So you can turn your iPad into a digital notebook — 2022

Advantages of using an iPad as a digital notebook

We are not going to deny that the classic post-it notes or small page clippings can be used on many occasions to write a quick note when we have to quickly copy a telephone number or an address. However, the iPads have many more advantages than we can take advantage of.

Where have I left the pen?It will no longer be a question that you ask yourself often. You don't have to worry about having a sheet of paper and a pen at hand, since 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 this is not the case, it will cost you less to find it because it is more voluminous. You can use it professionally, academically and personally.With this, the idea of ​​having a notebook for everything is over, since you will have everything in a single device. In schools it is true that there may be some limitation to the use of electronic devices, but it is increasingly accepted and in the case of universities or vocational training centers they are fully integrated elements. you won't 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 can access your notes from any device, since in most of the apps you use there will be synchronization with iCloud or other services, which will guarantee you access to them from the iPhone, Mac or any other device with access to that cloud. Share it with whoever you wantthrough courier services, email or any other formula. With a piece of paper you would have to make a photocopy or ask for your notes to be returned quickly so as not to lose them, but with the iPad you will always have them. write where you wantwithout worrying about not being on a rigid surface, one of the disadvantages of writing on paper sometimes. Everything will be more readable, since you will be able to write it digitally or even have your handwritten notes quickly converted into computer letters. For a better reading, you can choose between several fonts, choose the size and color. everything will be more organized , since you'll be able to classify it by folders and other methods so that everything is in its place and you don't have to go through papers to find what you're looking for. dozens of toolsat your fingertips in a single device. Recommended note-taking apps have different styles of pencils, pens, pens, markers, and even highlighters. draw what you wantbecause you can not only write texts. Freehand drawings, more artistic drawings, schematics and anything else you can think of can be seamlessly integrated into your iPad. goodbye to studsand tedious correction fluid stains. Erasing an error on the iPad is as simple as pressing the respective delete button on the keyboard or using a tool that serves as an eraser. You will not take up spacemore than the storage of the iPad itself or the cloud service you use. It is a good way of not filling tables and drawers with notebooks and papers. Add imagesfrom the internet, taken by yourself or even scan paper documents to take notes on them or simply to have them digitized. You won't have to spend a single euro in 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 is installed by default on all Apple devices, except for the Apple Watch, Apple TV and HomePod for obvious reasons. It is true that it may have many limitations, but it has many strong points, among which it stands out that it is completely free. Even if you have an old iPad that doesn't update its software to the latest versions, this app will still be of use to you, although what we're going to tell you 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. That is why we are going 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 will focus on the folder list as if the right part of the screen did not exist.

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

If you wish tidy the folders, you can do it by clicking on edit, at the top. Those that have an icon with three stripes can change their order by simply clicking on that icon and moving your 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 of various things such as shopping lists, being able to have a generic folder with Purchases in which subfolders such as Cleaning Products, Vegetables, Snacks and others appear.

If you wish rename of one of the folders you must also click on edit, but this time you must then click on the icon with a circle and three points. By doing this you will be able to 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 the previous line regarding deleting notes, we find a folder called Just removed. This is a way for Apple to avoid unpleasantness for deleting something that we shouldn't. These notes are stored for a period of 30 days natural since they are deleted, so you have enough time to regret a deletion. Once these days have passed, you will not be able to recover them.

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

Add, edit and pin 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 part of your screen and has a square with a pencil as its symbol. At this time you will already be in the note. You can see it full screen pressing the upper icon in which two diagonal arrows appear.

If you have a external keyboard you can start using it to write things. Your note will be able to switch between digitally typed text, freehand text, drawings or outlines, 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 bottom icon with an uppercase and a lowercase 'A'. It will allow you to choose whether you want to write a title to the note, a header, a subtitle, body or write in a monospaced style. Also in this place you can choose if you want to make the text bold, italic, underlined or italicized. Also the choice of indents and lists with selection points, numbers or hyphens can be added in this section. Boards:you can enter a table in which by default you will find two columns and two rows. All you have to do is touch each one of them to add more columns, rows or even convert said table to text without losing the original spacing 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 of a paper that can later be cut and adjusted, in addition to automatically making a series of corrections that eliminate stains and other imperfections. You can also take a picture or video to anything else or import it from your iPad's photo library. Draw or write by hand:Clicking on the lower pencil-shaped icon will automatically open a superimposed window in which you will find different tools such as a pen, a pencil, a highlighter, an eraser, as well as tools to make straight lines 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 in the lower right corner. In the icon with the three-dotted line you can configure that this panel hides automatically 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 to dry, 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 on 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. PC Windows: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 for to share notes with other users through various services such as messaging and email apps. It is accessible by pressing the upper 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 make 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, simply go to the note in question and drag 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 it will be enough to 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 additional features to those of the native Notes app. If you think that with what is shown above it can serve to cover your needs, it may not compensate you to download other apps. However, we believe that there are options that are very worth mentioning, although it must be said that can be paid or require a subscription to be able to enjoy all its functions.

Below we will show you two of the best options in this area and that are why they are usually the most recommended as an alternative to Apple.

Notability

This application is perfect for the task of transforming all our paper work into digital format. It has excellent functionalities with which to drag and drop texts and images to feed each note with better content. If he stands out for something, it is for his excellent interface , which can be configured in many ways to create a true digital notebook.

Even your annotations can be made with a background similar to grid or line notebooks to make it easier for you. With the Apple Pencil It is with what this app earns, being able to find many facilities at the time of writing. It is also available on iPhone and Mac, so if at any time you need to use another device because you don't have the iPad at hand, you can still check and modify your notes.

Goodnotes 5

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

It is very similar to the previous one although, at least to the personal taste of this writing, it convinces us more on the subject of make drawings because the tools it offers are much more intuitive. Perhaps the fact of having to pay for it every year can be a drawback if you want to have the updated app, but it is without a doubt one of the best apps with which we can turn the iPad into a digital diary.

Notepad +: Take Notes

This app is fully optimized for iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, so you can make notes and sketch on the big screen provided by your iPad. It has support for pressure and palm rejection with the Apple Pencil. You will also be able to save your notes, documents, summaries and anything else your mind can create. Its main virtue is that it is totally free.

Of course, it may not be as advanced as the previous two, but it also offers a complete interface full of powerful tools. From being able to edit documents in PDF and many other formats that you want to import, to being able to organize the agenda completely to your liking so that you can have an organization that allows you to access your notes as quickly as possible.

Noteshelf

With Noteshelf you can take notes by hand or annotate PDF files on your iPad. Plus, to complement note-taking you can also type notes, record audio, draw shapes, make sketches, sign contracts, and fill out forms. It is a very complete app with extra functions such as adding bookmarks, creating lists, notebook categories and much more.

Besides that it is not very expensive, just €9.99 unique price, offers great features. It also offers a lot of privacy and security thanks to the possibility of being able to make backups that sync with iCloud, so even if you switch iPads, you'll be able to access all your notes again.

Notes Writer – Perfect Notes!

Write by hand, annotate, draw, highlight, scan and record notes and documents, all thanks to Notes Writer, an ideal application to annotate PDFs, fill in forms, sign documents and create your own notes. It is an app focused on business professionals, students, teachers, writers, doctors, journalists, academics...

It does not leave an app very similar to the previous ones at the end, although, as it happened with one of them, it is totally free . The fact that it is the last does not mean that it is the worst, far from it. In fact, it has functions in which it does it especially well, as is the case with scan documents , allowing you to later adjust said document to any note and even write on it.

Nebo: Notes and Annotations PDF

Despite the fact that within the App Store there is great competition in terms of note applications, Nebo is undoubtedly within that most prominent group , all thanks to what it is capable of offering to all those users who have an iPad, an Apple Pencil and what they want is to use this combination to replace the typical notebook.

With this application you can create very elegant notes , write completely professional reports by hand or, why not, sketch all your ideas and creativity on an infinite canvas. Of course, with Nebo you can import your different PDF files to make all the annotations you need on these. It is an ideal application for all users who want to get the most out of their iPad together with the Apple Pencil, having the ability to carry out everything their creativity allows.

Paper

The name of this application is undoubtedly a great representation of what you can find once you download it from the App Store, install it on your iPad and open it for the first time. Paper is a immersive sketching app to capture ideas anywhere, it's the notebook that every artist always carries with them. Now the iPad will be that place where you can capture any moment of inspiration , without worrying about the means, because it will allow you to do whatever your creativity wants.

It has multitude of tools so you can draw, sketch, outline, write, color, diagram, cut, fill, and blend. In addition, it has an automatic correction function that adjusts the draft drawings, creating completely perfect straight lines and figures, as long as you activate this option, obviously. You can also use different templates such as grids, lines and even storyboards that will help you structure all the ideas you have much better.

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. Now you can forget about notebooks!