Microsoft OneNote facts for kids
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Notes being created and organized in the 2021 interface refresh of OneNote on desktop, running on Windows 11
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| Developer(s) | Microsoft | ||||||||
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| Initial release | November 19, 2003 | ||||||||
| Stable release |
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| Operating system | Microsoft Windows, macOS | ||||||||
| Type | Notetaking software | ||||||||
| License | Proprietary software, Freeware (OneNote 2013 and later) | ||||||||
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Notes being created and organized in the OneNote UWP app, running on Windows 10
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| Developer(s) | Microsoft |
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| Initial release | July 16, 2012 |
| Stable release |
17.10325.20049 / July 2018
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| Operating system | Windows 10, Android, ChromeOS, iOS, iPadOS, Windows Phone, MacOS |
| Type | Notetaking software |
| License | Freeware |
Notes being created and organized on OneNote.com
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Type of site
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Notetaking software |
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| Owner | Microsoft |
| Commercial | No |
| Registration | Required |
Microsoft OneNote is a special computer program made by Microsoft. It helps you take notes and gather information. Think of it like a digital notebook where you can write, draw, and save things.
OneNote is part of the Microsoft 365 collection of programs. Since 2014, it has also been available for free on many different devices. It's great for collecting notes, drawings, pictures from your screen, and even audio recordings. You can also share your notes with friends or classmates over the internet.
You can get OneNote as a free app for Windows 10, MacOS, iOS (for iPhones), iPadOS (for iPads), and Android phones and tablets. Microsoft also has a version you can use right in your web browser, which is part of OneDrive and Office for the web.
Contents
What is OneNote?
Microsoft first announced OneNote on November 17, 2002. This program lets you create notes that can have text, pictures, tables, and even drawings. It's different from a regular word processor. In OneNote, you can click anywhere on the page to start typing. It's like having an endless piece of paper!
One of the best things about OneNote is that it saves your work automatically as you go. You don't have to worry about losing your notes.
How OneNote Organizes Your Notes
OneNote keeps your information organized in a special way.
- Your notes are on pages.
- Pages are grouped into sections.
- Sections are kept inside notebooks.
This setup looks a lot like a real-life ring binder with tabs. You can easily make notes and add things from other programs. OneNote notebooks are perfect for collecting and sharing your own ideas and materials. They are different from word processors or wikis, which are often used for publishing finished work.
Here are some cool things about OneNote pages:
- Pages can be super big, so you have lots of space.
- You don't have to follow a strict layout. You can put things wherever you want.
You can move pages around in your notebook. You can also write on them using a stylus (like a digital pen) or use typing and drawing tools. You can even add videos from YouTube or other multimedia recordings.
Smart Features in OneNote
OneNote has powerful search tools. It can look for text inside pictures, like screenshots or scanned documents. It can also search for your handwritten notes. If you record audio, OneNote can even search for words you said! You can play back the audio and see the notes you took at the same time. It can also copy text from pictures and documents using a technology called OCR.
OneNote is also great for working with others. Many people can work on the same page at the same time. It's like a shared digital whiteboard. You can even work on notes offline and then sync them later when you have internet.
In 2014, Microsoft made it easier for other apps to work with OneNote. They created something called the OneNote cloud service API. This lets other apps send information directly into your OneNote notebooks on OneDrive.
Microsoft also added some helpful tools:
- OneNote Clipper: This is a special button for your web browser. It lets you save a picture of a webpage to OneNote, along with its web address. You can even search the text in the saved picture!
- Email to OneNote: You can send emails to a special address (
me@onenote.com) from your own email. The contents of the email will then be saved right into your OneNote.
OneNote Files
OneNote notebooks are stored in a special way on your computer. Each section of your notebook is saved as a separate data file. These files have a .one filename extension. A .one file can be a whole OneNote notebook or just one section.
.one file icons for sections (left) and notebooks (right)Microsoft has updated the OneNote file format a few times over the years. Newer versions of OneNote can usually open older files. The OneNote file format is also an open format. This means that others can understand how it works, and it can store many different types of multimedia content.
You can also export multiple .one files into a single .onepkg file. This file acts like a container for several notebooks.
Where You Can Use OneNote
OneNote lets many people work on the same document at once. This works best when the document is saved in a shared folder on OneDrive. OneNote also used to work with Dropbox for syncing files. Now, OneDrive is the main place for storing and syncing your OneNote files in the cloud. You can view and edit these files using different OneNote apps, including the web version.
Microsoft made OneNote 2013 for Windows computers free to use. Many OneNote versions for Windows and Mac are based on a "freemium" model. This means they are free to use, but some extra features might cost money. However, in 2015, Microsoft made almost all features free. The only main difference is that the free version usually saves notebooks only on OneDrive, not directly on your computer.
OneNote on Windows
The very first version, OneNote 2003, was sold separately for Windows computers. Later, starting with Office 2007, OneNote became a part of the main Office suite. It was seen as a helpful tool for students.
A special version of OneNote was made for Windows 8 and RT tablets. It was designed to work well with touchscreens and used OneDrive for storage.
For a while, Microsoft planned to make the "OneNote for Windows 10" app (a newer type of app) the main OneNote for Windows users. However, they changed their mind in 2019. Now, both the traditional "desktop" version (called just OneNote) and the "OneNote for Windows 10" app are being updated. The desktop version is now installed by default with Office 365. Starting with Windows 11, OneNote is no longer automatically installed, but you can still download it from the Microsoft Store.
In 2021, Microsoft announced that they would stop updating "OneNote for Windows 10." They are working to move its features and users to the main desktop version. The desktop version is also getting new looks to match Windows 11.
OneNote on Phones and Tablets
OneNote is also available for mobile phones and tablets. Microsoft has free OneNote apps for iOS (Apple devices) and Android devices.
Older versions of OneNote Mobile were available for Windows Mobile phones. It also came with Windows Phone 7 in 2010. In 2011, OneNote became available on more types of phones, including iPhone and Symbian. In 2012, Microsoft surprised many by releasing OneNote for Android.
In 2013, the iPad app got a big update, adding many features similar to the Windows version. In 2014, OneNote for Android tablets was updated to include handwriting support. It also works with notebooks saved on OneDrive or SharePoint. In 2022, the Android app got a fresh new look.
OneNote on Mac Computers
On March 17, 2014, Microsoft released OneNote for Mac computers. It works with OS X Mavericks and newer versions. You can download it for free from the Mac App Store.
Different Versions and Features
The desktop version of OneNote and OneNote for Windows 10 have different features and ways they look. They also differ from the versions on other devices. The desktop OneNote usually has more options and can save notebooks directly on your computer, not just in the cloud.
The features you get in OneNote on Windows and Mac can also depend on whether you have a paid Office 365 subscription or a one-time purchase of Office 2019. If you have a paid license, you might unlock extra features. For example, the desktop OneNote gets local notebook support. The Mac version might get "stickers," and OneNote for Windows 10 might get "ink replay" (to see how you drew something) and other tools. Microsoft is always working on adding more premium features to the Mac and Windows 10 versions.
Images for kids
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Microsoft OneNote 2010 with an open side note
See also
In Spanish: Microsoft OneNote para niños
- Comparison of notetaking software
