Microsoft OneNote The digital note-taking app for your.
When using OneNote on a Windows PC, you have two choices: the desktop app or the Microsoft Store appWhich Free OneNote App Should You Use on Windows? Desktop vs. Store AppWhich Free OneNote App Should You Use on Windows? Desktop vs. Store AppOneNote comes in two different flavors: a desktop app and a Windows Store app. Both are free! Let us show you how they differ, so you can choose the one that's best for you.Read More. While both are fully functional, OneNote 2016 (the desktop app) has always been more advanced and flexible than OneNote for Windows 10 (the Store app).
But that’s all changing. Microsoft has kicked OneNote for Windows 10 into gear over the past several months, adding all kinds of new features with regularity. It’s gotten to the point where most users could easily switch over and not miss a thing, and we expect to see plenty more updates and additions over the next year.
Here are some of the most recent and notable features in OneNote for Windows 10 that you may have missed. None of them require an Office 365 subscription.
1. Print Sections and Notebooks
Instead of printing individual pages one by one, OneNote for Windows 10 now supports printing for entire sections or even entire notebooks.
Here’s how it works:
Navigate to any page in the section or notebook to print.
Click the three-dot button (…) at the top right.
Select Print.
For Printer, select the printer you want to use.
For Pages, change to Current Section or Current Notebook.
Click Print when you’re ready.
2. Navigate Back and Forward
If you navigate between many pages, sections, or notebooks often, then you’ll love the new Back and Forward buttons located in the title bar at the top left.
These work just like the buttons in your web browser, allowing you to go back and forth between pages.
3. Multiple Windows
Wherever you are in your pile of OneNote pages, you can switch to the View menu in the Ribbon and click New Window to create another instance of OneNote for Windows 10. You can keep clicking it to create more and more windows, however many you want.
Each window can navigate to its own page independently of the others. This is great for multitasking, especially when combined with Snap Assist, which is one of Windows 10’s best and underrated features6 Underrated Windows 10 Features You Must Try6 Underrated Windows 10 Features You Must TryWindows 10 is different and constantly changing. You'll never be done exploring new features and tools. This article will help you discover tricks you might have missed so far.Read More. Run two OneNote windows side by side for productivity!
4. Page Previews
Up until recently, the page list in OneNote for Windows 10 was nothing more than the titles of every page. This made it hard to spot certain pages at a glance unless you kept everything neatly organized by hand, such as manually sorting in alphabetical order.
Now you can toggle previews by going to the View tab, clicking on Navigation Panes, and selecting Show Page Previews. This grabs the first sentence found in each page, plus a thumbnail of the first image if one exists.
5. Create and Hide Subpages
If you right-click on a page in the current notebook section, you can now select Subpages > Make Subpage to turn that page into a subpage of the page above it. When a page has subpages, it gains an arrow next to it that you can use to collapse and hide. This is fantastic for that extra bit of organizational decluttering that we all need.
Subpages can have subpages, but only top-level pages can collapse. You can turn a subpage into a normal page by right-clicking on it and selecting Subpages > Promote Subpage.
6. Page Version History
OneNote keeps track of changes made to pages and labels each one as a “page version.” You can see the history of a particular page by right-clicking on it and selecting Page Versions. You can then revert to a past version by selecting it and clicking Make Current Page.
Note that OneDrive also has a similar File Version History featureA Quick Guide to OneDrive in Windows 10A Quick Guide to OneDrive in Windows 10Can OneDrive replace Google Drive or Dopbox? It depends. To help you decide, we'll tell you all about OneDrive's best features and how to set it up.Read More. By combining OneNote and OneDrive, you’ll never make irrecoverable mistakes again.
7. Page Zooming
For pages full of handwritten or hand-drawn notes, you may grow tired of constantly scrolling around to jump between everything. Use the new Page Width button (found under the View menu) to instantly zoom out and see everything on the page.
If you want to zoom back in, click the Zoom to 100% button right next to it. You can also use the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons for on-demand zooming of certain areas.
8. Notebook Colors and Nicknames
Personalizing your notebooks makes it easier to jump between them at a glance. And if notebooks are shared with you, renaming them may be desired but impractical. Fortunately, you can now right-click and select Nickname Notebook to change its name only for you.
You can also right-click and select Notebook Color to give each notebook a different color, which also helps with the whole “switching at a glance” aspect of productivity.
9. Text Search
One thing long missing from OneNote for Windows 10 was the ability to search and find text. Well, now you can! Simply press the Ctrl + F shortcut to bring up the search panel. Type what you want to search for, then select whether to search the current page, current section, current notebook, or all notebooks.
Note that this search will also return images and handwritten notes that contain text that match your query. This is possible due to OneNote’s excellent support for optical character recognition (OCR)Free vs. Paid OCR Software: Microsoft OneNote and Nuance OmniPage ComparedFree vs. Paid OCR Software: Microsoft OneNote and Nuance OmniPage ComparedOCR scanner software lets you convert text in images or PDFs into editable text documents. Is a free OCR tool like OneNote good enough? Let's find out!Read More.
10. Link to a Specific Paragraph
OneNote can link to specific notes on a specific page. Just right-click the text you want to link, then select Copy Link to Paragraph. You can now use the copied URL in a link anywhere else in OneNote. When clicking that link, it’ll open the page containing the paragraph you linked.
Note that you can also send these copied URLs to others who have shared access to the page being linked. If you need a coworker to look over a certain section of notes, for example, you can link it to them in an email and they can instantly check it from wherever they are.
11. Convert Handwriting to Text
OneNote’s ability to draw and handwrite notes directly within the app is one reason why we prefer OneNote over EvernoteEvernote vs. OneNote: Which Note-Taking App Is Right for You?Evernote vs. OneNote: Which Note-Taking App Is Right for You?Evernote and OneNote are amazing note-taking apps. It's hard to pick between the two. We compared everything from interface to note organization to help you choose. What works best for you?Read More.
As of September 2017, you can use the Lasso Tool to select handwritten text, then click Ink to Text in the Draw menu to instantly convert it into text — all while retaining colors, capitalization, and relative sizes.
12. Easy Table Dimensions
Creating tables in OneNote has never been easier. Now you can use the easy insertion button (located under the Insert menu) to instantly create as many rows and columns as you need.
When any cell in the table is selected, you’ll see a new Table menu in the Ribbon. Use it to insert new rows and columns relative to the selected cell. You can also use it to sort the table’s rows alphabetically or delete the table entirely.
13. Get Help With “Tell Me”
If you ever want to do something but can’t figure out how, click the Light Bulb icon and start typing what it is. OneNote will provide real-time results, and when you find the right one, click it to get instructions and/or helpful resources on the subject.
Use the Alt + Q keyboard shortcut to quickly pop open the Tell Me search. You can also use the same feature to type in a query for Smart Lookup, which provides definitions (for words) or performs a wiki search (for concepts).
Making the Most of OneNote
On top of the above features, there are several other ways to wring value out of OneNote as a productivity tool. We recommend reading up on the best way to organize OneNoteHow to Organize OneNote for a Productive SystemHow to Organize OneNote for a Productive SystemOneNote has organizational features that allow you to do more with it than just keeping notes. We show you how to use them effectively.Read More, key lesser-known OneNote features7 Little-Known OneNote Features You Will Love7 Little-Known OneNote Features You Will LoveOneNote is 100% free and packed full of advanced features. Let's check out some of the ones you may have missed. If you're not yet using OneNote, these may win you over.Read More, and for power users, our master guide to OneNoteThe Only OneNote Guide You'll Ever NeedThe Only OneNote Guide You'll Ever NeedOneNote is a powerful note-taking app. It's cross-platform and well integrated into Microsoft Office. Read this guide to become a OneNote pro!Read More.
One big takeaway from all of this is that Microsoft Store apps are catching up to desktop standalone apps, and OneNote is proof of that. Learn more about the differences between desktop and UWP appsDesktop vs. Windows Store Apps: Which Should You Download?Desktop vs. Windows Store Apps: Which Should You Download?On Windows 10 and 8.1, you can either download and install a Desktop applications from the web, or you can get an app from the Windows Store. We explore the differences between Desktop and Store...Read More and why you should use UWP apps instead3 Reasons to Download Windows Desktop Apps From the Microsoft Store3 Reasons to Download Windows Desktop Apps From the Microsoft StoreInstalling software can be such a pain. But Windows 10 is making it easier. That's if you install apps from the Microsoft Store. Here's why you should!Read More. Get started with these popular official UWP apps worth using9 Official Windows Store Apps to Replace Popular Desktop Apps9 Official Windows Store Apps to Replace Popular Desktop AppsIf you've been wanting to try Windows Store apps, why not start with apps you know well from the desktop. Here's a beginner's selection.Read More.
Do you use OneNote 2016 or OneNote for Windows 10? What are your favorite OneNote features? Did we miss any good ones? Share with us down in the comments!
Explore more about: Microsoft OneNote, Note-Taking Apps.
Still no relative links. Makes the rest of it useless for me.
Give.Us.Reminders. Reminders are literally the most important function of a note taking application. How is it still not available in OneNote?
Very fancy, but basics like a reminder feature are totally absent
Frankly I'm not sure why the need to have or spend developer resources on a Windows 10 app vs the desktop app. I prsonally would like to see the mobile versions get better upgrades to get on par. OneNote for Android is particularly barren of many features.