What’s Coming to OneNote
Published Aug 05 2021 09:00 AM 190K Views
Steel Contributor

Update 07/07/2022: We have a new blog post! Check it out here

 

We’re excited to share that OneNote on Windows will get a series of updates over the next 12 months. These updates include a visual refresh, the latest Microsoft pen and ink advancements, a new navigational UI layout option that can flex for customer preferences, and more!

 

If you're wondering which OneNote app on Windows will receive the updates, here's the best part: no matter which OneNote app you use today, we have a path for you to get these updates. Today, OneNote supports two apps on Windows: the OneNote app installed with Office and the OneNote for Windows 10 app available in the Microsoft Store. Advances in Windows and Office will allow us to unify the two apps so that you'll have the simplicity of a single OneNote app on Windows while enjoying the interface and features you're already familiar with. 

 

Figure 1: Mock-up of updates coming to the OneNote app on Windows.Figure 1: Mock-up of updates coming to the OneNote app on Windows.

 

Figure 2: Mock-up of updates coming to the OneNote app on Windows.Figure 2: Mock-up of updates coming to the OneNote app on Windows.

 

What you'll start seeing:

  • The OneNote app will get new features and key existing features currently unique to OneNote for Windows 10.
  • OneNote for Windows 10 users will get an in-app invitation to update to the OneNote app. We anticipate invitations to start in the second half of 2022. We will have a future announcement dedicated to IT pros that will detail the available controls over the timing and experience of updating users to the OneNote app. 

 

What this announcement means for you and your organization:

  • If you currently use the OneNote app, there is no action to take as you are on the fastest path to new features. 
  • If you currently use OneNote for Windows 10, there is no action to take today as the OneNote team is working to build features that will help you move over to the OneNote app more easily in the future. Until we have completed that work, you can continue to use OneNote for Windows 10. 
  • If you plan on newly deploying OneNote to your organization, we recommend deploying the OneNote app. 

 

We're excited about the future of OneNote and look forward to hearing your feedback to make OneNote the best place for your notes. Please continue to tell us what you think through the in-app feedback and in the comments below! 

 

For more information on the future of OneNote on Windows, see the FAQ below. 

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions about the OneNote app on Windows

 

Q: Are you making a third OneNote app separate from the two existing ones?

A: No, the current OneNote app is evolving to include new features and key existing features from OneNote for Windows 10. Once the team has done the necessary work for a smooth update, users on OneNote for Windows 10 will get the invitation to update to the OneNote app.

 

Q: How do I tell which OneNote I'm using today?

A:  What's the difference between the OneNote versions? - Office Support (microsoft.com)

 

Q: What's new for OneNote in Windows 11?

A: Both OneNote apps will continue to run in Windows 11. Upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 will not affect your OneNote apps. If you're starting Windows 11 from a clean installation or new device, OneNote for Windows 10 will not be installed by default, but will be available to download for free in the Microsoft Store app.

 

Q: Do I need to buy Office to use the updated OneNote app?

A: No, the OneNote app is also available as a free standalone version: https://onenote.com/download.

 

Q: What if I'm using OneNote 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, or 2016?

A: The latest OneNote app is available as part of Microsoft 365 as well as a free standalone version from: https://onenote.com/download.

 

Q: I'm an IT professional managing OneNote users. What does this announcement mean for my organization?

A: No action is required if all your users are already using the OneNote app. For organizations with OneNote for Windows 10 users, we will follow up with guidance for a smooth transition for your users. 

 

Q: Will the updated OneNote app support my existing notebooks?

A: Yes, all notebooks you use today in OneNote and OneNote for Windows 10 will continue to work in the updated app. 

 

Q: As a OneNote for Windows 10 user, when will I need to update to the OneNote app?

A: After the in-app invitation is available, we recommend updating to the OneNote app by October 2025 when both Windows 10 and OneNote for Windows 10 will reach end-of-support. 

 

Q: If I'm using both apps today, should I uninstall OneNote for Windows 10?

A: We recommend keeping OneNote for Windows 10 for now as we plan to provide extra checks for the integrity of your notebooks before moving to a single app. To keep OneNote for Windows 10 from launching when you click on notebook links, you can change default apps here: Change the default version of OneNote on your computer - OneNote (microsoft.com)

 

Q: I'm currently using OneNote for Windows 10. Can I get the OneNote app before I receive the in-app invitation?

A: We recommend waiting for the in-app invitation to ensure a smooth experience. For those who want the OneNote app earlier, the fastest way is by installing the OneNote app here: https://onenote.com/download.

 

Q: Will you be adding all the features unique to OneNote for Windows 10 that are missing in the OneNote app?

A: While we won't be incorporating the entire list of features from OneNote for Windows 10 into the OneNote app, we are working to ensure that all the most loved features will continue to be a part of OneNote. We will follow up with the full list of features in a future announcement. 

 

Q: Will you be removing any existing features in the OneNote app?

A: No. All existing functionality in the OneNote app, such as local notebook support, will continue to be supported on future updated versions. 

 

Q: Am I impacted if I use OneNote for macOS, iOS, Android, or Web?

A: The OneNote team will continue to invest in OneNote for macOS, iOS, Android, and Web. There's no impact from this announcement on OneNote for these platforms. 

 

 

131 Comments
Microsoft

Will these future changes affect the One Note Class Notebook (available in the Academic licenses)?  Also (a little off topic), which foundation was used for that version: One Note for Windows 10, One Note 2016, or plain One Note?  Thank you.

Iron Contributor

Silly thing I know, but in the second paragraph, "unify the two aps", it should be apps there I think.

Steel Contributor

@mravitz - Class Notebook is an add-in available for all versions of OneNote. This means the OneNote app will get new features and continue to support the Class Notebook add-in.

Brass Contributor

A simplified ribbon like Outlook has would be great.

Copper Contributor

Happy to hear some OneNote news. 

 

Are there still plans to support AIP or Sensitivity Labeling?

Brass Contributor

Another one bites the dust

Silver Contributor

I prefer OneNote for Windows 10 as it is more robust and lightweight. But mostly because it has vertical tabs. Honestly, i haven't even looked if there is a setting in Office variant to change to vertical :D Office variant looks dated and i just can't force myself to use it, so updates are welcomed. Just don't break what is great about Windows 10 app in the process :)

Copper Contributor

What guidance and/or resources can you provide for OneNote Add-In software developers? Going forward, will the legacy COM API continue to be supported?

Brass Contributor

I hope the new desktop app will allow offline support of all my onenote notebooks. I hate having all my notebook only in the cloud. I like having a backup on my computer or flash drive. 

 

I do want to return to the desktop app because I like the line and paragraph spacing opions they had. I hope they don't get rid of those. The Onenote for Windows 10 doesn't have them. 

Steel Contributor

@Jeff Jerousek - We are looking into supporting sensitivity labelling for notebooks in the future, but don't have any plans to share publicly yet. 

 

Brass Contributor

I was looking at the desktop app, and realized a few things. If you storing the notebook in OneDrive it doesn't store on your computer. I very much would like a button to download a backup off OneDrive. I just want a backup option without having to change folders outside of OneDrive. Thanks.

Brass Contributor

I'm really to upset that the UWP OneNote is going away. Will the new app take advantage of the App Lifecycle APIs in the WindowsAppSDK to offer better resource usage and battery life? Will the new app remove the "Send To OneNote Tool"? I hate that tool program and it was one of the reasons I used OneNote for Windows 10. 

Brass Contributor

I forgot to mention that I hope that the mock-up design isn't close to the final design. I liked the simplified menu that OneNote for Windows 10 had instead of the traditional ribbon menu. 

for Windows 10 の UI になれなかった私にはうれしいニュース!

セクションをタブ表示してくれた方が画面がスッキリするのでありがたいです

 

Brass Contributor

@MattBDev The toolbar is not the focus of this mockup, as it has not changed from the current OneNote Desktop app. It will need to include things like Dictate at a minimum. I think you'll see changes there over the next 12 months.  The Purple toolbar is gone in line with the Office suite, and search has moved up to the top though. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. 

Copper Contributor

Yay! When can we expect to see the switch in visual layout in the OneNote app? Soon please! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Copper Contributor

Great to hear that resources will no longer be split, and that the desktop version will be the base.

 

I hope the UI won't be simplified too much or features removed, because as a user since 2002, many of these small but important features in the desktop version are way superior to the Windows 10 simplified version.

 

  • Just two examples:
    • Being able to see the contents of notebooks pinned to the side makes moving content by drag and drop so much easier
    • Linking to a page by using CTRL+K and searching for it

 

Copper Contributor

"Q: Am I affected if I use OneNote for macOS?

A: The OneNote team will continue to invest in OneNote for macOS, iOS, Android and Web. ”

 

Happy to read it, but a little puzzled... For YEARS it has been impossible to print properly from OneNote for Mac, and the OneNote team has absolutely nothing to do with it despite the tens of thousands of complaints on the forums around the world.

 

73123214-D664-4344-8D8F-C478385F9A6E.jpeg

Copper Contributor

My most favorite features of Windows note over Onenote is the window ink ruler. please incorporate this feature in future Onenote !!!

Copper Contributor

What is the story on sync engines? I remember that one of the key features of the UWP OneNote app was an improved sync engine which, among other things, incorporated real-time sync, while the Win32 version lacked this. Is the Win32 version getting the new sync engine?

Copper Contributor

Please give us the means to either disable scroll bars or move them to the top and left sides of the screens.  Having the page move everywhere underneath my hand if I lift the pen tip just a bit too high is more than infuriating.

Copper Contributor

Fantastic. Please consider to option for the user to choose infinite page or A4/others. 

It's good to know that Onenote is not dead. The lack of development and improvements in Windows 10 App and Android made me think there's not much happening anymore.

 

 

What's weird though. When using Windows 11 on some Installations it's still called Onenote for Windows 10 and on other upgrades it's just called Onenote. Maybe in non en-us versions you missed to rename it? 

Copper Contributor

As a teacher I used Onenote for W10 due to its simplicity, even for the students. One of the most important features was the real time syncing as I used to get work from students instantly and vice versa. I hope that this feature will be maintained in the new version.

 

Also, the version I used have the possibility for offline work and then syncs once WiFi is available as long as it happens within 72hrs. Not sure if this feature is available in the onenote app already but hopeit will be there. Thanks

Brass Contributor

Will this newer and further (dis)"improved" version support saving notebooks to local HD?  Some of us don't want/need to depend on OneDrive / SharePoint.

Brass Contributor

It took me a while to figure out the relationship between Onenote and Onedrive. Having the notebooks viewable on more than one computer made it all worthwhile.  I have a desktop, laptop, and Android tablet.  All three will show the same synchronous notebooks.  Onedrive will give you the option to store or not store notebooks on Windows local drives and in the cloud from my Android.  This is a great move.

Brass Contributor

Is the Onetastic app going to be supported on the new version of Onenote?

Copper Contributor

I mostly use the W10 OneNote as it just works so well with Surface Pro X & Slim pen, but I'm no stranger to the 2016 desktop version either, So my ask(s) would be:

OneNote (W10) and a Pen are incredibly powerful - don't mess that up moving to 2016 app.

W10 Sync was about as close to real time sync as I could wish for, please use the W10 sync engine.

Please start adding support for the Surface Dial, I use ON like a digital notebook and being able to use the dial to scrub through pages would be amazing.

I don't know if the 2016 team and W10 team are the same but either way... Thank you all, you've achieved incredible things, Can't wait to see where you take me next.

Brass Contributor

Yes, vertical navigation panel is all I ask for now (figure 2).

It looks and it feels better in my opinion (as a designer). You can check all your notebooks, sections, and pages by looking at your left: 👈🏻

 

The first mockup though (figure 1) you must go to the left to choose a notebook, and go up to select a section, and hopefully you shouldn't have to look to the right to find the page you're looking for: 👈🏻☝🏻👉🏻

It'll waste people's time.

 

Have you guys seen the recent OneNote Beta update for iPad OS?! It's beautiful and well designed. I hope the new OneNote app for Windows reaches that level of "well put togetherness".

 

Well, this is my opinion, and if you agree with me, please upvote this! Thank you

 

@OneNotePM  🙏🏻

Silver Contributor

It is not only that you have to look on the left and then at the top with horizontal tabs. That tab bar is too short and i found myself using overflow menu very often, if you have lots of sections and have to switch between first and last ones. Overflow is vertical. Too many modal switching when using such interface. Vertical, horizontal, scanning the tabs looking for needed one, vertical again. Yet in W10 app everything fits neatly in the left sidebar with occasional scroll of a mouse.

Copper Contributor

I hope you have learnt from when you tried to discontinue the desktop program last time.  The community was not impressed, to put it politely.

 

And sorry to be so rude about it, but there had better be the option for completely offline notebooks.  The UI changes last time were bad, but it was the requirement to upload all notebooks that was the major issue.  And your staff's initial reaction to it was downright unacceptable.  The amount of arrogance, disregard, disdain, and ignorance they showed was really quite breathtaking.

 

That you haven't specifically mentioned offline notebooks in this post and the current attitude Microsoft is showing towards customers (Windows 11, Age of Empires IV) does not leave me with a lot of faith that this time will be much better.

 

Please, actually listen to your customers this time.

Brass Contributor

Exciting to hear this since I now switch back and forth among the 216, Windows 10, and web versions. Can we now sign up for preview or beta version? 

Brass Contributor

Please say the synchronisation issues will finally be sorted.

Brass Contributor

@Tams80 you make good points. Fortunately, it is pretty specifically mentioned that this is not a new app, rather the continuance of and the reinvestment in the existing desktop app. So that's good news for you and others who will be wondering, because that app does, and will continue to support offline notebooks. I'll never say never, but at this point, it would be like Word deciding to stop supporting local files. 

Copper Contributor

Hi all, okay.  The following is very important to me and I hope you do not remove these following features or look --

 

1) Ability to list or hide notebooks on the left, have section tabs on the top (horizontal) and page tabs on the right of the screen.  This is very crucial.  I disliked from the beginning the Windows UWP apps rigidity in not being able to set the format like in the desktop version. I hope you won't take that away as you merge the two programs.

 

2) Local storage option.  It is a great to have feature in OneNote Desktop.  Please don't take it away.

 

3) I like the export feature to a package for archiving for OneNote Desktop.  I hope you won't take that away.

 

In short, I don't mind you adding new features but I hope you won't take away many of the legacy ones that have worked for years and have been very useful.

Steel Contributor

@ArtTrenton the COM API will continue to be supported.

Steel Contributor

@BalintFarkas We will be bringing the same sync engine (known as Modern Sync) from OneNote for Windows 10 to the OneNote app.

Steel Contributor

@Karl_Wester-Ebbinghaus If you are upgrading an existing Windows 10 device to Windows 11, OneNote for Windows 10 will remain on the device. If you are installing Windows 11 as a clean installation or getting it as a new device, OneNote for Windows 10 is not installed by default. Many of these devices will have the OneNote app installed as part of the rest of Office. If you need OneNote for Windows 10, you can install it from the Microsoft Store app. 

Steel Contributor

@ron S. Yes, local notebooks will still be supported. 

Steel Contributor

@early_steve New updates will start showing up in the OneNote app so make sure that's the app you're using. And don't forget to become an Office Insider to preview new features across Office :)

Brass Contributor

This regards a comment from LjOsbon.

I strongly agree with all of your points of concern and I think I may have found something this week that I was not aware of.  

 

Many have asked how to view locally stored notebooks, and I have not seen any solution until I tried the following.

1.  I use a desktop as my primary and use my laptop as a duplicate for travel with the same Microsoft account.  When both are online the OneDrive files are synced between each pc, including OneNote.  I always wanted to know if there was a way to see notebooks without an Internet connection.

2.  I disconnected the laptop from the network and guess what, all notebooks were still visible and could be edited and saved,  I spent several hours trying to find those files to no avail until I discovered "OneNote "Cache".  It is a folder in User/AppData/Local/Microsoft/OneNote that contains thousands of ".bin" files which I believe is the binary version of the .one files seen in Notebook,  The size of the folder is almost identical to the size of the OneNote Backup folder.

3.  I did some further research and found a Tech Tip from TechRepublic that sorta explains cache.  I would like to hear from more knowledgeable followers that can add more information on Cache.  

 

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/onenote-desktop-store-merger-what-does-it-mean/?ftag=TREe331754...

 

OneNote desktop-Store merger: What does it mean? - TechRepublic

 

Copper Contributor

@LjOsbon 

 

2) Local storage option.  It is a great to have feature in OneNote Desktop.  Please don't take it away.

The Q&A section of the article is very clear about this:

 

Q: Will you be removing any existing features in the OneNote app?

A: No. All existing functionality in the OneNote app, such as local notebook support, will continue to be supported on future updated versions. 

Copper Contributor

Also @Tams80 

 

That you haven't specifically mentioned offline notebooks in this post and the current attitude Microsoft is showing towards customers

This is not the case, take a look at my previous comment.

Copper Contributor

OneNote is NOT an island. It needs better integration with non-Microsoft browsers, especially Firefox. By the way, I find the integration on Android to be very unreliable. Saving a page works only sometimes from Firefox. I do not use the Windows 10 version as it seemed to lack many features last I looked.

 If you are upgrading an existing Windows 10 device to Windows 11, OneNote for Windows 10 will remain on the device. If you are installing Windows 11 as a clean installation or getting it as a new device, OneNote for Windows 10 is not installed by default. Many of these devices will have the OneNote app installed as part of the rest of Office. If you need OneNote for Windows 10, you can install it from the Microsoft Store app. 

@OneNotePM I think you misunderstood my point. I say that the name of the app has changed to OneNote instead of OneNote for Windows 10.


Copper Contributor

Hello,

What does "a navigational UI layout option that can flex" mean exactly?

Copper Contributor

As a developer using the COM API, when I fix a bug and re-deploy the DLL, I shutdown OneNote then restart it so that the new DLL version is loaded. When you close OneNote, the UI windows disappears, but the process continues to run in the background for several minutes. Presumably it is updating its cache. However even when I open OneNote and do not make a single keystroke change and close OneNote, it continues to run for several minutes in the background. Oftentimes, I lose my patience and kill the OneNote process in Task Manager; so that I can get on with retesting my changes; rather than twiddling my thumbs for several minutes waiting for process to terminate on its own.
So PLEASE,  review & optimize the shutdown algorithm.

Copper Contributor

Please keep the recent notes list that is in Onenote for Windows 10.  I use this all the time to access notes I refer to frequently.  You could also improve it by enabling pinning of favourite notes to the top of the list

Copper Contributor

@OneNotePM

Hello, I am a paid user of Office365 in China. There is a bug in OneNote2016 and previous versions. It has been a long time. Maybe you also know this bug. For example, if the default font is set to Microsoft Yahei, when inputting, if it is a Chinese character, then it is Microsoft Yahei, but after switching to English, it will automatically become Calibri, and Microsoft Yahei cannot be maintained. Because these two font sizes are not the same, it will cause the page to be very inconsistent. I really hope that this problem can be solved in a new version in the future, thank you.

Brass Contributor

@OneNotePM 

Other Cloud use (can't change away from onenote?), why not?

You can't currently use other cloud accounts, others are encrypted if you need to keep the syncing using “cloud” storage

Local sync only for 1 device - can you use laptop hubs and or usb to usb, network to share files over an existing network, if no, why not?

Will this change with the unified onenote 2021? 

If you can silo notebooks better in onenote 2021 and offline you can then have lawyers/similar have private (cannot be on cloud) say shared in local network and then personal/not sensitive ones on private/other 'cloud'  I don't know if this sort of thing has been looked at?

Though the above is over simple for the situations I refer to...

 

Onedrive - encryption?

encryption at rest, no? (Why?), onenote app is only only account/password, no 2 step verification?

Will the link between onedrive and onenote change? Will you provide encryption if onenote only syncs with onedrive on cloud devices?

Will it work with other encryption providers, like I guess VeraCypt?

Bitlocker only for windows 10 pro devices, will you supply this with win 10 home or Win 11 Home, and apply this to onenote docs?

 

Mobile devices, onenote on ios/andriod - encryption?

I understand I can encryption application - how do I do this?  Will this be made easier going forward?

 

Disability

I can't think of everything, but is there some insider scheme for Disabled people?

How is the new product easier to use with say speech to text/nonstandard input devices?  Microsoft is buying Nuance, Dragon text to speech provider...

Do you have a £1 education plan for Office 365, or discount on standalone licence for onenote separate or with other office?

If you have to use onedrive for storage, or discounted scheme of Office 365 temporarily for jobseekers/disabilities if someone loses their job or earns below a threshold be good not to lose access to their notes?

 

Can you link onenote to some of your Microsoft Garage projects such as Group Transcribe So group transcribe can save direct to onenote?

Or Nuance Dragon Anywhere, dictate directly into onenote scrap note then save to onenote via cloud/API offline?
 

Formats/exports

What's the cut off of old onenote formats, will this work with Onenote 2007 or only 2010 onwards?

Can you use open formats, to share with other people more easily and backups?

Will you export to other providers such as Evernote or take inputs of them?

Export audio/video out of onenote to use other programs, like teachers using to clean up a recorded session to remove issues?

(Microsoft doesn't have a video editor I think?)
Export to mindmaps (cleaning of handwriting into cleaner boxes and 'computer typed text'?
Export format, flashcard creation with audio/video or just text and pictures?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anki_(software)>


Pages

Can you set page size i.e. A3, but just move around on this page, as you generally autoscroll

Can you split autoscroll pages, i.e. you just keep typing or adding space into A4/A3 ect... later?

 

OCR improvements/handwriting

Can you import handwriting or from other handwriting apps and convert it partially to correct as you go on mobile then sync?

Can you train the OCR for handwriting like you can with Dragon?

Can you only have partial conversion so as OCR isn't 100% accurate you can have page 1 handwritten, insert page 2 of OCR of handwritten text

Can you import from other handwriting apps and run the OCR on them, as surface pros are expensive for many people?

Will you 'clean the handwriting' a bit like I think Samsung did so you draw a rough box and it cleans to a box?
 

Business Cards (see covid)

A worry due to covid, will onenote help with this?

OCR of text on business card picture has this changed, or do you still need to use OfficeLens then add to onenote later?

 

Speech to text

Will OCR be applicable if you insert an video or audio file, and it will try to convert spoken word, and text into written text?

Or is this only work if you record during the lecture/meeting on one note and the recording has finished.  I.e. use dictaphone/phone for meeting/lecture be good to add that into onenote after the fact and run speech to text on this?


Will you able to embed/use Microsoft Group Translate during meetings/lectures and link this to onenote, like you could with audio.

Will cortana work with onenote but only offline/on device/computer, or you given choice when to send speech to server to transcribe and switch between server and offline cortana use?

I think you can record audio into my onenote computer and then type at the same time, and onenote sync/play back the audio where you have been typing...  Will this come to the onenote 2021 app/ios/andriod/tablet?


Audio changes?

Do you have any filtering software to reduce background noise to help with speech to text conversion?

Can you export the cleaned audio?

Recording audio/meetings/video/OCR

On the app/desktop version, can I split the screen to type, handwrite and still record audio like Sonocent Audio note taker? (this might be done I'm not sure)

Bob_Thinker_0-1631880302181.png

Source: https://sonocent.com/audio-notetaker

 

Evernote/other features

What features that Evernote/other competitors do, are you adding?

What features are due to be dropped as 2010-2020 desktop to app and desktop version caused feature drift and lost I think?


Otherwise good news as you are doing a lot of nice things, though windows 10 was meant to be the last release?

I found this blog of changing here easier to read

https://office-watch.com/2021/onenote-for-windows-changes-now-clarified-sort-of/

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