As a teacher, I often feel completely bombarded with information and important messages that I mustn’t forget. But, as is always the case, these moments tend to happen when I’m miles away from the nearest piece of scrap paper or a Post-it Note, meaning I can’t jot down that crucial piece of information.

Well, that’s all changed since I discovered the Quick Notes feature built into iPad, which ensures that a place to record a note is only ever a swipe away.

To create a new note, all I need to do is swipe from the bottom right-hand corner of my iPad into the middle of the screen, and immediately, this little floating Quick Note window appears. From here, I can use my Skriva stylus and jot down whatever I need to, just as quickly as I would with pen and paper. Tapping Done will, of course, save this Quick Note, and you’ll even see it appear in my Notes widget on the home screen.

Naturally, I can create more Quick Notes in exactly the same way. I can also move the Quick Note window around the screen or pinch to resize it, making writing even easier. But this feature is brilliant for more than just handwritten notes.

For instance, if I open up Safari and take a Quick Note by swiping up from the bottom right-hand corner again, I’ll have the option to add a link to the website I’m currently browsing straight into that note. I can also use my Skriva stylus to handwrite any notes about the webpage or article. What’s even more useful is that when I navigate back to the same webpage in the future, my related Quick Note will appear in the bottom corner of the screen—so it’s always just a tap away.

Finally, if I ever want to see all my Quick Notes in one place or organise them further, I can simply open the Notes app and navigate to the Quick Notes section. Here, I’ll find all my thoughts, messages, and ideas stored safely and ready for when I need them.