Apple Notes Expected to Gain Markdown Support in iOS 26

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Markdown support: export vs input

  • Initial reporting implied full Markdown input; commenters noted the underlying source only mentioned Markdown export.
  • The article was later corrected to clarify it’s export-only, disappointing those who want to write in Markdown or edit notes as plain text.
  • Export to Markdown is still seen as a big win for moving content into tools like Obsidian or Joplin, especially if indentation and attachments are preserved; some are skeptical Apple will cover all metadata and media.

Editing experience: Markdown vs rich text

  • Some argue Markdown typing is slower on touch keyboards due to symbol entry; others say it’s faster than diving into the formatting UI, especially with physical keyboards.
  • Selection and formatting of already‑typed text on iOS is widely described as “fiddly,” so adding Markdown markers after the fact may be easier than using rich‑text tools.
  • There’s a clear split: some love Markdown and even mentally “render” it; others find raw Markdown ugly (especially inline URLs) and want rich text, or at least syntax that auto‑hides like Bear’s implementation.

Data portability and lock‑in

  • Strong warnings against deeply investing in Apple Notes because of opaque storage, weak export, and iCloud dependence.
  • Workarounds mentioned: IMAP‑backed notes (with limited feature support and potential corruption between clients), AppleScript tools on macOS, Shortcuts‑based exporters, and third‑party apps that bulk‑export to Markdown.
  • Some users accept lock‑in and treat Notes as a scratchpad for throwaway or temporary content; important material is moved to plain‑text/Markdown systems elsewhere.

iOS versioning change

  • Many were initially confused by “iOS 26,” assuming it was a joke or typo, then realized Apple is rumored to be moving to year‑style version numbers.
  • CalVer is seen as more understandable for non‑experts and helpful in aligning Apple’s OS releases, though some view it as marketing‑driven (and possibly influenced by competitors’ naming).

Markdown’s broader rise

  • Discussion connects Apple’s move and Microsoft Notepad’s new formatting/Markdown support to Markdown’s mainstreaming.
  • Several note Markdown’s importance as a “native language” for LLMs and its de facto dominance among lightweight markup formats, despite many dialects and alternatives (Org, AsciiDoc, LaTeX, etc.).

Perceptions of Apple Notes quality and scope

  • Users appreciate Notes’ simplicity, E2E encryption, and attachment support, but complain about bugs (cursor jumps, disappearing text, table glitches) and poor search.
  • Some want Notes to stay simple and free of LLM features, others find it too limited and migrate to Bear, Obsidian, Upnote, or Org‑based tools.
  • A recurring theme: Apple ships minimal features, leaves apps stagnating for years, then slowly backfills obvious capabilities like Markdown export.