OneNote Tips & Tricks

In this step-by-step tutorial, learn the top 16 best Microsoft OneNote tips and tricks.

👋 Resources called out in this video:
OneNote for Windows 10
- This comes pre-installed with Windows 10
- You can download from the Microsoft Store by searching for OneNote for Windows 10

OneNote app (previously known as OneNote 2016, this version comes with Microsoft Office)

⌚ Timestamps
0:00 Introduction to OneNote Tips & Tricks
0:38 Copy text from picture (OneNote app only)
1:44 Immersive reader (OneNote for Windows 10 only)
3:15 Sticky notes (OneNote Mobile app and Sticky Note app)
4:31 Pull in meeting details (All apps)
5:37 Add task to Microsoft To Do or Outlook Tasks (OneNote app only)
6:53 Add tags (All apps)
8:23 Copy link and work with others (All apps)
9:06 Password protect a section (All apps)
10:32 Ink to text (All apps)
11:03 Keep OneNote window on top (OneNote app only)
11:42 Full screen mode (All apps)
12:16 Translate (All apps)
13:55 Page versions (All apps)
14:41 Open multiple instances of OneNote (All apps)
15:08 Solve math equations (OneNote for Windows 10)
16:32 Dictate (OneNote for Windows 10)
17:16 Wrap up

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#OneNote

[edcoffeebean]

This is such a versatile tool and underrated.
📝I use it for taking meeting notes every day. I add the Outlook meta data like you demonstrated, and in the Notes section, I Insert a Table 3 columns wide; for the first column I add the Date and Time (Alt-N-D is the hotkey); in the second column is where I add the name of the person talking or the topic or the slide number (just be consistent); in the third column is the note/summary/action item/etc. In this third column, you can also paste screenshots (Windows Key+Sift+S). If someone is displaying content that wasn't shared, I take screenshots. If I want to accentuate the screenshot, I change the fill color of the cell it's in (remember you're working within a Table).
🔍For Searches, I like to use the Pin Search Results (Alt-O). This is an amazing search tool. You can select where you want to search (e.g., All Notebooks, this Section, etc.), and it will highlight all the pages that have a hit. What I like to do is click on a highlighted page then Search again, but select Find on Page; this finds the word(s) you searched on or you can search on a new word(s). You still retain all the highlighted pages from the first search. This is great for online classes where you take tons of notes.
🗣Bonus: The Pin Search Results has an Audio Search feature. Yes, you can record a lecture, and if it's a good recording, you can search on the spoken word; it's not 100% perfect. People, we are living in the freaking future!
📺You can paste the URL from a YouTube video in OneNoe, and it will automatically add the thumbnail underneath it. You can also grab the Transcript from YouTube and add it to a OneNote page. This is a decent way of searching on text from a YouTube video. (In YouTube, click on the three dots (ellipses) above Subscribe and select Open Transcript; select all or some of the transcript.) I like to align the timecode with the transcript text in Excel then bring it over to OneNote as a Table.
🚩🎁I also use the Flag/Task feature. You can also assign the task to someone else in Outlook.
In Outlook, you can schedule a meeting and you can setup a Skype meeting AND assign a location on a shared Notebook to take notes for the meeting. The attendees will be able to click on the OneNote link in their Calendar Invitation and see the agenda and after the meeting is over, view the minutes (but someone needs to do write them down).
🔗One of my favorite features on the Outlook version is Linked Notes. This is one of the best features! When it's activated, you can take notes in OneNote while you have a PowerPoint file up. You can then link the notes (by paragraph) to the slide number in PowerPoint. (It also works in Word and the IE browser (not Edge).) When you're done taking Linked Notes, turn it off, and you can click on the PowerPoint icon in the margin, and it will open the PowerPoint file and take you to that slide. It also works if the PowerPoint file is on a SharePoint site.

[DrSalonen]

Valuable reminder of features that are easy to forget. I “live” within OneNote and still got good reminders in this video. Thank you!

[ghanus]

Hi Kevin, OneNote junkie here... if I may add this to your Tip Number 4, add meeting notes, I have been doing that same item a bit differently. When youre in Outlook, where you have your calendar, you can double click it, and open the Calendar item in Pop out, you will see the OneNote icon there to add the meeting notes to your OneNote. However there you get the option to add notes on your own, or share them with participants.

Additionally, clicking that "Email Page" in OneNote, emails your notes to everyone that particated in your OneNote meeting. thats cool for when ou have just agreed to acction items, great for accountability especially for people outside your organization that you need to ride to get stuff done.

You can also click any email and then check the OneNote icon in the ribbon that adds that email to a selected OneNote tab of your choosing. This is a great way to keep track of orders, and other things. It also adds attachments to the oneNote.

I have been a OneNote junkie since 2007 ish... its prob one of the best software pieces Microsoft ever wrote, besides MS Exchange and SQL Server... Great video!

Oh I have a "Recipies" OneNote
Nice thing about that is I can search any ingredient and it comes up with all Ingredients, such as "cloves". The Search function works over all open notes. So searching for my Braised Short Ribs I I can just type Ribs, but then I have to choose between my most amazing password protected BBQ Ribs, so I just type braised.... then BOOM! I have been a search junkie... however your TAGS feature I never knew about, after all these years I never knew ... now I have to go see my therapist. She will never get it.

[TylerStanczak]

Oh wow! That copy text option from picture is something I never realized was possible. I depend on one note so much because it’s such a reliable tool to capture all my crucial notes. This is a great video. Thanks Kevin :)

[saschaw.]

Hello, I'm German, so I don't speak English as a mother tongue. - Your pronunciation is great and not too fast. I can understand your videos very well. Many Thanks.

[MichaelToub]

I recently ditched Evernote so these tips were timely!! Thanks!

[SuperAstro]

Kevin, I work in I.T, thank you for your great guides! We are pointing all our users to your YouTube page!

[ShaunaSanders]

OMG- being able to have multiple OneNote windows open at the same time!!! 🤯

[Jarajesh]

Dictate is my favorite and it is amazing how much this technology has grown in the years.

[juancarlosperezdeleon]

Kevin, this video is GREAT!! I have one more "OneNote tip" to share. OneNote also "keeps" files. In my job, I have to send lots of emails with attached files but not the same files for everyone. Keeping files on OneNote, I can easily (and fastly) select which files to email .

[kariguenther]

I really liked that you detailed in which version your tip works in. Could you do one for the mobile version of OneNote?

[rebeccaw]

One of my most important applications as a student, that can be used across platforms between windows and Apple devices. Thanks for the extra tips!

[ghanus]

"So... Learn how to fish!"

I fell off my chair! Touché

BTW.. im a 30 year + IT Professional and I simply love your presentations. I learn a lot, yeah I know much, however you have found tons of tidbits that I am loving and learning. Keep it up!

[tastiere.arranger]

l believed to be an expert of OneNote, but I didn't know 7 tips of yours. Thanks, Kevin. Again.

[NiraSuarez]

Wow! So interesting video, thanks for sharing! I'm completely in for anything to do with enhancing productivity, especially for freelancers and even more especially for artists, so I'm gonna take good note of what you say in this tutorial! Big hug from a Spanish dancer in India! 🌟

[MasterKoala]

I’ve been using OneNote for 6 years and still didn’t know a few of these tricks. Thanks! Also, the Math option is hidden in the Drawing menu.. what were they thinking? 🙂

[LicMairi]

Thanks Kevin, awesome tips! I use OneNote to get organized during my science PhD. I paste paper articles and take notes besides them since you can have an infinite canvas. Also, on another notebook, keep photos of my lab notes, keep a copy of submitted results, etc. :) Love OneNote!!! I would totally recomend students to use it.

[sexonlegs]

When you enter the password for protected section. Onenote NEVER SHOWS if caps lock is on, unlike anything else. When using with wireless keyboard never know for sure if it is ON/OFF. Drives me crazy several times a day. Please get one of your friends at Microsoft to make it show caps like proper software. Love the video. Love OneNote

[derranstokes]

Every day is a school day with your videos Kevin

[vesaruusunen]

Do you know why MS keeps two versions of OneNote? And especially as both have features that the other doesn't have. Is there a roadmap to merge all features to either one of these?