Write on iPad Like a Notebook: Apps and Tips

Advantages of using an iPad as a digital notebook

We are not going to deny that the classic post-it notes or small clippings can often help us to write a quick note when we have to quickly copy a phone or an address. However, iPads have many more advantages than we can take advantage of.

• “Where did I leave the pen?” It will no longer be a question you ask yourself often. You don’t have to keep an eye on a sheet and pen, as you only need one thing: the iPad. In most cases it is possible that you have it at your fingertips because you are working with it when you need to write something down, although if not, it will cost you less to find it because it is more voluminous.
• You can use it at a professional, academic and personal level. This is the end of having a notebook for everything, since in one device you will have everything. In schools it is true that there may be some limitation to use electronic devices, but it is increasingly accepted and in the case of universities or vocational training centers they are fully integrated elements.
• You will not lose anything , since all this will be saved on your computer and you can even make backup copies of them. Even if your iPad breaks, you could save your information, as we will discuss in the next point.
• You will be able to access your notes from any device , since in the majority of apps you use there will be synchronization with iCloud or other services, which will guarantee access to them from the iPhone, Mac or any other computer with access to that cloud.
• Share it with whoever you want through messaging services, email or any other formula. With a piece of paper you would have to make a photocopy or request that your notes be returned quickly so as not to lose them, but with the iPad you will always have them.
• Write wherever you want without worrying about not being on a rigid surface, one of the downsides sometimes to writing on paper.
• Everything will be more readable , since you can write it digitally or even make handwritten notes turn into computer letters quickly. For a better reading, you can choose between various fonts, choose the size and color.
• Everything will be more organized , since you can classify it by folders and other methods so that everything is in its place and you do not have to be flipping through papers to find what you are looking for.
• Dozens of tools at your fingertips on a single device. The recommended note-taking apps have different styles of pencils, pens, pens, markers, and even highlighters.
• Draw what you want because you can not only write texts. Freehand drawings, more artistic, diagrams and anything else you can think of can be seamlessly integrated into your iPad.
• Goodbye to studs and tedious correction fluid stains. Clearing an error on the iPad is as simple as pressing the respective delete button on the keyboard or using a rubber tool.
• You will not take up more space than the storage of the iPad itself or the cloud service you use. It is a good way of not filling tables and drawers of notebooks and papers.
• Add images from the internet, taken by yourself or even scan paper documents to take notes on them or simply to have them digitized.
• You will not have to spend a single euro on materials. Despite the fact that there are paid apps like the ones we will see in this article, the truth is that there are free alternatives.

Free and native iPad app

Notes is an application that comes standard on all Apple devices, except for Apple Watch, Apple TV and HomePod for obvious reasons. It is true that it can have many limitations, but it has many strengths, among which it is completely free. Even if you have an old iPad that does not update its software to the latest versions, this app can serve you, although what we will tell refers to the latest versions of this app. If you ever uninstalled it, you can download it again from the App Store.

View of the interface, folders and subfolders

It is possible that you already knew this app and you have not taken into account several things that it can offer. Therefore we go step by step through its interface. What you will find in this app as soon as you enter is a view of the folders on the left and the notes in question on the right. For the moment we are going to look at the folder list as if the right part of the screen does not exist.

In these folders you can find a compendium of all the notes stored, those that are only on your iPad, those that also synchronize with iCloud to access on any device and finally all those that you are creating. To add a new one it will be as simple as clicking on the respective lower left button that says “new folder”.

If you want to sort the folders, you can do it by clicking on “edit” at the top. Those with an icon with three stripes will be able to alter their order just by clicking on that icon and moving their finger over other folders. In fact, this way you can also create subfolders when you place one of these covering another. It is useful if, for example, you store notes on various things such as shopping lists, and may have a generic folder with “Purchases” in which subfolders such as “Cleaning products”, “Vegetables”, “Snacks” and others appear.

If you want to change the name of one of the folders you must also click on “edit”, but this time you must click on the icon with a circle and three dots. By doing this you can modify the name of said folder and even delete it , but you must be careful because they will be deleted along with all the content inside.

Deleted Notes

Precisely following in the previous line regarding deletion of notes, we find a folder called “Just deleted”. This is a way that Apple has to avoid disgust for deleting something that we shouldn’t have. These notes are stored for a period of 30 calendar days from when they are deleted, so you have enough time to regret a deletion. Once those days have passed, you will not be able to recover them.

If you want to permanently delete one or more notes without waiting for that period to pass, you can go into the folder and swipe left on each one of them and click on the red button on the trash. If you want to choose several at the same time you can click on the icon of the three dots at the top and select them.

Add, edit and fix notes

The moment of truth has arrived in which to know how to add new notes. To do this you must go into any folder and click on the icon that is in the upper right of your screen and which has a square with a pencil as a symbol. At this time you will already be in the note. You can see it in full screen by pressing the top icon with two diagonal arrows.

If you have an external keyboard you can start using it to write things. Your note will be able to alternate between digitally written text, freehand text, drawings or diagrams, images and even tables. Digital writing can also be carried out with the virtual keyboard of the iPad itself. In either of these two cases you will see various options:

• Type of text: you will find it in the lower icon with a capital ‘A’ and a lower case. It will allow you to choose whether you want to write a note title, a heading, a subtitle, body or write in a monospace style. Also in this place you can choose if you want to make the text bold, italic, underlined or italic. Also the choice of indents and lists with selection points, numbers or hyphens can be added in this section.
• Tables: you can enter a table in which by default you will find two columns and two rows. It will be enough to touch on each one of them to add more columns, rows or even pass this table to text without losing the original spacing that it had when it was framed.
• Add images: the lower icon with the symbol of a camera will allow you to scan documents in real time, opening the camera and taking a photo on a piece of paper that can later be cut and adjusted, in addition to automatically making a series of corrections to remove stains and other blemishes. You can also take a photo or video to anything else or import it from the photo library on your iPad.
• Draw or write by hand: clicking on the bottom icon in the form of a pencil will automatically open a superimposed window in which you will find different tools such as a pen, a pencil, an highlighter, an eraser, as well as tools for making lines straights or a ruler. On the right side of this panel you will find some default colors to use, although you can choose any other by clicking on the one located in the lower right corner. In the icon with the three dotted line you can configure that this panel is automatically hidden when you are writing or drawing. If you have an Apple Pencil, this tool will be great for you, but it is not essential to have it because you can perform these actions with your finger.

View notes from other devices and share them

Unless you use the folder called “Notes” plainly, the rest will be synchronized with iCloud. What does this mean? Well, they will be accessible from any other computer with access to this service.

• iPhone: entering the native Notes app, you will find the same options as on the iPad, only with an interface adjusted to the screen size.
• Mac: You also have a version of the app in macOS with which you can do exactly the same things as in the iPhone and iPad apps.
• Android: access the iCloud website from the browser, enter your Apple ID and password. Once you are inside you will see that you can see, edit, delete and share notes. It is not as intuitive and comfortable as on an iPhone or iPad but it can get you out of trouble on certain occasions.
• Windows PC: following the same method as in Android through the browser and with the same technical limitations, since a web version is being used instead of a dedicated application.

There are options to share the notes with other users through various services such as messaging and email apps. It is accessible by clicking the top share icon in which a square appears with an arrow pointing up. There is also an interesting function to create shared notes that can be edited in real time by several people.

Include notes in backups

If you want the notes you are making on your iPad to be added to the system backups you make with the iPad, you should go to Settings> (your name)> iCloud. In this section you must activate the “Notes” option. If at any time you have to restore the iPad or buy a new one to which you put that backup, you will continue to keep the same notes that you had.

Protect notes with password or Touch ID / Face ID

There is a way to make all or some of your notes safe from third parties. To do this, just go to the note in question and drag with your finger to the left, then click on the padlock. You must now select the password you want for this note and from then on, simply use our fingerprint with Touch ID or face with Face ID to access the note. If you are not detected with these biometric systems, you must enter the password you chose.

Third-party apps with more features

There are interesting applications in the iPadOS App Store that allow us to obtain functionalities added to those of the native Notes app. If you think that with what has been shown above it can serve you to meet your needs, perhaps it will not compensate you to download other apps. However, we believe that there are very worthwhile options, although it must be said that they can be paid or require a subscription to enjoy all its functions.

We already did on one occasion a compilation with the best apps for taking notes on the iPad , which we recommend you visit for more information. Below we will show you two of the best options in this area and that is why they are usually the most recommended as an alternative to Apple’s.

Notability

This application is perfect for the task of transforming all our work on paper into digital format. It has excellent features with which to drag and drop texts and images to nourish each note with better content. If it stands out for something it is for its excellent interface , which can be configured in many ways in which to create an authentic digital notebook. Even your annotations can be made with a background similar to grid or line notebooks to make it easier for you. With Apple Pencil is what this app earns, being able to find many facilities at the time of writing.

Goodnotes 5

This app is renewed every year and adding new features. The fifth is the latest version available. Like Notability, it has great functionality when it comes to importing multimedia content and handwriting with Apple Pencil. One of its most outstanding functions is the possibility of exporting notes in PDF format, although its great strength is to be universal for iPad, iPhone and Mac, finding a complete interface in all of them and with identical functions.

By following these steps or installing these or any other similar app, you will be able to fully experience the best digital writing experience thanks to your iPad. You can forget about the notebooks now!