The OneNote for Windows 10 app and the OneNote 2016 desktop app are very similar, but there are a few key differences. Most notably, OneNote for Windows 10 is regularly updated with new features. Take a look below to see what's available to you today.
Latest updates for OneNote for Windows 10
See what's new and improved in the April 2018 feature update (Version 17.9226.2064).
Note: These features are being made available to customers on a gradual basis. If you don't see them in OneNote yet, make sure OneNote is up to date.
Complex numbers? No problem.
If you're working with Math, you can choose to solve for real or complex numbers.
Access your notebooks from anywhere
Move notebooks stored on your hard drive to OneDrive and get the full benefits of OneNote such as accessing your notebooks from any device, collaborating with other people, and using intelligent services.
Help shape the future of Office
Become an Office Insider, get early access to new releases, and tell us what you think. To get started, open Settings and follow the steps to join the Office Insider program.
Previous releases
March 2018 updates
See what's new and improved in the March 2018 feature update (Version 17.9126.xxxx).
Open recent notebooks We'll suggest notebooks that you've recently used on one device that you might want to open on another.
See what's changed
Receive notifications when someone makes a change in a shared notebook stored in OneDrive.
Take your pens with you
Choose a personal set of pens and highlighters for inking. Your customized set is available on all your Windows PCs and iOS devices across OneNote, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
December 2017 updates
See what's new and improved in the December 2017 feature update (Version 17.8827.2055).
Set things straight
On touch screens, use the virtual ruler on the Draw tab to draw straight lines and measure distance. Rotate to a specific angle with the help of the angle indicator.
Speedy search
Search just got faster! Your search results now appear instantaneously, making it easier to get back to your notes.
November 2017 updates
See what's new and improved in the November 2017 feature update (Version 17.8730.2074).
Tilt to shade
Use your new Surface Pen and the pencil tool to write or sketch ideas. Tilt the stylus to do shading, just like a real pencil.
But wait! There's more...
We're always making improvements to OneNote. Here are a few of our recent favorites:
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PDF printouts now look crisp and clear in OneNote for Windows 10, even those that were previously inserted with other versions of OneNote.
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Working with pages and sections is even easier. New icons have been added on the right-click menu to help you find just what you need to do.
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The new merge formatting option for paste lets you keep the same font style and size without losing important formatting like bold, italics, and links.
October 2017 updates
Print sections or entire notebooks
Need an offline copy? No problem. Print a page, a complete section, or an entire notebook for safekeeping.
But wait! There's more...
We're always making improvements to OneNote. Here are a few of our recent favorites:
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If you have high-DPI or multiple monitors, you’ll find OneNote looks and acts better than ever.
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Take advantage of a new setting. You can decide if you want to automatically capitalize the first word of a sentence.
September 2017 updates
Convert handwriting to text
Take quick handwritten notes, and later convert them to text to align with the rest of your content. It'll even preserve the size and color of your ink, as well as highlights and effects! On the Draw tab, click the Lasso Select button. Drag a circle around the text you want to convert, then click Ink to Text.
More dazzling ink effects
Note: This feature is only available if you have an Office 365 subscription. If you are an Office 365 subscriber, make sure you have the latest version of Office.
Grab a pen on the Drawing tab and try out lava, ocean, bronze, and rose gold. Make your notes sparkle!
More graph features
Note: This feature is only available if you have an Office 365 subscription. If you are an Office 365 subscriber, make sure you have the latest version of Office.
In addition to graphing your function, OneNote can now calculate its key features — such as minima, maxima, or axes intercepts.
Revisit recent pages
Use the new Forward and Back arrows above the Home tab to navigate through the note pages you've already visited.
Link to a specific paragraph
Create a link to a specific paragraph and jump to that content. It's a great way to make a quick table of contents at the top of a long page of notes, or copy the link and paste it in an email to help others find the specific content you want them to see.
Copy a hyperlink
Right-click a hyperlink in your notes and copy the link to use in other places.
August 2017 updates
Text to Math
Use your keyboard to type an equation as text in OneNote, and use Math to solve it or draw a graph. Simply type your equation, and on the Draw tab, click the Lasso Select button. Drag a circle around the text you want to convert, then click Math.
Note: This feature is only available if you have an Office 365 subscription. If you are an Office 365 subscriber, make sure you have the latest version of Office.
Smart Lookup
Get definitions, wiki articles, and top related searches from the web without leaving OneNote. Right-click a word or phrase and choose Smart Lookup.
Insert online pictures
Use Bing's Image Search to safely insert photos and images without ever having to leave OneNote. On the Insert tab, choose Pictures > From Online. In the Online Pictures pane, use a keyword to search for the perfect picture for your notes.
Tables of all shapes and sizes
One cell or many? Choose the number of rows and columns you need to organize your content. Once you've got a table, you can add or delete rows or columns, add table shading, or sort your content.
More highlight colors
Yellow isn't the only color in the rainbow. Now you can highlight with blue, green, red, and more.
Zoom in, zoom out
Use the new Page Width option on the View tab to zoom out to see all the notes on your page, or zoom in to focus on just what you need.
July 2017 updates
Customize your pens
Choose a personal set of pens, highlighters, and pencils for inking. On the Draw menu, choose the plus sign (+) beside the pens, and choose the type of pen, width, and ink color. Your new custom pen will be added to your drawing toolbar ready for your next masterpiece.
Improve reading with the Immersive Reader
The Immersive Reader boosts reading skills by adjusting text spacing, presenting a narrow column for reading, and highlighting each word as the document is read aloud. It has been designed to help you improve your reading skills by boosting your ability to pronounce words correctly, to read quickly and accurately, and to understand what you read. On the View menu, choose Immersive Reader, and choose your Text options, Parts of speech, Voice options, or have the text read aloud.
Multitasking made easy
On the View tab, choose New Window, or use Ctrl+M, to open a new instance of OneNote. Now you can see a bunch of notes at the same time. Multitasking has never been easier!
June 2017 updates
OneNote reimagined
It’s easier than ever to organize your notes with an improved layout. All of your notebooks, sections, and pages can be found in columns on the side of the app, efficiently navigable with screen readers, keyboards and more.
Resolve page conflicts
Page conflicts sometimes happen in shared notebooks. We've made it easier to find and resolve the differences. Pages with conflicts will be marked with a triangle icon. After opening the Page Conflicts pane you'll see the versions of the page, who edited it, and when. Choose which version you want to keep, or copy specific content from an earlier page version to the current page.
Your pages, your way
Page previews provide a glimpse of what's in your notes by showing the first few words of text on the page, and a thumbnail of any pictures. Turn it on by checking Show Page Previews in the View > Navigation Panes drop down. If you like a more compact view of your page list, you can always clear the box and go back to seeing just the page title.
Hide subpages
Create more room in your page list by collapsing your subpages. Select one or more pages, and from the right-click menu, choose Make Subpage. This will indent the pages beneath the page above and allow them to be collapsed by clicking the chevron beside that page. Use Ctrl+Shift+* to expand or collapse the tabs of a page group.
Find text on a page
Use Ctrl+F to quickly search for a specific word or phrase on the current page. OneNote will find it in text, images, and your handwritten notes. If you don't find it, you can still expand your search scope to include the current section, current notebook, or all notebooks.
You're the expert with Tell Me
Click the light bulb in the upper right corner of the app window, and simply type what you want to do in OneNote using your own words. Tell Me will guide you through the process as well as offer additional resources such as Help or Smart Lookup. Use the keyboard shortcut Alt+Q to quickly go to Tell Me.
Your outline just got easier
Note: This feature is only available if you have an Office 365 subscription. If you are an Office 365 subscriber, make sure you have the latest version of Office.
Researcher helps you find relevant quotes, sources, and images to start your outline in OneNote. On the Insert tab, choose Researcher. Type a keyword for the topic you're researching and Bing will create a list of results. Add the source to your notes, and the source will be added automatically.
See what's changed
When someone else changes content in your shared notebook, we'll make the page or section name bold so you know.
Nickname your notebook
Add a nickname to your notebook to make it more personal and easier to find. This won't change the original filename of the notebook or break any links you have to the notebook, it only changes the name that's displayed in OneNote. Great for students with class notebooks.
Change the notebook color
Red for work, blue for personal? Change the color of your notebooks to keep things organized. Right-click the name of your notebook, choose Notebook Color, and select a color from the palette.
May 2017 updates
Print directly to OneNote
Send anything on your computer right to OneNote. Install the Send to OneNote app from the Store and then select "Send to OneNote" when printing a file. To learn more, see Send documents and files to OneNote for Windows 10.
Insert meeting details
Choose Insert > Meeting Details and choose an Outlook meeting. The meeting details will be added to a new note including the time, date, place, who's invited, and more. You can freely add to, change, or delete any part of the meeting details in OneNote without affecting the original meeting notice in your Outlook calendar. For example, you can delete the names of invited attendees who weren’t at the meeting so you have a record of who actually attended. (Requires Outlook 2016.)
Page versions
Travel back through time to recover older versions of your pages. Right-click on any page, and choose Page Versions. A pane will open listing the different versions of the page. Clicking on each version will highlight the elements added in that version. If you need to restore a previous version of the page, select the version in the pane and choose Make Current Page. (Currently only available on your PC or tablet.)
Select multiple pages
Use Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click to select multiple pages, and then move, copy, or delete them all at once. You can even use this to create or promote groups of subpages.
Fast track moving or copying pages
Right-click a page and choose to cut or copy it, then paste it in your new destination.
Check spelling in another language
If you create notes that contain text in different languages, it's now possible to check the spelling in each of the languages. Right-click the selected text, and choose Set Language to specify the language to use when you check spelling on your selected text.
Note: If you don't already have the proofing tools installed, you may get an alert the first time you select a language. Follow the prompts in the message to add the language.
Correct that accidental Undo
Redo something you had undone. It's like it never happened.
April 2017 updates
Audio notes
Record a meeting or lecture and keep the recording as part of your notes. On the Insert menu, click or tap Audio. Recording starts as soon as OneNote adds a media icon to the page. To end the recording, press Pause or Stop. To play a recording, click the media icon on the page and then click Play. LEARN MORE
For keyboard shortcuts for working with audio, see Keyboard shortcuts in OneNote for Windows 10.
Easier insertion of files and pictures
Quickly insert files and pictures by dragging or pasting them into your notes.
Capture your screen
Use the Win+Shift+S keyboard shortcut to capture a region of your screen and then paste it into OneNote or any other app as an image. (Requires the Windows 10 Creators Update.)
Drag and drop pages and sections
Keep everything organized with a quick drag and drop of pages or sections into different sections or notebooks. You don't need to right-click and use the Move/Copy dialog anymore, just click and drag a page or section to its new location.
March 2017 updates
Graph your math equations
Note: This feature is only available if you have an Office 365 subscription. If you are an Office 365 subscriber, make sure you have the latest version of Office.
Write an equation on any page, click Draw > Math, and OneNote will help you draw a graph. For more information, see Draw graphs from math equations in OneNote for Windows 10.
Recover deleted notes
If you’ve ever accidentally removed any pages or sections from your notes, you can now restore them. Right-click any notebook in your Notebooks list, and then click View Deleted Notes. In the page list, right-click or tap and hold on a page or section to restore it.
Organize sections into groups
Create section groups to make organizing and navigating large notebooks even easier. If you have our OneNote Preview enabled (Settings > Options > OneNote Preview) just right-click the + Section button at the bottom of your section list, and click New Section Group.
Make notes accessible
Use the Accessibility Checker on the View tab to identify and fix accessibility issues in your notes before sharing them with other people. For more infomation, see Make your OneNote notebooks accessible
See more of your notes
We’ve heard your feedback about the inflated size of the ribbon, context menus, and page list and have reduced the overall footprint of the OneNote interface, leaving you with more room on your screen to view and edit your notes.
Save time with new keyboard shortcuts
We’ve updated our list of keyboard shortcuts in OneNote for Windows 10 to include all the latest ways you can accelerate your note-taking.
Use full color emoji
Say goodbye to black and white emoji. Now you can express yourself in full color.
February 2017 updates
Reorder notebooks
Sort your notebooks however you like. Simply click and drag a notebook to reorder it in the list.
Password protection
Password-protect notes to keep them safe from prying eyes.
Create diagrams or flow charts
Use the Shapes gallery on the Draw tab to insert perfect circles, squares, arrows and more.
Save images and files
Save your favorite picture or an important file outside of OneNote. Just right-click and save it to a location you specify.
New page placement
Quickly add a new page below the currently selected one, rather than at the bottom of the page list. Right-click a page, and choose New Page.
Change the layer order
Put tables, note containers, pictures, and shapes into your notes and then arrange which are in front and which are behind. Right-click the object and choose Order to change where it appears in relation to others.
Paragraph handles
Grab the paragraph handles and reorder or collapse text on the page.
New bullet styles
Tired of plain old bullets? Spice up your notes with dashes, arrows, diamonds, and more. Click the arrow beside the Bullets button and choose a different style.
January 2017 updates
Notes with style
Keep a consistent look across your notes when you use built-in styles for headings, quotes, code, and more.
Background pictures
Set a picture as the background of your notes so you can type right over it. This is a handy trick when you need to type over forms, or annotate pictures. Right-click the picture, and choose Picture > Set Picture as Background.
Insert space
When a page is full of notes, you can add extra space in the left margin or in the middle of a page with the Insert Space tool. You'll find it on the Draw tab.
Format painter
Easily copy all of your formatting (font, size, style, and color) from one heading or line of text to the next. Select the text that has the formatting you want to copy, and on the Home tab, click the Format Painter button. The pointer changes to a paintbrush. Use the brush to paint over text to apply that formatting.
Paste options
When you paste copied text, you can choose to keep all of the original formatting, paste just the text, or paste as an image. Select the text, and when you're ready to paste, right-click and choose Paste to choose your option.
Multiple notebooks
Jump start your note-taking and personal organization by opening your favorite notebooks all at once and effortlessly switching between them.
Set your defaults
Choose Settings > Options and pick your favorite font and size to use as the default for new notes.
Notebook authors
See other authors’ initials next to the changes they’ve made in a shared notebook, or turn off this option on the View tab to hide these initials for a cleaner look.
Spell checking options
Turn off the Check Spelling option when you just don't need it. Choose Settings > Options and choose Hide spelling errors.
December 2016 updates
Multiple accounts
Sign into multiple personal, work, or school accounts and easily switch between and share notebooks stored on these accounts.
Undo what you did
Minds are for changing! Use the Undo button or CONTROL+Z to rewrite history.
November 2016 updates
Page colors
On the View tab, select or change a background color for any page in your notebook.
Share an individual page
No need to share the whole notebook. Send a viewing link to a single page and let them see it in a browser – no sign-in or app required. For more information, see Share a page of notes from OneNote for Windows 10.
October 2016 updates
Table Shading
Give your tables a make over. Add colorful shading to cells, rows, or columns to make your tables easier to read.
September 2016 updates
Add alternative text to pictures
Make your images accessible to screen readers by adding alt text. Simply right-click on an image, select alt text, and then add a title and description.
Choose the account for new notebooks
Create a new notebook using your work or school account, or your personal account.
Clear formatting
Too much of a good thing? Remove all that bold, italic, underlined, purple, 18 point, Lucida Sans formatting in just one click. Select your text, and on the Home tab, click the Clear All Formatting button.
Embed even more content
Paste a link to an Office 365 Video or a Microsoft Form, and interact with it directly on the page. For more information, see Embed content in OneNote.
Share photos or files from other apps
Use the Share button in any app to send photos or attach files to OneNote. For more information, see Send photos and images from other apps to OneNote for Windows 10.
Text highlighter
Grab the new highlighter on the Home tab, and select your important text. You can almost hear the squeak on the page.
Try our new designs
We’ve made some changes to help you get around your notes. Check them out by turning on Settings > Options > OneNote Preview and let us know what you think!
August 2016 updates
Editable ink
Change your ink's thickness or color, even after the ink has dried.
Ink replay
Note: This feature is only available if you have an Office 365 subscription. If you are an Office 365 subscriber, make sure you have the latest version of Office.
Replay your handwriting forward and backward to hide and reveal content, provide step-by-step instructions, or better understand the flow of others' thoughts.
Math made easy
Note: This feature is only available if you have an Office 365 subscription. If you are an Office 365 subscriber, make sure you have the latest version of Office.
Write out an equation, and OneNote will help you solve it step-by-step. It's like having your own math coach. For more information, see Convert and solve math equations in OneNote for Windows 10.
Pencil ink
Sketch your ideas and drafts with new pencil ink (Windows 10 Anniversary Update required).
July 2016 updates
Ink effects
Note: This feature is only available if you have an Office 365 subscription. If you are an Office 365 subscriber, make sure you have the latest version of Office.
Jazz up your notes and annotations with new ink colors like rainbow, galaxy, gold and more.
May 2016 updates
Audio notes on your phone
Record a quick audio reminder or sound clip on your phone and keep it in your notes.
March 2016 updates
Sharing is easier
Share your notebook with anyone right from OneNote, and they can view or edit it on any device. For more information, see Share notes from OneNote for Windows 10.
Embed videos
Play your favorite videos from YouTube, TED, Office Mix, and more in OneNote! Paste the link into a note, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the show.
Ink grouping
Right-click a selection of handwritten notes or drawings to group them together. After that it’s easy to move them around as one piece.
Storytelling with Sway
Embed interactive, dynamic content into your notes with Sway – for moments when showing is more meaningful than telling.
February 2016 updates
Easier sign-in
We listened. If you only use OneNote at the office or in class, you can now sign in with just a work or school account.
Know who's working with you when you share
Click the Notebook presence icon to see who's working with you in a shared notebook.
January 2016 updates
Office Lens
Use Office Lens from inside OneNote to capture a document or whiteboard.
Shape Recognition
Automatically transform your drawings into shapes. On the Draw tab choose Convert to Shapes and draw a shape, such as a circle, triangle, or rectangle.
More organized notes
Move or copy pages and sections to keep everything organized, just the way you like.
November 2015 updates
Faster editing on your phone
Copying and pasting content on your phone is just a touch away.
Quick menu on your phone
Share, pin, delete, or sync from a quick menu right inside the page on your phone.
Say cheese!
Quickly insert a photo into your notes from your phone’s camera.
Share your notes to Outlook Mail
Share a copy of a page from your phone to other apps like Outlook Mail
October 2015 updates
Quick colors
Quickly access four colors while drawing with a pen or highlighter.
September 2015 updates
Draw in full screen mode
Take advantage of the full screen drawing mode to maximize screen real estate and eliminate distractions.
Proofing tools
Use the new proofing tools for correcting or ignoring misspelled words.
August 2015 updates
Say cheese!
Insert a photo into your notes from your tablet's built-in camera.
Line thickness
Thick or thin - change the thickness of your lines when you draw.
Better drawing experience
We listened. We've reduced the appearance of the keyboard when you're using the drawing tools.
Bug fixes
We addressed problems some users had when opening OneNote.
Font and font size
Change the font face and font size to make notes easier to read.
Take notes when your Surface is locked
Full drawing capabilities when your Surface is locked, including ink color, highlighter, eraser types, and more.
Latest updates for Windows Insider Fast Skip-Ahead
Keep reading to see what's new in Version 17.9226.2048 for Insider Fast Skip-Ahead then tell us what you think. Your early feedback is invaluable, so keep it coming!
Note: These features are being made available to customers on a gradual basis. If you don't see them in OneNote yet, make sure OneNote is up to date.
Complex numbers? No problem.
If you're working with Math, you can choose to solve for real or complex numbers.
Access your notebooks from anywhere
Move notebooks stored on your hard drive to OneDrive and get the full benefits of OneNote such as accessing your notebooks from any device, collaborating with other people, and using intelligent services.
Help shape the future of Office
Become an Office Insider, get early access to new releases, and tell us what you think. To get started, open Settings and follow the steps to join the Office Insider program.
Be a part of the community
Office Insider Community
Connect with people who are as interested in technology as you are, and get support from the Office Insider community.
Follow us on @OfficeInsider
Join the growing community of experts and enthusiasts who are helping shape the future of Office.
Where to send feedback
To make a suggestion or report issues in Office Insider builds, open OneNote, tap the
chevron to open the Notebook list, and click the gear to open Settings > Feedback.
