‘Project Alpha’ note.” That would be a powerful feature, but Apple does not support it yet. You can only link to sections in the current note.
Broken links. If you change the heading text or delete the heading, the section link breaks. The link still exists, but tapping it does nothing. Apple does not warn you that a link is broken. You have to check manually. This is the same issue that exists with links to other notes, so it is not new, but it is worth knowing.
No visual indicator of broken links. When a section link breaks, the text still looks like a link (blue and underlined). But tapping it does nothing. There is no error message or visual change. You only realize it is broken when you tap it and nothing happens.
Works with shared notes. I tested this with a shared note. Section links do work in shared notes. If you create a section link in a shared note, anyone with access to the note can tap the link and jump to the section. This is great for collaborative projects. However, if someone deletes or renames the heading, the link breaks for everyone.
Syncs across devices. Yes. Section links sync through iCloud just like any other note content. If you create a section link on your iPhone, it appears on your iPad and Mac. This works as long as you are signed into the same iCloud account and have notes syncing enabled.
No automation. There is no way to automatically generate a table of contents with section links. You have to create each link manually. For very long notes with many sections, this can be tedious. Notion does this automatically with its table of contents block. Apple Notes does not.
iOS 27 Beta Availability and Testing
Section links are part of iOS 27, which is currently in beta testing. Apple announced iOS 27 at WWDC in June 2026. The first beta was released to developers shortly after. A public beta followed a few weeks later.
As of late June 2026, iOS 27 is in beta 2. This means the software is still being tested and may have bugs. Apple is expected to release the final version to everyone in September 2026, alongside the new iPhone models.
If you want to try section links now, you can install the iOS 27 public beta. Here is how:
- Go to beta.apple.com on your iPhone.
- Sign in with your Apple ID.
- Enroll your device in the Apple Beta Software Program.
- Download the beta profile and install it.
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update and download iOS 27 beta.
Be careful. Beta software can have bugs and may affect battery life or app performance. It is a good idea to install it on a secondary device if you have one. Make sure you back up your iPhone before installing the beta.
If you do not want to risk the beta, you will have to wait until the official release in September. But based on my testing, section links work well even in this early beta. I have not experienced any crashes or data loss related to the feature.
Other new features in iOS 27 include improvements to Siri, new AI tools, and various fixes for common complaints. But for anyone who uses Apple Notes regularly, section links might be the most useful addition.
They solve a real problem in a simple way. They do not require you to learn a new system or change your workflow. You just add links where you need them. That is the kind of feature that makes a difference every day.
If you have ever felt frustrated scrolling through a long note, section links are worth trying. They might just change the way you use Apple Notes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Apple Notes section links in iOS 27?
Section links in iOS 27 allow you to create clickable links within an Apple Note that jump directly to a specific heading within that same note. This makes navigating long notes much easier and faster.
How do I create a section link in Apple Notes?
To create a section link, tap and hold on the text where you want the link, select 'Add Link,' then tap 'Link to Section.' Choose the desired heading from the list that appears, and tap 'Done'.
Can I link to any part of a note, not just headings?
No, section links in Apple Notes currently only work with headings. You cannot link to a specific paragraph or sentence unless it is designated as a heading.
Do section links work in shared notes?
Yes, section links work in shared notes. Anyone with access to the note can tap the link to jump to the corresponding section.
What happens if I change or delete a heading that has a section link?
If you change the text of a heading or delete it, the section link will break. The link will still appear clickable, but tapping it will do nothing, and Apple Notes does not provide an automatic warning for broken links.
Can I create a link to a section in a different note?
No, currently you can only create section links to headings within the same note. You cannot create a link that jumps to a specific section in another note.
Do section links sync across my Apple devices?
Yes, section links sync across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac via iCloud, just like any other note content, provided you are signed into the same iCloud account and have notes syncing enabled.
Is there an automatic way to create a table of contents with section links?
No, Apple Notes does not currently offer an automatic way to generate a table of contents using section links. You need to create each link manually.
