How do I search my notes?

Goal

Find a note from the notes window again, with the search field or by voice.

Before you start

• A folder for notes. How to pick it is in How do I let Nova search my documents?
• For voice search: AI access.

Steps

1. In the menu at the Nova icon: Notes, Search. Nova Search opens. The Notes tab lists only notes.
2. Type a word. Nova searches title, keywords, and text. Choose with the arrow keys, Return opens the note in the notes window, Escape closes.
3. In the notes window itself, the field Search sits in the sidebar. It filters the list.
4. A note’s keywords are buttons. A click searches all notes with that word.
5. By voice at the avatar: “What do my notes say about …?” Nova searches by meaning, not only for the exact word.
6. Searching by meaning needs an index. Settings, Files & knowledge, the Notes tab, card Notes, button Rebuild index. Below it is the number of passages in the index. This is in Simple.

Example

“What do my notes say about the move?” — or type move in the field Search.

Common problems

• Nothing found. The search field looks for the word as you type it, ignoring upper and lower case.
• The search field finds the note, voice does not. The index is missing or old. Use Rebuild index.
• Nova searches Apple Notes only when you name Apple Notes.