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In Microsoft OneNote on Windows, or for iPad and iPhone, adding pictures can add visual flair to your notes or help you capture and keep relevant information together, such as photos of receipts that you’ll need for expense reports or personal budgeting.

OneNote on Windows

 Insert a picture from a photo album

  1. In OneNote, click anywhere on the page where you want to insert a picture, and then tap Insert > Pictures.

  2. Choose From File.

  3. Find and click the picture you want to add, and choose Open.

Insert a photo you take with your OneNote on Windows

  1. In OneNote, click anywhere on the page where you want to insert a picture, and then tap Insert > Pictures

  2. Choose From Camera.

    1. If prompted to allow OneNote to access the camera on your Windows device, tap OK.

  3. Camera app will open. The Camera app lets you take photos, and pictures of whiteboards or printed documents, then enhances your photo by cropping, sharpening, and straightening it, so it looks almost like a scanned image. Click the Camera button to take the photo.

  4. Depending on what you’re capturing, select Whiteboard, Photo, or Document in the Filters button on top of the screen, and then click Accept to insert the photo.

    1. You can also select Retake to discard the current photo and take a new one.

iPad

Insert a picture from a photo album

  1. On any page, tap where you want to insert a picture so that the keyboard appears, and then tap Insert > Pictures.

    If prompted to allow OneNote to access the pictures on your iPad, tap OK.

  2. On the menu that appears, tap All Photos (or any other album containing the picture you want to insert).

  3. Tap the picture that you want to insert, and then tap Done. The picture will be inserted and ready for any additional manipulating.

  4. Next, do any of the following:

    • To crop the picture before inserting it in your notes, follow the steps in Crop a picture in Microsoft OneNote.

      Note: If you selected multiple pictures in Step 3, you won’t get the option to crop any pictures and OneNote will immediately insert the selected pictures.

    • To insert the picture in your notes, tap Done in the lower right corner.

    • To cancel inserting the picture, tap the Close ( X ) button in the upper left corner, and then tap Discard.

    • After the picture is inserted, you can remove it later. Press and hold the picture until the selection handles appear, and then release. On the toolbar, tap Delete.

Insert a photo you take with your iPad’s camera

  1. On any page, tap where you want to insert a photo so that the keyboard appears, and then tap Insert > Camera.

    If prompted to allow OneNote to access the camera on your iPad, tap OK.

  2. Office Lens will open. Office Lens is the new camera built into OneNote for iPad and iPhone that lets you take pictures of whiteboards or printed documents, then enhances your photo by cropping, sharpening, and straightening it, so it looks almost like a scanned image.

  3. Depending on what you’re capturing, select Whiteboard, Photo, or Document at the bottom of the screen, and then tap the purple button to take the photo.

  4. Next, do any of the following:

    • To crop the captured photo before inserting it in your notes, follow the steps in Crop a picture in Microsoft OneNote.

    • To insert the photo in your notes, tap Done in the lower right corner.

    • To cancel inserting the picture, tap the Close ( X ) button in the upper left corner, and then tap Discard. Tap the purple button again to take a new photo, or tap the Close ( X ) button to go back to your notebook.

    • After the picture is inserted, you can remove it later. Press and hold the picture until the selection handles appear, and then release. On the toolbar, tap Delete.

Note: If you want to switch back to the built-in iOS Camera app, go to Settings > OneNote > Camera Setting, and turn off Use Office Lens.

iPhone

Insert a picture from a photo album

  1. On any page, tap where you want to insert a picture so that the keyboard appears, and then tap the Camera icon on the toolbar that appears.

  2. On the menu that appears, choose From Library.

    If prompted to allow OneNote to access the pictures on your iPhone, tap OK.

  3. On the menu that appears, tap All Photos (or any other album containing the picture you want to insert).

  4. Tap the picture that you want to insert, and then tap Done. The picture will be inserted and ready for any additional manipulating.

  5. Next, do any of the following:

    • To crop the picture before inserting it in your notes, follow the steps in Crop a picture in Microsoft OneNote.

      Note: If you selected multiple pictures in Step 4, you won’t get the option to crop any pictures and OneNote will immediately insert the selected pictures.

    • To insert the picture in your notes, tap Done in the lower right corner.

    • To cancel inserting the picture, tap the Close ( X ) button in the upper left corner, and then tap Discard.

    • After the picture is inserted, you can remove it later. Press and hold the picture until the selection handles appear, and then release. On the toolbar, tap Delete.

Insert a photo with your iPhone’s camera

  1. On any page, tap where you want to insert a photo so that the keyboard appears, and then tap the Camera icon on the toolbar that appears.

  2. On the menu that appears, choose Take Picture.

    If prompted to allow OneNote to access the camera on your iPhone, tap OK.

  3. Office Lens will open. Office Lens is the new camera built into OneNote for iPad and iPhone that lets you take pictures of whiteboards or printed documents, then enhances your photo by cropping, sharpening, and straightening it, so it looks almost like a scanned image.

  4. Depending on what you’re capturing, select Whiteboard, Photo, or Document at the bottom of the screen, and then tap the purple button to take the photo.

  5. Next, do any of the following:

    • To crop the captured photo before inserting it in your notes, follow the steps in Crop a picture in Microsoft OneNote.

    • To insert the photo in your notes, tap Done in the lower right corner.

    • To cancel inserting the picture, tap the Close ( X ) button in the upper left corner, and then tap Discard. Tap the purple button again to take a new photo, or tap the Close ( X ) button to go back to your notebook.

    • After the picture is inserted, you can remove it later. Press and hold the picture until the selection handles appear, and then release. On the toolbar, tap Delete.

Tip: If you want to switch back to the built-in iOS Camera app, go to Settings > OneNote > Camera Setting, and turn off Use Office Lens.

See Also

Learn more about the Office Lens

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