Pin a Note to Top of Notes List on iPhone

Pinning a note in the iPhone Notes app keeps your most important reminders, lists, or ideas permanently at the top of your notes list, so you never have to scroll to find them. This guide shows you how to pin and unpin notes, what to do if pinning isn’t working, and answers common questions. You’ll need an iPhone running iOS 15 or later (pinning was introduced in iOS 15) and the Notes app with at least one note already created.

What You’ll Need

iPhone with iOS 15 or later
Notes app with at least one existing note
Your iPhone unlocked and ready to use

Step-by-Step

Open the Notes app – Tap the Notes icon on your Home Screen or in a folder. If you use iCloud Notes, make sure you’re viewing the correct account (e.g., iCloud, On My iPhone) in the folder list.
Navigate to the notes list – You should see a list of your notes. If you’re inside a specific note, tap the back arrow (<) in the top-left corner to return to the list.
Find the note you want to pin – Scroll through the list or use the search bar at the top of the list to locate the note. You can search by title or content.
Swipe right on the note – Place your finger on the note’s row and swipe from left to right (i.e., swipe right). This reveals a yellow pin icon on the right side of the row.
Tap the pin icon – Tap the yellow pin icon. The note will immediately jump to the top of the list and display a small pin icon next to its title, indicating it’s pinned.
Verify the pin – The pinned note now appears at the very top of your notes list, above all other notes, even if you have newer notes. You’ll see a small pin icon to the left of the note’s title.
To unpin a note – Swipe right on the pinned note again and tap the pin icon (now filled) to unpin it. The note will return to its normal position based on its modification date.

Alternative method: You can also pin a note by long-pressing (touch and hold) the note row in the list, then selecting “Pin Note” from the context menu that appears. This works in iOS 16 and later.

Common Mistakes

Swiping the wrong direction – Swiping left (from right to left) reveals delete and more options, not the pin. Always swipe right (from left to right) to reveal the pin icon.
Pinning from inside the note – You cannot pin a note while viewing it. You must be on the notes list screen. If you’re inside a note, go back to the list first.
Expecting pinning to work in folders – Pinning works within a folder or account, but it only pins the note to the top of that specific folder or account’s list. It does not pin it to the top of the entire app if you have multiple folders.
Confusing pinning with locking – Pinning is different from locking (which requires Face ID or password). Pinning just moves the note to the top; locking protects the note’s content.
Not updating iOS – Pinning requires iOS 15 or later. If you’re on an older version, the pin icon won’t appear. Check your iOS version in Settings > General > About.

Tips

Pin multiple notes – You can pin more than one note. Pinned notes appear in the order you pinned them, with the most recently pinned note at the very top.
Use pinning for frequently accessed info – Pin your grocery list, work project notes, or important reference numbers so they’re always one tap away.
Combine with folders – If you have many notes, create a folder for “Pinned” and pin notes within that folder for even quicker access.
Search still works – Pinned notes appear in search results just like any other note, so pinning doesn’t hide them from search.
Pin from the share sheet – When you create a new note from the share sheet (e.g., sharing a webpage), you can pin it later from the list using the same swipe method.

Troubleshooting

Pin icon doesn’t appear when swiping right – This usually means your iOS is older than 15. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any available updates. If you’re already on iOS 15 or later, restart your iPhone (press and hold the power button, then slide to power off, then turn it back on).

Note doesn’t stay pinned – If a note returns to its original position after pinning, you may have accidentally unpinned it. Check for the pin icon next to the title. If it’s missing, swipe right and tap the pin again. Also, make sure you’re looking at the correct folder/account—pinning is per list.

Pin works but note is not at the very top – Pinned notes appear at the top of the list, but if you have multiple pinned notes, they are ordered by the most recent pin. If you want a specific note at the very top, unpin all others and then pin that note last.

Cannot pin notes in a shared folder – If you’re viewing a shared iCloud folder, you may not be able to pin notes if you don’t have edit permissions. Ask the folder owner to grant you edit access.

Pin option is grayed out – This can happen if the note is locked (with a password) or if you’re viewing a note that is in a read-only state (e.g., a shared note you don’t own). Unlock the note or request edit access.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I pin a note from the widget? – No, the Notes widget shows a list of notes, but you cannot pin directly from the widget. You must open the Notes app and pin from the list.

Does pinning work on iPad or Mac? – Yes, pinning is available on iPadOS 15+ and macOS Monterey (12) or later. The swipe gesture works similarly on iPad; on Mac, you can right-click a note and select “Pin Note.”

Will pinning affect iCloud sync? – No, pinning is a local view preference that syncs across your devices via iCloud. If you pin on your iPhone, it will appear pinned on your iPad and Mac as well.

Can I pin a note to the top of a folder? – Yes, pinning works within any folder. Open the folder, then swipe right on the note to pin it to the top of that folder’s list.

How do I unpin a note? – Swipe right on the pinned note in the list and tap the pin icon again. The note will return to its normal position. You can also long-press and choose “Unpin Note.”

Does pinning work with locked notes? – Yes, you can pin a locked note. The note will appear at the top, but you’ll still need to unlock it to view its content.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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