Apple’s iPad has many different uses, one of which is using it to replace a tablet of paper and a pen, or a sketchbook and a pencil. I’ll include a list of which iPad model uses which version of the Apple Pencil at the bottom of this post. The easiest way to start using the Apple Pencil to take notes on your iPad is to open the Apple Notes app, tap the New Note/Compose button in the top-right corner and start writing or drawing. You can start taking notes using the Apple Pencil directly from the lock screen, even when your iPad is asleep.
A blank note page will open, ready for you to start writing or sketching. Starting with iPadOS 15, Apple added a feature called Quick Notes to the tablet.
Quick Notes lives as a popup that slides out of the bottom-right corner of the screen, letting you add links to whatever Safari page you’re currently on, or you can begin writing with your Apple Pencil and save it for future access. Not only is it available on your iPad, but if you own a Mac or use an iPhone, your notes will sync between all of your Apple devices using your iCloud account. There’s something intimate about writing notes on paper instead of a screen that helps me, personally, with retaining information. And it never fails, whenever I need to access a specific note from a meeting, my notebook is missing or is in my office when I’m nowhere near it. Taking notes on the iPad is an easy and convenient way to have all of your information with you at all times.
3 very simple ways to take notes on your iPad using an Apple Pencil
Apple’s iPad has many different uses, one of which is using it to replace a tablet of paper and a pen, or a sketchbook and a pencil. I’ll include a list of which iPad model uses which version of the Apple Pencil at the bottom of this post. The easiest way to start using the Apple Pencil to take notes on your iPad is to open the Apple Notes app, tap the New Note/Compose button in the top-right corner and start writing or drawing. You can start taking notes using the Apple Pencil directly from the lock screen, even when your iPad is asleep.
A blank note page will open, ready for you to start writing or sketching. Starting with iPadOS 15, Apple added a feature called Quick Notes to the tablet.
Quick Notes lives as a popup that slides out of the bottom-right corner of the screen, letting you add links to whatever Safari page you’re currently on, or you can begin writing with your Apple Pencil and save it for future access. Not only is it available on your iPad, but if you own a Mac or use an iPhone, your notes will sync between all of your Apple devices using your iCloud account.
There’s something intimate about writing notes on paper instead of a screen that helps me, personally, with retaining information. And it never fails, whenever I need to access a specific note from a meeting, my notebook is missing or is in my office when I’m nowhere near it.
Taking notes on the iPad is an easy and convenient way to have all of your information with you at all times.
Best note-taking apps for iPad and Apple Pencil 2022
Apple has native text recognition search and in-line scanning and annotation support too. GoodNotes is packed with plenty of robust features, including handwriting and sketching with Apple Pencil. You can choose from a massive selection of digital paper types to suit any need you have: lined, graph, design, music notation, and more.
If that’s not enough, you can also upload your own custom template too, and there are different cover styles for digital notebooks that you can write or sketch on for further personalization.
This powerful and comprehensive note-taking app works great on iPad with Apple Pencil. It has tools for handwriting, drawing, annotating PDFs, making shapes, highlighting, moving objects around the page, adding audio notes, integration with photos and web clips, and so much more. You can share your digital notebooks with third-party syncing services like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Box, and even print them out with ease. With OneNote, you get a fully-featured note-taking app, complete with handwriting and sketching tools that work perfectly with Apple Pencil.
This means you can handwrite important notes, sketch diagrams and ideas, and even annotate existing documents that you already have in OneNote. If your note-taking is more about annotating and marking up PDFs, then PDF Expert is a great contender since it does so much more than Apple’s own built-in Markup extension. The free version of PDF Expert allows you to read, annotate, highlight, draw, fill forms, and more. Do you enjoy handwriting notes but want it converted into regular text just to make life easier, especially if your writing is a little hard to read?
Nebo will convert on-the-fly, and the conversion is also non-destructive — this means you can preserve both the handwriting and the text if it is not a perfect translation. There are multiple digital pen tools offered in Nebo, so you can choose whatever you like best and add photos and videos, diagrams, and even equations alongside your text.
Noteshelf is an excellent alternative to GoodNotes and Notability, making it one of the best note apps for Apple Pencil and iPad. Whink features a gel-pen tool with natural ink colors, so it’s definitely geared towards professionalism and simplicity.
Typing is just a tap away, and Whink also has PDF and photo annotation features, shape tools, and audio recording capabilities. ZoomNotes is one of the few apps out there that provides a huge zoom range so that you can handwrite notes, sketch diagrams, and ideas on a near-infinite whiteboard, right on your iPad with Apple Pencil.
It provides eight different pen types, from gel to nib to pencil, and it has handwriting recognition so you can search all of your handwritten notes. There is also support for layers, split-screen (two views of the same document), internal linking, unlimited paper sizes and styles, and so much more.
So don’t forget to check out some of the best drawing apps for iPad (opens in new tab) when you want to let those creative juices flow.
The Best App for Taking Handwritten Notes on an iPad – The Sweet Setup
When the iPad was first announced, its notebook-like shape (and name) seemed to make this type of use inevitable, but it’s only been in recent years with the release of the Apple Pencil that handwriting on the platform has been allowed to shine. With handwriting being the focus instead of keyboard-based text entry, drawings and doodles can take shape, margins can be utilized, and the tools as a whole are completely different.
These apps can come especially in handy for certain use cases such as students taking lecture notes, those committed to keeping a journal, and anyone who appreciates the art of putting pen to paper. By joining the Sweet Setup community you’ll also get access to our other guides, early previews to big new reviews and workflow articles we are working on, weekly roundups of our best content, and more. We consider quick updates to support new screen sizes essential; after all, if you’ve gone out of your way to take notes using the Apple Pencil, you’re most likely the type who’s also an early adopter. It’s been well-documented: handwriting greatly improves the learning process and it’s easier to commit things to memory if you write them down.
When the iPad debuted in 2010, it promised to eliminate the need to carry textbooks and notebooks, and seemed like an easy fit to take the place of the 15-inch MacBook Pro (at least for study purposes). However, the handwriting component of learning was lost, as the original iPad only really had external keyboard support as its primary input method.
iOS Safari has improved over the years as well, increasingly supporting more and more types of webinar delivery methods and online student portals. On the left, a textbook, quickly searched and easily annotated, and on the right, a digital piece of paper ready for all sorts of pens, highlighters, shapes, and jotting. Simply put, if you’re a student today, either of our top two handwriting note-taking apps are must-have purchases from the day you unbox your new iPad. GoodNotes’ latest update has created a user-interface perfect for those looking to move their notes into the digital space.
Once you’re in a notebook, instead of seeing a blinking cursor like a traditional text notes app, you’ll be ready to start writing with the Apple Pencil. The majority of these papers have both a landscape and portrait orientation, as well as an option to use it in either a white or yellow color. This is a killer feature in our book, and one that we’ve used quite a bit after discovering the versatility of adding our own paper templates to the app. There are three types of pens alongside a highlighter, and each of the tools is highly customizable in terms of both size and color. This is handy for a variety of reasons: taking notes on top of a class’s lecture outline, using a digital yearly planner, creating your own custom paper template, the list goes on and on. And, as mentioned above, the ability to import a PDF as a custom paper type is a powerful feature that really extends the usefulness of the app as far as your imagination and resourcefulness can carry you.
If writing in dim lighting is important to you, Notability not only offers a dark version of its UI, but also allows you to set the paper to black and the ink to white. For the creative note-takers, photos and gifs can be added to each document, as well as web clips, stickies, and custom shapes or figures.
Notes also receives a first-party perk on iPads: Tapping the lock screen with a Pencil automatically opens a new sheet. Evernote sync may be handy for some, but a limited set of features and inconsistent updates (the last one being over a full year ago) means that this app has seen better days. Though this is a very interesting premise, the conversion doesn’t always work flawlessly, and the extremely specific use-case is too narrow to call it the best app in the category. Though possible to use as a handwriting app, Paper works better as a sketching tool, and thus didn’t make the cut.
But the lack of search, a limited amount of tools, and a focus on annotating PDFs means that this app stays in the runner up category. It’s clear that with the right combination of app and Pencil, the iPad is now an exceptional note-taking tool for those who prefer to write by hand.
Quickly write notes with Apple Pencil on iPad
Create a Quick Note Swipe up from the bottom right of the screen using Apple Pencil.
Best note-taking apps for iPad and Apple Pencil 2022
Apple has native text recognition search and in-line scanning and annotation support too. GoodNotes is packed with plenty of robust features, including handwriting and sketching with Apple Pencil.
You can choose from a massive selection of digital paper types to suit any need you have: lined, graph, design, music notation, and more.
If that’s not enough, you can also upload your own custom template too, and there are different cover styles for digital notebooks that you can write or sketch on for further personalization. This powerful and comprehensive note-taking app works great on iPad with Apple Pencil. It has tools for handwriting, drawing, annotating PDFs, making shapes, highlighting, moving objects around the page, adding audio notes, integration with photos and web clips, and so much more.
You can share your digital notebooks with third-party syncing services like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Box, and even print them out with ease. With OneNote, you get a fully-featured note-taking app, complete with handwriting and sketching tools that work perfectly with Apple Pencil.
This means you can handwrite important notes, sketch diagrams and ideas, and even annotate existing documents that you already have in OneNote. If your note-taking is more about annotating and marking up PDFs, then PDF Expert is a great contender since it does so much more than Apple’s own built-in Markup extension. The free version of PDF Expert allows you to read, annotate, highlight, draw, fill forms, and more. Do you enjoy handwriting notes but want it converted into regular text just to make life easier, especially if your writing is a little hard to read?
Nebo will convert on-the-fly, and the conversion is also non-destructive — this means you can preserve both the handwriting and the text if it is not a perfect translation. There are multiple digital pen tools offered in Nebo, so you can choose whatever you like best and add photos and videos, diagrams, and even equations alongside your text. Noteshelf is an excellent alternative to GoodNotes and Notability, making it one of the best note apps for Apple Pencil and iPad. Whink features a gel-pen tool with natural ink colors, so it’s definitely geared towards professionalism and simplicity.
Typing is just a tap away, and Whink also has PDF and photo annotation features, shape tools, and audio recording capabilities. ZoomNotes is one of the few apps out there that provides a huge zoom range so that you can handwrite notes, sketch diagrams, and ideas on a near-infinite whiteboard, right on your iPad with Apple Pencil. It provides eight different pen types, from gel to nib to pencil, and it has handwriting recognition so you can search all of your handwritten notes. There is also support for layers, split-screen (two views of the same document), internal linking, unlimited paper sizes and styles, and so much more.
So don’t forget to check out some of the best drawing apps for iPad (opens in new tab) when you want to let those creative juices flow.
The best styluses for note-taking on the iPad
The unchallenged leader of the category is the ultra-precise Bluetooth-powered stylus with built-in palm rejection and the most natural writing experience. Originally introduced in 2018 exclusively for schools, the Crayon is now also available for regular consumers — making it a great choice for people who want to save a bit of money. While it may be perceived as “childish” or “playful”, the precision and the writing experience of the Logitech Crayon doesn’t fall behind its bigger brother. With its flat sides, it likely won’t roll off any desk and neither will you lose the cap that covers the charger as it is attached to the body of the stylus. The latest version of the Jot Pro uses a cushion tip to dampen the screen contact for more convenient and silent writing experiences. When we originally wrote this article, the Apple Pencil was only available for the iPad Pro lines and the Logitech Crayon wasn’t even for sale.
This also led us to the decision to only support first-party technology found in the Apple Pencil and the Logitech Crayon for GoodNotes 5, in addition to all non-Bluetooth capacitive styluses. Pogo Connect 2 — Used to be one of the best available choices in the pre-Apple Pencil era but hasn’t received an update for a long time and seems to be completely unavailable on the manufacturer’s website in April 2020.
The “Bamboo Fineline” — Compatible with lots of apps but hasn’t seen a significant update in a while and also doesn’t come close to the precision provided by first-party technology. Adonit Pixel — What used to be a premium alternative for devices that didn’t support the Apple Pencil has lost one of its strongest sales arguments.
How to Take Handwritten Notes on Your iPad Using the Apple Pencil
Not only can you use it for (virtual) drawing, painting, or coloring, you can also take notes and doodle. The first-generation Apple Pencil comes in a round shape and was first introduced with the original iPad Pro.
Here’s a list of all iPads that support the first-generation Apple Pencil at the time of writing: The second-generation Apple Pencil is quite a bit smaller, with a single flat edge. It now magnetically latches on to the edge of the iPad Pro and charges wirelessly. The accessory is only supported on the following iPad Pro models with Face ID (again, at the time of writing):
It’s quite easy to get started taking notes on your iPad as you don’t even have to download an app. Now, you can tap the tip of your Apple Pencil on the screen to enter the handwritten notes mode. If you have the second-generation Apple Pencil, you can double-tap on the Action button to switch to the Eraser. RELATED: How to Change the Double-Tap Action on Apple Pencil for iPad Pro
Apple Notes app has a handwriting recognition feature built-in. Plus, you don’t even need to unlock your iPad to start taking handwritten notes.
This will now become the background of your note, making it much easier to write in straight lines. You can customize virtually every single part of the handwritten notetaking interface.
The app comes with a myriad of templates, and there’s a feature that lets you zoom in to a particular part of the page.
If you have an iPad Pro and a newer Mac, you can connect your iPad to your Mac and turn it into a fully functional secondary display and drawing tablet (with Apple Pencil support) using the new Sidecar feature in macOS Catalina and iPadOS.
The best iPad stylus in 2022: iPad pens for drawing and note-taking
Turn it into a canvas for drawing and digital painting, retouch photos using Photoshop, move clips around a video editing timeline, and a whole lot more. It can also be more casual – many people like iPad styluses to write shopping lists, play games and organise their apps. In this guide, we’ve included a mix of styluses for all needs and budgets, from Apple’s high-end options to cheap, simple ones that are minimal on features. Apple Pencil 2 (2018) The iPad stylus overall (if your iPad is compatible) Specifications Pressure levels: Not specified (around 4096) Weight: 20.7g Length: 166mm Connectivity: Bluetooth Battery life: 12 hours Today’s Best Deals View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at very.co.uk (opens in new tab) View at John Lewis (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Really natural to use + Good with all apps + Great for writing and drawing Reasons to avoid – Selective compatibility
The new additions like wireless charging and tap-based controls help it integrate seamlessly into your workflow, and the revamped design adds a flat edge. This may sound like an odd thing to single out, but anyone who used the original Apple Pencil is already nodding vigorously (it has a habit of rolling off desks).
The only real barrier is the cost, and the fact that Apple removed the spare tips that were packaged with the original Pencil, while still inevitably bumping the price up. Apple Pencil (1st gen) The original Apple Pencil works with older and cheaper iPads Specifications Pressure levels: Not specified (around 4096) Weight: 20.7g Length: 175.7 mm Connectivity: Bluetooth/Lightning Battery life: 12 hours Today’s Best Deals View at John Lewis (opens in new tab) View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Currys (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Broad iPad compatibility + Smooth in operation Reasons to avoid – No magnetic storage… – … or simultaneous charging
Newer models at the lower end of the price scale, like the 10.2-inch (9th gen) iPad, are still coming out with Apple Pencil 1 compatibility, meaning it’s still a solid buy for many users. In our full review of the Apple Pencil, we praised the premium drawing experience it provides, with excellent pressure and tilt sensitivity, as well as solid battery life. This cap is notoriously easy to lose, so keep an eye on it, but the good news is that the fast connection means the Pencil charges quickly, so you don’t have to leave it off for too long at a time. Adonit Dash 4 The best affordable pen for the iPad with a long-lasting battery Specifications Pressure levels: n/a Weight: 15g Length: 192mm Connectivity: Wireless Battery life: 15 hours Today’s Best Deals View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Amazon (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Stylish look and finish + Long battery life Reasons to avoid – No pressure sensitivity – No Bluetooth
The Adonit Dash 4 is a great one – compatible with the majority of iPads, it’s a versatile stylus that’s excellent for more casual users. It’s a passive stylus, meaning no Bluetooth connectivity, and has a useful dual-mode toggle that lets you switch between general-purpose use and palm rejection for drawing (provided your iPad is compatible, of course).
However, in our review, we liked a lot of things about the Adonit Dash 4, especially its sleek aluminium design, and the fact that its battery can last up to 15 hours before needing a charge. The Logitech Crayon is the only non-Pencil iPad stylus that Apple has given its official stamp of approval, and after getting our hands on it, we can tell you we’re big fans.
With instant connectivity and a long-lasting lithium-ion battery, the Logitech Crayon has a lot going for it, and the aluminium build gives it a satisfying weight in the hand. Zagg Pro Stylus The best affordable third-party iPad stylus Specifications Pressure levels: None Weight: 15g Length: 153mm Connectivity: None Battery life: No batteries Today’s Best Deals View at Amazon (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Useful palm rejection + Tilt sensitivity Reasons to avoid – No pressure sensitivity – No wireless charging
It’s also not a Bluetooth stylus – it connects by creating an electric field with the touchscreen – meaning there isn’t all the annoying pairing and unpairing. Battery life is generally pretty good, and the overall design of the Zagg Pro Stylus means you’ll be comfortable using it for long periods of time.
Meko Universal Stylus The best cheap iPad stylus for those on a budget Specifications Pressure levels: n/a Weight: 20g Length: 230.8mm Connectivity: Wireless Battery life: Eight hours Today’s Best Deals View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Amazon (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Hugely affordable + Strong aluminium build Reasons to avoid – No pressure sensitivity – Extremely basic The aluminium build of the Meko Universal Stylus is pleasingly solid, and the fact that it’s compatible with pretty much any touchscreen going means it’s an especially good choice if your household has multiple tablets of different makes and models. Adonit Pixel A top-quality third-party stylus for drawing and note-taking Specifications Pressure levels: 2048 Weight: 20g Length: 150mm Connectivity: Bluetooth Battery life: 15 hours Today’s Best Deals Check Amazon (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Pressure sensitivity + Compatible with lots of apps Reasons to avoid – Buttons can be over-sensitive – Palm rejection is spotty Bluetooth enabled and compatible with many of the sorts of apps creatives will likely be using on their tablets, the Pixel boasts 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity and a range of function buttons on its body that can be assigned to the user’s preferred tools (though be warned these can be easy to knock accidentally if you’re not paying attention).
The battery should last for about 15 hours of use, allowing you to get really stuck into your projects, and the sleek design makes the Pixel stylus genuinely enjoyable to use. Adonit Mark The best cheap iPad stylus Specifications Pressure levels: N/A Weight: 22g Length: 140mm Connectivity: None Battery life: N/A Today’s Best Deals View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Amazon (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + The price!
Of course, you also need a tip that won’t scratch your screen, which is the reason why you should avoid super-cheap styluses from dodgy-looking websites. If you’re planning to spend long sessions drawing, a stylus with palm rejection will make things much more fluid and comfortable.
The 6 Best Note-Taking Apps for iPad in 2022
Do you love the tactile experience of taking notes on paper but prefer the organizational features of digital note-taking apps? The key is to use a quality stylus, a screen protector that mimics paper, and, most importantly, the right note-taking app. The app offers a delightful writing experience, yet it also makes it easy to embed images, annotate PDFs, and even record voice memos. Notability does an excellent job of emulating this experience, while also allowing you to do things you can’t do on paper such as resizing and moving your drawings.
Finally, Notability gives you plenty of options for exporting and sharing your notes, including Google Drive, Dropbox, and AirDrop. It has many of the features we love in Notability, including the option to annotate PDFs and multitask with the iPad’s split screen. Finally, Noteshelf lets you export your notes to iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Evernote. Notably, GoodNotes lets you adjust the sensitivity and palm recognition of the pen to match your writing style.
Finally, GoodNotes includes a “Presentation Mode” that lets you turn your iPad into a digital whiteboard. Using either AirPlay or an HDMI cable, you can project what you’re writing onto a larger screen while still being able to see the GoodNotes interface on your iPad.
The app’s drawing features are also solid, making it easy to add sketches and illustrations to your notes. Unlike the other apps we discuss in this article, Notion isn’t meant to mimic the experience of handwriting.
These tools can be as simple as a to-do list or as complex as a project management system for an entire company. But you’ll also find some features missing in other note-taking apps, including the ability to comment on specific lines of your text. You can also embed and link to other notes within pages, making Notion ideal for building a personal knowledge database.
OneNote lets you write notes either on a blank page or a layout that emulates a sheet of lined paper.
The general setup of the app mimics a physical binder, allowing you to organize your notes by topic. In this course, you’ll learn how to set realistic goals, handle failure without giving up, and get going on the habits you want in your life.
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