Notes Created in iOS 15 and macOS 12 Betas May Not Show Up on Earlier Versions - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Notes Created in iOS 15 and macOS 12 Betas May Not Show Up on Earlier Versions

If you've installed the public beta of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, or macOS Monterey on any of your devices, you may have already tried out some of the new features Apple has added to the Notes app, such as the ability to use @ user mentions in shared notes and the long-desired support for tags.

ipados 15 notes
However, some users have discovered that notes containing instances of these two new features don't show up in some earlier versions of iOS and macOS, so it's best just to stay away from them if you have any other devices still running older versions of Apple's desktop or mobile operating systems.

As reported by 9to5Mac, if the Notes app identifies a device in your iCloud account running a version earlier than iOS 14.5 or macOS 11.3, it will alert you to the fact that tagged notes or notes containing mentions will be hidden on those devices.

On the plus side, if your other devices are fully up-to-date and running iOS 14.5 or macOS Big Sur 11.3 or later, then it appears that any notes using @ mentions or tags are able to be opened by those versions.

As always with beta software, it's inadvisable to install these version on devices that you rely on for work or anything else important, especially if you're using multiple devices on the same Apple account, this example being a case in point.

Related Forums: iOS 15, macOS Monterey

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
Apple iCloud Plus expansion hero

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....

Top Rated Comments

Venderious Avatar
68 months ago

You do realize Apple very significantly improved notes functionality, and added tons of rich text formatting. Theres no way it would work on older versions.
I highly doubt 2014 MacBooks would not be able to handle a feature such as tags or mentions.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
68 months ago
Oh that sucks. The problem is many probably still have macs that are way older than their iDevices. So their iDevices might be up to date, but the macs may not. And Big Sur dropped support of many macs. :(
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
velocityg4 Avatar
68 months ago
Too bad the Notes app is Apple only. I use Onenote instead. As I need something which works cross platform. Without resorting to a web app.


You do realize Apple very significantly improved notes functionality, and added tons of rich text formatting. Theres no way it would work on older versions.
I think the issue is. Something like this is tied to the OS version. Rather than making Notes and other apps independent updates from the OS.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
68 months ago
I wish Apple would decide if they want Notes to be a full-fledged note taking app or not. They keep adding features that can be beneficial, but on the other hand we still can't do simple things like drag and drop to order bullet points. At times it seems they want to be OneNote, and at other times they want to be a scratchpad.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleTO Avatar
68 months ago
Wait so something created in a newer version of software doesn’t work in an older version of the same software? …

lol
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pauloregan Avatar
68 months ago
Of course this is the case. Why would old software show all new beta features. Ridiculous attempt at outrage.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)