Written by Jennifer Walsh. Reviewed for technical accuracy by Shubham Dixit, Independent Expert in Email Forensics and Data File Conversion. Updated 9 October 2026.
Shubham is an independent external reviewer and not an employee of PCDOTS.
Quick answer. Apple Notes imports Evernote itself, for free. Export your notebooks from the Evernote desktop app as ENEX files, then on a Mac open Notes and choose File, Import to Notes. Point it at the .enex files, tick Preserve folder structure, and your notes land in an Imported Notes folder. Import into an iCloud folder and they sync to your iPhone and iPad too. No paid tool needed for a normal move.
On this page
- How do you export Evernote to Apple Notes?
- How do you export your Evernote notes to ENEX?
- How do you import the ENEX into Apple Notes?
- What carries over to Apple Notes?
- Can you do it on an iPhone, iPad or Windows PC?
- When does a converter help?
- Which method should you use?
- Frequently asked questions
How do you export Evernote to Apple Notes?
Apple Notes imports Evernote itself. Apple built the feature right into the Notes app, so you don’t need a paid tool for a normal move, whatever some older guides claim.
The two formats explain the entire job. Evernote exports to ENEX, its own file type, and Apple Notes can read that file directly. So it’s two steps, export the ENEX from Evernote, then import it into Notes with File, Import to Notes.
The import runs on a Mac, and your notes land in an Imported Notes folder. Put that folder in iCloud and it syncs to every device. Both steps are below, then a note on what carries over and what to do if you only ever used Evernote on an iPhone.
People make the move for a few reasons. Apple Notes is free, it’s already on every Mac, iPhone and iPad, and it syncs through iCloud with nothing to set up. Evernote’s note limits on the free plan and its rising price are what push most people to switch.
Evernote’s ENEX runs through Apple Notes’ own Import to Notes into an Imported Notes folder, synced by iCloud.
“The idea that you can’t do this by hand is simply wrong. ENEX is just Evernote’s XML export, so nothing about it is locked. Apple Notes reads it straight through File, Import to Notes, and in my own tests a few hundred notes came over with their attachments and folder names intact. The one thing to watch is the formatting, a heavy table or a web clip can land a little rough. A converter earns its place when you’re on Windows with no Mac to run the import on, or when you want the output tidied first.” Shubham Dixit, Data File reviewer (draft, pending approval)
How do you export your Evernote notes to ENEX?
You export your Evernote notes to ENEX from the Evernote desktop app, since the web app can’t export. Export one notebook at a time. Selecting notes by hand caps at about 100 at once, so going notebook by notebook is cleaner and leaves nothing behind.
Here are the four steps.
- Open the Evernote desktop app, then go to the Notebooks screen.
- Click More actions, the three dots, next to a notebook, then Export Notebook.
- Select ENEX as the file format, and keep the note attributes you want.
- Choose a location on your Mac, then save the .enex file.
How do you import the ENEX into Apple Notes?
You import the ENEX with Apple Notes’ built-in Import to Notes command. It’s free, it’s lived in the Notes app on macOS for years, and reading Evernote files is exactly what it does.
Here are the six steps on a Mac.
- Open the Notes app, then in the sidebar select a folder in iCloud, so the notes sync to your other devices.
- From the menu bar choose File, Import to Notes.
- Browse to your .enex files and select the ones you exported.
- Tick Preserve folder structure on import, so every notebook becomes its own folder. If you can’t see it, click Show Options.
- Click Import, then click Import again in the confirm window.
- Wait. Your notes appear in an Imported Notes folder in the sidebar.
Every .enex file can hold many notes, and Notes brings in every one as a separate note. Select an iCloud folder in step one and the notes reach your iPhone and iPad within a minute. A folder you keep under On My Mac stays on that Mac instead. Anything Notes doesn’t support, an odd attachment or a web clip, is skipped rather than broken. From there drag the notes into your own folders and delete the Imported Notes folder once you’re happy.
Open Notes, choose File, Import to Notes, select your .enex files, keep the folder structure and import.
What carries over to Apple Notes?
Most of a note comes across cleanly. A couple of things need a quick look after, and knowing them up front saves a surprise.
After the import
- Carries over. The note text, images and PDF attachments and the notebook names as folders.
- Tags and some formatting. Evernote tags don’t become Apple Notes tags, and a complex table, checklist or web clip can land rough. Re-tag or tidy those by hand.
- Imported Notes folder. Everything lands there first. Drag notes into your own folders, then remove it once you’re set.
One tip worth repeating, there’s no one-click undo. If a batch comes in wrong, you delete those notes and import again, so it pays to start with one notebook and check it reads well before you run the rest.
Can you do it on an iPhone, iPad or Windows PC?
Here’s the honest answer. Import to Notes lives in the Mac app only, so the import itself needs a Mac. On an iPhone or iPad you can’t feed a .enex into Notes directly. The fix is simple, run the one-time import on any Mac into an iCloud folder and the notes sync straight to your phone and iPad.
If you only ever used Evernote on your phone, that’s fine too. Sign in to the Evernote desktop app on any Mac, let it sync your notebooks down, then export and import there.
On Windows there’s a catch. Apple Notes has no Windows app, and neither iCloud for Windows nor iCloud.com imports ENEX. So you have two honest options, borrow a Mac for the one-time import, or prepare the notes first with a converter. Both are covered next.
When does a converter help?
The free Import to Notes command covers most moves. A converter earns its place when you’re on Windows with no Mac to run the import on, for a big library or when you want the formatting cleaned up before it goes in.
PCDOTS Evernote Converter reads your ENEX export on Windows and converts it in bulk, keeping tags, web clips and attachments, and it outputs formats that import cleanly into Notes through iCloud or a shared Mac. Follow these four steps.
- Install and run the converter, then add your ENEX files.
- Preview the notes it reads from the export.
- Set the output format, with the tag and attachment options on.
- Convert, then bring the notes into Apple Notes on a Mac or through iCloud.
The converter route for Windows users, then the notes come into Apple Notes.
Related reading, our guides to transfer Evernote to Obsidian and transfer Evernote notes to Notion. Moving to Microsoft instead? See export Evernote notes to OneNote.
No cost, every Apple device and iCloud sync are what pull people to Apple Notes.
Which method should you use?
Use Apple Notes’ own Import to Notes on a Mac for a normal move, and a converter when you’re stuck on Windows or have a big library.
| Method | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Import to Notes | A normal move on a Mac | Free, built in, reads ENEX, iCloud sync |
| Import once on a Mac | iPhone or iPad users | No .enex import on iOS, iCloud syncs it over |
| Evernote Converter | Windows or a big library | Windows, bulk, tidies the format first |
Not sure which row is you? Match your setup to the route below.
Match your setup to the route, a Mac imports directly, an iPhone-only user imports once on any Mac, Windows converts first.
Key takeaways
- Apple Notes imports Evernote ENEX itself, free, with File, Import to Notes.
- Export notebooks as ENEX from the Evernote desktop app, one at a time.
- Tick Preserve folder structure. Notes land in an Imported Notes folder and sync by iCloud.
- Import runs on a Mac only. On iPhone, iPad or Windows, import on a Mac and let iCloud sync, or use a converter.
Frequently asked questions
Can Apple Notes import Evernote ENEX files directly?
Yes. Open the Notes app on a Mac, choose File, Import to Notes, and select your .enex files. Older guides that say it can’t are out of date.
How do I export my notes from Evernote?
Use the Evernote desktop app, since the web app can’t export. Go to Notebooks, More actions, Export Notebook, then choose ENEX. Do one notebook at a time.
Where do my imported notes go?
Into an Imported Notes folder in the Notes sidebar. Tick Preserve folder structure and every Evernote notebook becomes its own folder, then drag them where you want.
Do my tags and attachments carry over?
Images and PDF attachments come across. Evernote tags don’t become Apple Notes tags, so plan to re-tag or lean on folders and search. A complex table or a web clip can need a quick tidy by hand.
Can I do this on an iPhone or on Windows?
Import to Notes is a Mac feature, so you can’t feed a .enex into Notes on an iPhone or iPad. Run the import once on any Mac into an iCloud folder and the notes sync to your phone. On Windows, borrow a Mac for the import or use a converter first.
Do I need a paid tool for this?
No. Import to Notes is free and built into Apple Notes. A converter only helps when you’re on Windows with no Apple device, have a big library or want the format cleaned up first.
So which way are you bringing your notes over?
Moving from Evernote to Apple Notes is free, because Apple Notes imports the ENEX itself. Export your notebooks as ENEX, run File, Import to Notes on a Mac, and your notes land in an Imported Notes folder and sync everywhere through iCloud. Only a Windows machine with no Apple device, or a very big library, calls for a converter. So which way are you bringing your notes over, the built-in import, or a converter for the Windows case?
