OneNote in Windows 11/10 is probably the best note-taking app available right now for the platform. If you can’t afford to purchase Office, worry not, OneNote Microsoft Store app comes freely installed.
Here’s the thing, compared to the version that comes with Office, this one is basic stuff, but who needs an advanced OneNote experience for jotting down a few notes here and there? Not most of us, and probably not you.
OneNote app in Windows 11/10
To find the OneNote app, just fire up the Start Menu, for it should be there. However, if it is not, go into “All Apps” then scroll down until the app is visible.
Click on OneNote to open it, and you should be good to go.
The first thing you should see once the app is fully up and running, are a few notes added in by Microsoft. These default notes are Microsoft’s way of getting users familiar with the app. If you have the time to waste, we suggest reading through them all.
One of the many things you might notice is the fact that OneNote is purple. The problem is; it cannot be changed to another color and doesn’t adopt the color profile of your operating system. It means that if you’re not a fan of purple, you’re stuck.
How to create a note using OneNote
Click on the hamburger menu on the left side; you should see something called Notebook. Under it will be your very own section to add your notes, and the name should be the email address of your Microsoft Account. Besides the Notebook option, you’ll see a Plus button; clicking on it will allow you to create more notebooks.
Open your notebook to access where your notes will be saved for the foreseeable future. Each note added will be uploaded to OneDrive, so they will always be available even if you choose to change your computer. You can even access them from your mobile phone via the OneNote app for Windows Phone 8, Windows 10 Mobile, Android, and iOS.
Within the same notebook, users can create different Sections; some might call them as tabs. A new section creates a blank page for notes to be separate from the others in the same notebook. We like this, but we envision folks creating new notebooks instead of new sections.
You can also password protect sections of OneNote as follows: Right-click and select Password Protect This Section. Set a Password and hit OK. To access or unlock the section, click anywhere in the Note section, and a box will appear. Enter the password to access the section.
Users can also add images to their notes, along with other files. This can be done by clicking the Insert tab, then clicking either the File option or Picture option.
There’s also a Draw tab, and from here, users can draw symbols, among other things, and add them to their notes. For example, as you can see, I drew a stick man because I have excellent drawing skills. I’ll be up there with the best 200-years from now, mark my words.
In terms of the Settings, users can gain access to this aspect of OneNote by clicking on the hamburger button again. Click the word settings, and it will bring up a bar on the right side of the display. Click on Options to change how to sync files and notes, and if you want to touch to zoom.
Overall, we have a great note-taking app here in OneNote. Basic, simple, and fast. Not to mention, everything is saved to the cloud, so you’ll never miss a beat.
How do I use OneNote on Windows 11?
Before getting started, you must know that there are two OneNote apps on Windows 11 and Windows 10 – OneNote for Windows 10 and the OneNote, which comes with Microsoft 365. You can use both on your computer. However, you do not need to install the OneNote for Windows 10 since it is an in-built application, whereas you can find the other one with Microsoft 365 package.
Can you use OneNote for Windows 10 on Windows 11?
Yes, the OneNote app is available for Windows 11 as well as Windows 10. That said, even if you use Windows 11, you can certainly use OneNote on your computer. For your information, all the options and features of OneNote for Windows 10 are available in Windows 11 too.
Further reading: How to take notes with OneNote in Windows.
If you do not use the OneNote app and want to uninstall it, you can use our 10AppsManager for Windows 10 to do so easily.
