Microsoft OneNote is a digital note-taking software developed by Microsoft. It is available as part of the Microsoft 365 suite and has been free on all platforms outside the suite since 2014. OneNote is designed for free-form information gathering and multi-user collaboration. It gathers users notes, drawings, screen clippings, and audio commentaries. Notes can be shared with other OneNote users over the Internet or a network. OneNote is also available as a free, stand-alone app via the official website and the app stores of Windows 10, MacOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Android.
Some key features of OneNote include:
- Type notes or record audio at your laptop.
- Sketch or write ideas on your tablet.
- Add pictures from your phone.
- Find notes instantly.
- Freely move notes around the page.
- Organize those pages into sections.
- Keep your sections in one or more notebooks.
- Switch devices and pick up right where you left off.
- Share your notebooks with others so you can all view and contribute at the same time.
OneNote notebooks are designed to make organization optional but easy. Every notebook is automatically organized into sections which contain pages, letting you decide visually how you want to arrange your notes. OneNote also allows users to insert pictures, attach files, and create tables.
OneNote is a member of the Office family and works with other Office apps. It is also used in education, where teachers can use it to organize lesson plans in searchable digital notebooks, and staff can create a sharable content library.