diff --git a/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index 2224f4a..72e08a7 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     <string name="search_hint">Search your notes</string>
     <string name="search_clear">Clear search</string>
     <string name="nav_open">Open navigation</string>
-    <string name="nav_labels">Labels</string>
+    <string name="nav_labels">Tags</string>
 
     <!-- Compose sheet -->
     <string name="compose_open">New note</string>
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
     <string name="editor_body_hint">Take a note…</string>
     <string name="editor_add_item">Add item</string>
     <string name="editor_remove_item">Remove item</string>
-    <string name="editor_remove_label">Remove label</string>
+    <string name="editor_remove_label">Remove tag</string>
     <string name="editor_reminder">Set a reminder</string>
     <string name="editor_more">More actions</string>
     <string name="editor_saving">Saving…</string>
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
     <string name="editor_done">Done</string>
     <string name="editor_pin">Pin</string>
     <string name="editor_unpin">Unpin</string>
-    <string name="editor_labels">Labels…</string>
+    <string name="editor_labels">Tags…</string>
     <string name="editor_archive">Archive</string>
     <string name="editor_unarchive">Unarchive</string>
     <string name="editor_trash">Move to trash</string>
@@ -67,10 +67,10 @@
     <string name="editor_delete_forever_confirm">Delete</string>
 
     <!-- Pickers -->
-    <string name="label_picker_title">Labels</string>
-    <string name="label_new_hint">Type a label and press enter</string>
-    <string name="label_from_tag">from #tag</string>
-    <string name="label_none_body">No labels yet. Type one above, or write a #tag in a note and it becomes one.</string>
+    <string name="label_picker_title">Tags</string>
+    <string name="label_new_hint">Type a tag and press enter</string>
+    <string name="label_from_tag">from the text</string>
+    <string name="label_none_body">No tags yet. Type one above, or write a #tag in a note and it becomes one.</string>
     <string name="picker_next">Next</string>
     <string name="picker_set">Set</string>
     <string name="picker_time_title">Pick a time</string>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/AppShell.vue b/frontend/src/components/AppShell.vue
index 3eaadb0..b457415 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/AppShell.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/AppShell.vue
@@ -441,18 +441,18 @@ async function signOut() {
           </RouterLink>
 
           <div class="mt-3 flex items-center justify-between px-3 pb-1">
-            <span class="text-xs font-semibold uppercase tracking-wide text-neutral-400">Labels</span>
+            <span class="text-xs font-semibold uppercase tracking-wide text-neutral-400">Tags</span>
             <button
               type="button"
               class="text-neutral-400 hover:text-neutral-600 dark:hover:text-neutral-200"
-              title="Edit labels"
-              aria-label="Edit labels"
+              title="Manage tags"
+              aria-label="Manage tags"
               @click="managing = true"
             >
               <Icon name="pencil" />
             </button>
           </div>
-          <p v-if="!labels.items.length" class="px-3 py-1 text-xs text-neutral-400">No labels yet</p>
+          <p v-if="!labels.items.length" class="px-3 py-1 text-xs text-neutral-400">No tags yet</p>
           <RouterLink
             v-for="lb in labels.items"
             :key="lb.id"
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/FilterBar.vue b/frontend/src/components/FilterBar.vue
index f5f6839..3ffc1bc 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/FilterBar.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/FilterBar.vue
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ const chipOff = "border-neutral-300 text-neutral-600 hover:bg-neutral-100 dark:b
       class="mt-2 flex flex-col gap-3 rounded-xl border border-neutral-200 p-3 dark:border-neutral-800"
     >
       <div v-if="labels.items.length" class="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-1.5">
-        <span class="w-16 shrink-0 text-xs text-neutral-400">Labels</span>
+        <span class="w-16 shrink-0 text-xs text-neutral-400">Tags</span>
         <button
           v-for="lb in labels.items"
           :key="lb.id"
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/LabelPicker.vue b/frontend/src/components/LabelPicker.vue
index e109d02..d91ed32 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/LabelPicker.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/LabelPicker.vue
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ onBeforeUnmount(() => document.removeEventListener("mousedown", onDocMousedown))
 
 <template>
   <div ref="root" class="relative">
-    <button type="button" class="icon-btn" title="Labels" aria-label="Labels" @click="open = !open">
+    <button type="button" class="icon-btn" title="Tags" aria-label="Tags" @click="open = !open">
       <Icon name="tag" />
     </button>
     <div
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ onBeforeUnmount(() => document.removeEventListener("mousedown", onDocMousedown))
       <input
         v-model="filter"
         type="text"
-        placeholder="Label note…"
+        placeholder="Tag note…"
         class="mb-1 w-full rounded-md border border-neutral-300 bg-white px-2 py-1 text-sm outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-brand dark:border-neutral-600 dark:bg-neutral-900"
       />
       <ul class="max-h-48 overflow-y-auto">
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/LabelsModal.vue b/frontend/src/components/LabelsModal.vue
index 7509af0..22e1866 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/LabelsModal.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/LabelsModal.vue
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ async function doMerge(sourceId: string, targetId: string) {
 <template>
   <BaseModal panel-class="w-full max-w-sm shadow-xl" @close="emit('close')">
     <div class="flex items-center justify-between border-b border-neutral-100 px-4 py-3 dark:border-neutral-800">
-        <h2 class="text-sm font-semibold">Manage labels</h2>
+        <h2 class="text-sm font-semibold">Manage tags</h2>
         <button type="button" class="icon-btn" aria-label="Close" @click="emit('close')"><Icon name="close" /></button>
       </div>
       <div class="flex flex-col gap-2 p-4">
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ async function doMerge(sourceId: string, targetId: string) {
           <input
             v-model="newName"
             type="text"
-            placeholder="Create label"
+            placeholder="Create tag"
             class="flex-1 rounded-md border border-neutral-300 bg-white px-2 py-1.5 text-sm outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-brand dark:border-neutral-700 dark:bg-neutral-800"
           />
         </form>
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ async function doMerge(sourceId: string, targetId: string) {
               class="h-4 w-4 shrink-0 rounded-full border border-black/10 transition hover:scale-110 focus:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-brand dark:border-white/15"
               :class="labelDot(lb)"
               :title="`Color: ${NOTE_COLOR_LABELS[resolveLabelColor(lb)]}`"
-              aria-label="Change label color"
+              aria-label="Change tag color"
               @click="openColor(lb.id)"
             />
             <input
@@ -104,8 +104,8 @@ async function doMerge(sourceId: string, targetId: string) {
               v-if="canMerge"
               type="button"
               class="icon-btn"
-              title="Merge into another label"
-              aria-label="Merge into another label"
+              title="Merge into another tag"
+              aria-label="Merge into another tag"
               @click="openMerge(lb.id)"
             >
               <Icon name="merge" />
@@ -113,8 +113,8 @@ async function doMerge(sourceId: string, targetId: string) {
             <button
               type="button"
               class="icon-btn"
-              title="Delete label"
-              aria-label="Delete label"
+              title="Delete tag"
+              aria-label="Delete tag"
               @click="labels.remove(lb.id)"
             >
               <Icon name="trash" />
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ async function doMerge(sourceId: string, targetId: string) {
           </li>
         </ul>
         <p v-if="!labels.items.length" class="py-2 text-center text-xs text-neutral-400">
-          No labels yet — create one above.
+          No tags yet — create one above, or write a #tag in a note and it becomes one.
         </p>
       </div>
   </BaseModal>
diff --git a/frontend/src/views/BoardView.vue b/frontend/src/views/BoardView.vue
index 0e2d61d..aac62e9 100644
--- a/frontend/src/views/BoardView.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/views/BoardView.vue
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ const emptyState = computed(() => {
   if (currentView.value === "trash") return { title: "Trash is empty", subtitle: "Notes you delete land here first." };
   if (currentView.value === "archived")
     return { title: "Nothing archived", subtitle: "Archived notes are tucked away here." };
-  if (currentLabel.value) return { title: "No notes with this label", subtitle: "Tag a note to see it here." };
+  if (currentLabel.value) return { title: "No notes with this tag", subtitle: "Tag a note to see it here." };
   // Says what "no account" actually means for the notes about to be written here.
   // A new user otherwise has no way to tell whether this thing is storing their
   // thoughts locally, silently waiting for a login, or quietly sending them off.
diff --git a/src/thoughtsync/labels.py b/src/thoughtsync/labels.py
index 5a2ec1d..483e413 100644
--- a/src/thoughtsync/labels.py
+++ b/src/thoughtsync/labels.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ async def create_label():
     data = await request.get_json(silent=True) or {}
     name = (data.get("name") or "").strip()
     if not name:
-        return json_error("label name is required", 400)
+        return json_error("tag name is required", 400)
     async with session_scope() as db:
         # Idempotent: creating an existing label just returns it.
         existing = await db.scalar(select(Label).where(Label.owner_id == g.user_id, Label.name == name))
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ async def update_label(label_id: str):
         return json_error("nothing to update", 400)
     name = (data.get("name") or "").strip() if has_name else None
     if has_name and not name:
-        return json_error("label name is required", 400)
+        return json_error("tag name is required", 400)
     async with session_scope() as db:
         label = await _get_owned_label(db, label_id)
         if label is None:
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ async def update_label(label_id: str):
                 select(Label).where(Label.owner_id == g.user_id, Label.name == name, Label.id != label.id)
             )
             if clash is not None:
-                return json_error("a label with that name already exists", 409)
+                return json_error("a tag with that name already exists", 409)
             label.name = name
         if has_color:
             label.color = normalize_color(data.get("color"))
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ async def merge_label(label_id: str):
         if source is None or target is None:
             return not_found()
         if source.id == target.id:
-            return json_error("cannot merge a label into itself", 400)
+            return json_error("cannot merge a tag into itself", 400)
         # Notes already carrying the target: a note can't hold the same label twice
         # (composite PK), so the source attachment there is just dropped as a dup.
         target_notes = set(