How to View Apple Notes on Android

If you are part of the Apple ecosystem with several Apple devices, you’d love the interoperability between them. However, the moment you bring in a device carrying other OS, the hell breaks loose. You can’t access data on your Apple apps on other platforms, and not even an app as basic as the Apple Notes app is spared. Typically, one would prefer a cross-platform notes app. Sadly, Apple Notes isn’t one of them. But if you want to get iCloud notes on your Android phone or tablet, a workaround exists.

I like to use Apple Notes on my iPad because it works well in the split-screen mode. At the same time, I want to sync the notes to my Android phone as well. Since the Apple Notes Android app doesn’t exist, it leaves people clueless.

Fortunately, you can get and view Apple Notes from your iPhone or iPad on Android using the two methods mentioned in this post. That’s possible with the help of the Google Chrome browser on Android (even Microsoft Edge will work) or with Gmail. In the former case, you can edit notes too. But the editing feature is missing if you access Apple Notes inside Gmail.

Note: We have used Apple Notes and iCloud Notes interchangeably in the post. They refer to the same thing.

Method 1: Sync Apple Notes to Android Using Chrome

In this method, you can open the web version of iCloud by going to iCloud.com through the Chrome browser. Sign in with your Apple account and tap on Notes. You should see all your iCloud Notes. However, if you want to access the notes regularly, opening the website repeatedly wouldn’t be apt. You can create a home screen shortcut to the website on your Android device. Doing so will open the iCloud in a separate window and with just one tap.

Here are the steps in detail. We have divided into two sections: open iCloud Notes on Chrome and create a shortcut.

Open and View iCloud Notes on Android

Step 1: First, you need to enable sync functionality for your Apple Notes. Only then you can access the notes on other devices.

For that, open Settings on your iPhone or iPad. Tap on your name at the top. Then, go to iCloud.

Enable the toggle next to Notes.

Note: You will not be able to access the ‘On My iPhone’ folder of the Notes app on your Android phone. If you want to view the notes inside it on your Android phone, move them to a different folder inside Apple Notes.

Step 2: On your Android device, launch the Chrome browser and open iCloud.com. You will be asked to sign in with your Apple ID. Enter your username and password. Make sure to check the box next to ‘Keep me signed in’ if you will use the Apple Notes app frequently on your Android. The interface will ask whether you want to trust this device. Tap on Trust.

Note: Do not check the ‘Keep me signed in’ box or trust the device if you are signing in from your friend’s phone.

Step 3: Tap on Notes inside iCloud. Congratulations! Your iCloud Notes are now accessible from Android. Tap on any note to open and edit it. You can even create new notes. Similarly, you can access your Reminders and Photos from Apple on Android.

Note: In case you don’t see the Notes inside iCloud, tap on the three-dot icon at the top of Chrome, and select Request desktop site.

Create an iCloud Notes Shortcut on Android

Step 1: With the iCloud Notes opened in Chrome on your Android phone, tap on the three-dot icon. Select Add to Home screen from the menu.

Step 2: A pop-up window will open. You can rename the shortcut if you want to rename it from iCloud Notes to something else. Then tap on Add. Another pop-up will appear. Tap on Add.

Step 3: Go to the home screen of your Android phone. You will find the iCloud Notes shortcut. Tap on it to directly view Apple Notes on your Android.

When you open Apple Notes like this, you will notice that the window doesn’t have a search bar. Moreover, if you open the Recent apps screen, you will find the iCloud Notes web app there.

For the unaware, that happens because the web app for Apple Notes is a Progressive Web App (PWA). PWAs work like a regular app and offer faster experience. You can install PWAs on Chrome in Windows and Microsoft Edge as well.

Note: The Apple Notes web app appeared a little buggy to me. I couldn’t scroll down easily on long notes. For some notes, the keyboard didn’t appear when I tried to enter new notes.

Method 2: View Apple Notes on Android Using Gmail

If the above method doesn’t work properly, you can access Apple Notes from within Gmail as well. However, the editing capability is missing in Gmail. So you can only view the notes. But that should suffice if you desperately want to get the iCloud Notes on an Android device somehow. Refer our guide on how to view Apple Notes in Gmail.

Transfer Apple Notes

We hope the above methods would help you in accessing Apple Notes on your Android phone. In case you decide to move out of Apple Notes, or buy an Android phone for primary usage, you should transfer your iPhone Notes to Google Keep. Similar to Apple Notes, Keep is also fast and syncs your notes in real-time. If you don’t like Keep, you should check Google Keep alternatives that will work on Android and iPhone.

Next up: Wondering how to access Apple Notes on a Windows PC? Find out the answer in our next post.