Top 12 OneNote Tips and Tricks to Use It Like a Pro
The striking popularity of Microsoft OneNote is due to two reasons. First of all, it's totally free. And second, the software is available everywhere. Whether it's iOS, Android, Mac, Windows or Web, you can access notes on all popular platforms.
The software is usually quick to follow the guidelines and progress of the operating system. For example, OneNote iOS and Mac apps have already implemented support for dark themes.
Recently, at the request of consumers, the company has brought back the OneNote desktop application. Microsoft is committed to supporting it for years to come.
We have already presented the comparison of OneNote to its competitors. In this article, we'll talk about OneNote's top twelve tips and tricks to improve your productivity.
Whether you're a student, teacher, designer or casual note taker, I'm sure you'll find the list below at your fingertips. Let's start.
1. Turn on dark mode
Apple has begun to deploy the dark mode with the introduction of macOS Sierra. With a recent update, Microsoft OneNote has also joined the list of applications respecting the dark theme of the system.
To enable it, you can go to System Preferences> General> Appearance and select dark in the option. The change will be reflected in the OneNote application. If you are not a fan, you can return to the theme of light from the application settings. Tap OneNote> Preferences and turn off the dark mode from the options.
For iOS 13, go to Settings> Display & Brightness and select the dark mode. Overall, Microsoft has done a solid job with the implementation of the dark mode. It's a dark, not dark gray theme that saves battery power on AMOLED displays.
2. Use keyboard shortcuts
I always recommend memorizing keyboard shortcuts to browse the functions of the software. Microsoft OneNote is no exception. The software supports many keyboard shortcuts on Mac and Windows.
Using keyboard shortcuts, you can quickly highlight words, insert links, insert date and time, search notes, and more. Read and master the OneNote keyboard shortcuts from our previous article.
3. Share a page in PDF and invite other people
There are three ways to share notes in OneNote. You can send a PDF note to others. You can also copy a page link and share it with friends. Tap the three-point menu and select Copy link to a page.
One can also share an entire notebook with others. Select the share menu in the upper right corner and give permissions such as display and editable from the options. Type the email and click on the send button.
4. Insert tables
The use of tables is a wise way to organize relevant information. OneNote supports the default table feature.
Tap Insert> Table and select the number of rows and columns according to your needs. When adding data, you can always use the 'Enter' key to continue adding rows and columns as needed.
5. Use templates
Microsoft reports the Windows desktop application for OneNote. And with that, you can start using the template function because it is currently missing in the default Mac and Windows application.
Instead of starting a note with black space, you can use the appropriate template to manage a to-do list, take meeting notes, or organize meal details.
Tap Insert> Page Layout> Page Templates. A sidebar will open the template categories to help you choose the perfect template for the new page. You can still download third-party models from web sources such as OneNote Gem.
6. Add stickers
Did you know that we can add stickers on the OneNote page to give it a personal touch? Microsoft has added a set of default sticker packs to use them. There are costume felines, monkeys, desktop dramas and Teamsquatch stickers on the mac version.
Select Insert> Stickers. The tab displays the default values in the right sidebar. You can also add emoticons from the Edit> Emoticons and Symbols menu.
7. Use Drawing Capabilities
Microsoft has added a dedicated drawing section in the OneNote application. Tap the Draw menu, and the section will let you choose between Pen, Marker, and Highlighter. You can also use the eraser function, change the color of the ink and play with the thickness of the ink from the menu.
If you are using Surface Pro devices or Windows notebooks that support Pen, you can use the Windows Ink feature to write and draw directly on the page.
8. Change the paper style
OneNote allows you to change the page style from the settings menu. By default, it opens on a blank blank page. Visit Display from the top ribbon and change the color and style of the paper in the menu shown.
It looks good and looks like a physical laptop with different colors and rules / grid lines.
9. Password protection section
You can protect a OneNote section with a password to protect it from unauthorized access. Right-click on a section of a notebook and select a password protection option. Add a password and you will need this password to access the notes on all platforms.
Do not forget that if you forget the password, there is no way to recover the section. I would advise you to invest in a password manager to memorize all these confidential details.
10. Use OneNote Clipper
Microsoft offers a OneNote Clipper-compatible extension on major browsers. You can use it to directly add a web page to OneNote, add a portion of the page to a clip, or save the full article in OneNote.
11. Use widgets and mobile shortcuts
Microsoft OneNote for iOS and Android offers a widget feature that allows you to view recent notes and quickly add new notes. On Android, you can touch and hold the application's icon and choose from the appropriate options to add a new note.
Long-press the displayed options and add them to the home screen to quickly add a note, a voice recording, a list and a bulleted list.
12. Change the default OneNote fonts
By default, OneNote will stick to Microsoft Calibri fonts of size 12. However, you can change that. Select Preferences> Edit and View> and change the type and size of the font.
Changes will only be reflected on the new page and notes already added will not be ruined.
Take the OneNote experience to the next level
The above list is only the visible part of the iceberg. The software also supports mathematical equations, built-in player, custom tags, and more. And that's not all. The company recently announced plans for OneNote, which should be tightly integrated with other Microsoft services, such as Teams and To-Do.
Next Up: OneNote offers powerful PDF functionality ready for use. Read the article below to learn more about the OneNote pdf feature.